Senior Manufacturing Engineer - Design for Excellence

Department Mission Statement

The mission of Manufacturing Engineering is to establish manufacturing control through process development, creation of standard work, and cross functional collaboration to guarantee process safety and quality while supporting improved delivery through efficiency. The Sr. DFX Engineer - MFG will have a functional reporting to the Sr. Process Engineering Manager. It will reside on the Operational Excellence Team and have a direct impact on production floor continuous improvement initiatives under the direction of the Operational Excellence Manager (Matrix Manager).

POSITION DETAILS

Position Summary

The Senior Manufacturing Engineer serves as the primary technical liaison between product design and manufacturing to ensure we deliver manufacturable valve designs for U.S. Navy applications. You will work cross-functionally with design, manufacturing, assembly, and quality to drive robust producible designs and continuous improvement. This role requires extensive experience in both mechanical design and manufacturing within a regulated production environment.

Principal Activities

• Assist in DFM/DFA reviews for new and existing products to ensure manufacturability, assembly efficiency, and cost optimization
• Collaborate with product design engineers early in the development cycle to influence architecture, materials, tolerances, and processes
• Develop and enforce manufacturing design standards, best practices, and design guidelines
• Partner with manufacturing engineering and suppliers to select appropriate manufacturing processes (machining, casting, molding, stamping, additive, etc.)
• Identify and mitigate manufacturing risks through FMEA, tolerance analysis, and process capability studies
• Drive cost-reduction initiatives through design simplification, part count reduction, and alternative materials or processes
• Support prototype builds, pilot runs, and production ramp-up; resolve DFM-related issues quickly and effectively
• Analyze quality and production data to improve yield, reliability, and throughput
• Mentor junior engineers on DFM principles and manufacturing fundamentals
• Support supplier engagement, technical reviews, and manufacturability assessments
• Define, maintain, and control the technical standards for use by Manufacturing Engineers
• Be the prime contact on high-level Manufacturing Engineering projects
• Ensure compliance with applicable military, naval, and industry standards (e.g., NAVSEA requirements, MIL-STD, ASME, ASTM)
• Support configuration management, engineering change control (ECR/ECO), and technical data package (TDP) integrity
• Participate in customer reviews, audits, and technical interchange meetings as required
• Maintain technical knowledge by attending educational workshops, reviewing publications, establishing industry networks, benchmarking state-of-the-art practices, and/or participating in professional associations
• Travel as needed, anticipated as less than 10% of working time
• Provide manufacturing and manufacturability input for production planning, design, or repair
• Participate in or lead continuous improvement projects that support the Lean Manufacturing methodology such as SMED and Kaizen events
• Takes initiative to solve complex engineering problems and coordinate with other functional areas as needed
• Produce comprehensive and complete engineering technical documentation
• Demonstrate effective communication (teleconference, email, and in-person) through interaction with customers (internal and external) regarding technical subject matter.
• Lead continuous improvement activities
• Provide technical guidance to small and mid-size engineering project teams
• Comply with all company policies/procedures
• Comply with all military and contractual requirements
• All other duties as assigned

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

Knowledge Skills & Abilities

• Results oriented, with sound judgment
• Excellent demonstrated verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent demonstrated analytical, critical thinking, and strategic skills
• Excellent Interpersonal skills
• Ability to work in a cross-function team
• Ability to perform in an ambiguous environment
• Ability to balance cost, quality, performance, and schedule
• System-Level thinking
• Strong knowledge with machine shop equipment and general CNC machinery
• Detail-oriented with a bias toward execution
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, materials, tolerancing, and GD&T
• Extensive machining background in the production of close tolerance highly precision products involving various types of metals
• Knowledgeable with metal processing background, i.e., Heat Treating, Surface Finishing, Forging, Casting, etc.
• Thorough knowledge of Microsoft applications
• Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner
• Develop alternative solutions
• Works well in group problem solving situations
• Presents ideas and information in a manner that gets others attention
• Exhibits sound and accurate judgment
• Presents numerical data effectively
• Demonstrated aptitude for process improvement and use of Lean and Six-Sigma resources and tools

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline
• 5+ years of experience in DFM, manufacturing engineering, or product development in a production environment.
• Proven experience designing and supporting production of valve systems or similar pressure-containing mechanical assemblies
• Demonstrated experience working in a non-union manufacturing environment
• Strong understanding of machining, welding, casting, forging, assembly, and inspection processes
• Advanced proficiency in engineering drawings, GD&T, and tolerance analysis
• Experience with 3D CAD software (SolidWorks preferred, Creo, NX, or similar)
• Familiarity with formal quality systems (ISO 9001, AS9100, or equivalent defense standards)
• Metal additive experience is a plus.

Other

• U.S. Citizen

CIRCOR is an EEO Employer of Females / Minorities / Veterans / Individuals with Disabilities