Manufacturing Engineer - New Product Introduction (NPI)

We are seeking a driven, execution-focused New Product Introduction (NPI) Manufacturing Engineer to help bridge product design and manufacturability early in the development lifecycle. This role supports accelerated time-to-market, reduces cost variance, and ensures a smooth transition from concept and prototype builds into full-scale production.

The NPI Engineer operates at the intersection of design engineering and manufacturing, supporting product industrialization efforts. This role helps translate design intent into scalable manufacturing processes, identifies risks, contributes to cost alignment, and supports production readiness. The ideal candidate brings 3D CAD/solid modeling capability, supports rapid prototyping through 3D printing, and assists in developing 3D fixtures to enable efficient builds and validation.

This is a hands-on role requiring collaboration, technical curiosity, and the ability to drive tasks through production launch with guidance from senior team members. Strong candidates demonstrate the ability to contribute to cost estimation, support process improvements, and participate in data-driven operational enhancements.

YOUR DAY TO DAY:

Key Responsibilities

• Own NPI Lifecycle Execution:

Lead and manage product transitions from prototype through pilot builds to full-scale production, ensuring readiness across tooling, equipment, documentation, and workforce training.

• Design for Manufacturability (DFM):

Evaluate product designs early in development to identify manufacturability risks, cost drivers, and scalability concerns. Provide actionable feedback to design teams to optimize product outcomes.

• Cross-Functional Alignment:

Act as the central liaison between R&D, design engineering, quality, supply chain, and operations to ensure alignment between product design and manufacturing capabilities.

• Process Development & Industrialization:
• Develop, implement, and validate manufacturing processes including:
• Work instructions
• Process flow diagrams
• Control plans
• Tooling and fixture requirements
• Design and develop manufacturing tooling, including 3D fixtures and build aids, to improve repeatability and throughput
• Utilize 3D CAD solid modeling to support manufacturability reviews, fixture design, and process validation
• Leverage rapid prototyping and 3D printing where appropriate to accelerate development cycles and reduce tooling lead time
• BOM Structuring & Cost Alignment:

Own BOM development aligned to the manufacturing strategy, ensuring accuracy, cost control, and scalability. Develop early-stage cost models at design release, identify cost drivers, and drive design or process changes to achieve target cost prior to production launch.

• Production Readiness & Pilot Builds:

Lead pilot builds and production trials, driving issue resolution, process validation, and readiness for full-rate production.

• Problem Solving & Continuous Improvement:
• Troubleshoot production issues, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions. Continuously optimize workflows for efficiency, quality, and cost-effectiveness.
• Develop and implement new or streamlined process flows to improve efficiency and scalability
• Quantify improvements using metrics such as cycle time reduction, labor efficiency, cost savings, and yield improvement
• Present data-driven justification for process changes and tooling investments
• Quality & Compliance:

Ensure products and processes meet all applicable industry standards, regulatory requirements, and internal quality benchmarks.

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 3-7+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, NPI, or product industrialization
• Proven track record of successfully launching new products into production
• Experience working in cross-functional, fast-paced development environments
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes (machining, assembly, fabrication, etc.)
• Experience with DFM/DFA principles
• Proficiency in interpreting engineering drawings and CAD models
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems and BOM management
• Knowledge of quality systems (e.g., control plans, PFMEA, root cause analysis)
• Proficiency in 3D CAD solid modeling
• Experience designing 3D manufacturing fixtures and tooling
• Familiarity with 3D printing or additive prototyping preferred
• Ability to develop design-phase cost estimates and manufacturing cost models
• Experience creating and optimizing process flow diagrams with measurable improvements

Soft Skills:

• Highly self-driven with the ability to operate with minimal oversight
• Strong project management and organizational skills
• Effective communicator with the ability to influence cross-functional teams
• Results-oriented with a focus on execution and accountability

Physical Requirements

• Ability to perform hands-on work in a manufacturing environment
• Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs as needed
• Travel up to 40% (domestic)

Success Metrics (KPIs)

• On-time NPI project delivery vs. target timelines
• Cost performance vs. product target cost
• First-pass yield during pilot and production ramp
• Reduction in design/manufacturing iteration cycles
• Production readiness at launch
• Accuracy of initial design-phase cost estimates versus production cost
• Measurable cost savings driven through process innovation
• Cycle time reduction from optimized process flows
• ROI justification and implementation of fixture or tooling improvements

SHAPING THE FUTURE THROUGH INNOVATION AND DISCOVERY!

With a history spanning more than seven decades, Communications & Power Industries' thousands of products have impacted people's lives in numerous unseen ways every day. Our highly engineered products serve as the backbone of modern-day commercial and military communications systems, assist in diagnosing medical conditions, empower scientific discoveries and space exploration, and much more.

CPI is headquartered in Plano, Texas and is a global manufacturer of electronic components and subsystems. We have manufacturing locations in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. With a heritage of technological excellence, our team serves customers in the communications, defense, medical, industrial, and scientific markets.

WHAT WE OFFER:

Whether you are a seasoned professional or just embarking on your career, CPI is an ideal place to expand your knowledge and expertise. We cultivate a healthy, dynamic, and team-oriented environment that empowers our employees to develop, create and deliver innovative, reliable technology solutions to power, connect, protect, and support a better tomorrow.

We offer our employees an attractive compensation package with competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits, including health and wellness programs, career development, generous retirement savings plan with company match and more!

WHO WE ARE:

We value the unique and diverse skills, qualities, and backgrounds that each employee brings to CPI, and we respect each employee as an integral member of our growing team. CPI is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all current and prospective employees, as well as to promoting a culture of inclusion and respect for everyone. We celebrate the innovation that diversity creates in the work environment, and we recognize that each employee brings their own unique capabilities, experiences, and perspectives to the organization. It is this variety that adds value to our teams, as well as to our stakeholders. We welcome and encourage applicants to reach their full potential with us.

CPI is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability or other applicable legally protected characteristics.