Manufacturing Engineer

Woodward, Inc.•Fort Collins, CO

About The Position

Woodward is committed to creating a great workplace for all team members. Our company and its members are committed to acting with integrity, being respectful and accountable to one another, and staying humble and driven, while maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards. We are steadfastly committed to attracting the best talent across our communities, creating a rewarding workplace. Together we are fulfilling our purpose to design and deliver energy control solutions our partners count on to power a clean future. Woodward supports our members’ wellbeing and regularly benchmarks with other companies in our industry to offer an extensive Total Reward package for this position. Salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. Supporting Woodward’s Industrial product segment, you will play a key role in supporting and improving manufacturing processes to ensure efficiency, quality, and productivity in production operations. This position involves troubleshooting process issues, documenting workflows, and maintaining production documentation, including standard operating procedures and work instructions. The role is also responsible for gathering and analyzing production data to identify inefficiencies, assisting with cost analysis, and proposing basic solutions to optimize workflows. Woodward is the global leader in the design, manufacturing, and service of energy conversion and control solutions for the aerospace and industrial equipment markets. Together with our customers, we are enabling the path to a cleaner, decarbonized world. Our innovative fluid, combustion, electrical, propulsion and motion control systems perform in some of the world’s harshest environments. At Woodward we have created a culture that appreciates and values the contributions of every member. We are a global team of curious, innovative problem-solvers who commit our knowledge, resources and technical expertise to the challenges associated with reducing emissions, enabling alternative energy sources and increasing efficiency, always innovating for a better future. Woodward is working with our customers to solve some of the world’s biggest energy challenges. This important work needs more than just the brightest technical minds. It requires talented and committed manufacturing professionals, accountants, supply chain managers, human resources experts, information technology specialists and many more. We are looking for dedicated people who want to learn and grow in a supportive environment that fosters collaboration, innovation and inclusion.

Requirements

Assists in identifying inefficiencies in manufacturing operations by collecting data (e.g., cycle times, scrap rates, setup times) and supporting small-scale process improvement initiatives under supervision.
Collect and organize data related to production processes, such as cycle times, throughput, and downtime, using spreadsheets or basic tools.
Collect production data on labor, material usage, and machine downtime to support cost analysis and basic cost-benefit calculations for manufacturing decisions.
Learn basic Lean principles, such as 5S and waste identification, and apply them to small tasks.
Learn basic DFMA principles and assist in design reviews to identify manufacturability issues.
Collaborate with design teams to collect data and document feedback on product designs.
Learns the basics of equipment selection, troubleshooting, and maintenance processes.
Assists in evaluating equipment specifications, performing basic troubleshooting tasks, and documenting equipment performance under supervision.
Learn from senior engineers by actively seeking guidance and feedback to improve technical and interpersonal skills.
Focus on understanding processes and building foundational expertise.
Identify basic issues in manufacturing workflows and propose simple solutions.
Learns the basics of APQP tools and systems, focusing on process control and product quality.
Assists in monitoring process capability and supporting tooling/fixturing evaluations and documentation updates.
Communicate findings effectively and work collaboratively with other roles.
4 Year Bachelors BS OR 6+ years equivalent experience
Analyzes production process data to identify bottlenecks, waste, and inefficiencies.
Implements small process changes and recommends improvements for throughput, reduce rework, and enhance productivity.
Analyze production data to identify trends, inefficiencies, and bottlenecks using tools like Pareto charts and process control charts.
Analyze manufacturing costs by evaluating material waste, labor efficiency, and equipment utilization.
Perform detailed cost-benefit analyses to identify opportunities for cost savings and waste reduction.
Implement Lean tools, such as Kaizen and Value Stream Mapping, for localized process improvements.
Apply DFMA principles to improve product manufacturability and assembly.
Analyze designs for material selection, part count reduction, and ease of assembly, while collaborating with cross-functional teams to refine designs.
Assists in selecting equipment for specific operations, preparing purchase requests, and evaluating vendor proposals for return on investment and in alignment with capital equipment plans.
Troubleshoots moderately complex equipment issues and supports maintenance teams to improve reliability.
Share foundational knowledge with peers and newer hires.
Collaborate with others to support mutual learning and contribute to a positive team environment.
Analyze production problems using structured methodologies (e.g., 5 Whys, Fishbone diagrams) to identify root causes.
Applies APQP tools to improve process stability and reliability.
Supports tooling/fixturing refinements and analyzes process capability metrics (e.g., Cpk) to reduce variability and enhance performance.
Coordinate with cross-functional teams to align goals and share updates on manufacturing improvements.
4 Year Bachelors BS OR 8+ years equivalent experience

Responsibilities

Provide technical support to troubleshoot basic process issues and assist operators in maintaining workflows.
Document downtime trends and evaluate defective hardware for basic disposition actions such as rework or scrap.
Assist in creating and documenting basic manufacturing processes, ensuring workflows are captured accurately and reflect production requirements.
Collect data to support evaluations of process capability and identify minor issues in production processes.
Assist in maintaining and updating production documentation, including SOPs, process flow diagrams, and basic work instructions.
Ensure documentation is organized and accessible.
Tracking project milestones, maintaining documentation, and supporting basic project tasks.
Monitor production processes and identify inefficiencies through technical analysis.
Implement small-scale process improvements, train operators on SOPs, and manage hardware disposition by evaluating defective or non-conforming hardware for repair, rework, or replacement.
Develop and maintain manufacturing processes for assigned areas, ensuring accuracy and consistency in workflows.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to refine process steps and improve production efficiency.
Analyze process capability using statistical tools like SPC, identifying opportunities for improvement and driving small-scale enhancements.
Create and refine production documentation to ensure alignment with manufacturing standards and compliance requirements.
Begin transitioning documentation to digital platforms for improved accuracy, accessibility, and collaboration.
Manage small-scale manufacturing projects, ensuring timelines, budgets, and deliverables are met under supervision.