Day in the life
When you walk in, your dashboard already shows a queue of OEM/AM orders. You clarify processes, check for missing dimensions and tolerance gaps, interpret EDLs, and spin up accurate BOMs. By mid‑morning, you’re deep in AutoCAD/SolidWorks, reviewing detailed component drawings and coordinating drawing/document revisions after engineering, customer, and supplier meetings. In parallel, you guide technicians, programmers, analysts, and administrative staff—keeping work flowing and quality tight.
Afternoons often mean root‑cause hunts: you apply statistical methods to pinpoint failure modes and recommend design, tolerance, or process changes. You incorporate new manufacturing methods, refine tooling and fixtures, and put better controls in place. You interface with vendors—selecting components, comparing supplier options, holding them accountable to material choices, and advising on supplier selection. You also sync with Stolle Engineering teams at other locations to align cross‑functional work and integrate other engineering disciplines.
Every day closes with disciplined documentation. You maintain project records and files, initiate and organize new files, retrieve archives, and, when needed, provide literal translations. You document daily for continuous process improvement and ensure the right information reaches supervisors, peers, and your team.
What you will tackle
- Design, integrate, and improve manufacturing systems and related processes with a focus on cost, quality, and throughput.
- Lead continuous improvement: implement process changes, adopt new methods, and enhance existing operations.
- Determine root causes using statistical analysis; recommend changes in designs, tolerances, or processing methods.
- Supervise and develop technicians, technologists, analysts, programmers, administrative staff, and other engineers.
- Drive OEM/AM order execution: clarify process, verify tolerances and dimensions, interpret EDLs, identify common parts, manage updates/change requests, and build BOMs.
- Own vendor/supplier interface: component creation/selection, materials accountability, comparative evaluations, and vendor consultation.
- Collaborate across sites with Stolle Engineering and integrate cross‑functional engineering inputs.
- Analyze information and evaluate results to choose optimal solutions; troubleshoot design, material, or process issues.
- Identify patterns and changes by categorizing, estimating, comparing similarities/differences, and detecting shifts in conditions.
- Attend engineering/customer/supplier meetings and execute drawing/document updates.
- Additional responsibilities as assigned.
Qualifications
- Associate’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (or related field) and 5+ years of experience, or an equivalent combination.
- Deep expertise in fixture design; tool & die; surface grinding; turning; milling; precision grinding; geometric tolerancing; speeds and feeds.
- Background in aerospace, can tooling, or medical manufacturing within a machine‑shop environment holding tolerances to 0.0001 in.
- Process improvement mindset with strong knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and efficient manufacturing/distribution techniques.
- Proficiency in troubleshooting and CNC programming.
Tools & collaboration
- AutoCAD, SolidWorks, and other engineering software for detailed component drawings.
- Clear, collaborative communication with supervisors, peers, and direct reports.
Physical/mental demands & schedule
- Acute sense for when things are or may go wrong; strong critical thinking and rule application to specific problems.
- Close‑range visual work (monitor/computer use) and attention to detail.
- Ability to sit or stand for extended periods.
- Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
- Typical work week ~50 hours; may include on‑call, evenings, and/or weekends.