Lead, Manufacturing Process Engineer, Air Manufacturing Innovation

Nike•Saint Charles, MO

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Lead, Manufacturing Process Engineer at Air MI is a technical leader within Air Manufacturing Engineering responsible for developing, optimizing, and sustaining the manufacturing processes used to create Nike Air components. This role drives process capability and manufacturing readiness in alignment with the ambitions of the Air MI Manufacturing System (AMS) —focusing on standardization, flow, stability, and Lean‑driven continuous improvement. This role will report to the Sr Manager, Process Engineering in AM93 in St. Charles and will partner closely with Product Development Design, Tooling, Quality Systems Engineering, Automation Engineering, and Air Manufacturing Operations to deliver safe, scalable, standardized, data‑driven processes that enable Air MI to meet demand, reduce scrap and waste, and operate as a standardized global network.

Requirements

At least 6 years in process engineering within a high-volume manufacturing production environment in Plastics, Semiconductor, Technology or Food & Beverage industries.
Bachelor’s degree in plastics, chemical, mechanical, manufacturing or industrial engineering, or any suitable combination of education, experience or training.
Process simulation/optimization/digital twin technology.
Six Sigma.
Lean manufacturing.
Statistical modeling/analysis.
Experience troubleshooting complex manufacturing equipment utilizing mechanical, process, and automation fundamentals.

Nice To Haves

Experience in Thermoforming of Thermoplastic Polyurethanes, RF Welding, and Part Trimming.
Experience in product development and validation in a high-volume manufacturing environment.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
Proven ability to work with associates of all levels including machine operators, supervisors, experts, engineers, technicians, and executives, while adapting communication style to suit different audiences.

Responsibilities

Serve as technical SME for AM93 manufacturing processes, providing expert guidance on thermoforming, RF Welding, material processing, tooling interactions, and process capability improvement.
Lead complex troubleshooting and root cause investigations involving quality losses, downtime, process variation, yield reduction, scrap generation, and equipment reliability issues.
Lead process design, validation, capability and optimization, ensuring stable, robust processes that meet throughput, OEE, and Cpk requirements while supporting Air MI network standardization.
Drive process optimization and continuous improvement initiatives utilizing engineering fundamentals, statistical analysis, experimental design, RCAs, and advancing data-driven digital and automation solutions to improve OEE, quality rate, performance rate, throughput, and cost performance.
Oversee process monitoring and troubleshooting, enabling rapid response to abnormalities and improving machine availability through expert understanding of materials, tooling, equipment, and key machine operating parameters.
Ensure documentation creation and validation rigor, including control plans, process specs, validation packages, and standard work in partnership with Air Standards and Quality Systems.
Leverage manufacturing data systems and digital tools to identify trends, predict process performance, improve decision-making, and advance data-driven manufacturing practices.
Establish and maintain process standards, including process specifications, control plans, standard work, validation protocols, engineering documentation, and best practices.