Manufacturing Engineer

Akima, LLC•North Charleston, SC

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Manufacturing Engineer provides technical leadership in developing, implementing, and continuously improving manufacturing processes for complex products and integrated systems. As a technical interface between Engineering, Production, Quality, Supply Chain, Program Management, and Systems Engineering, the role ensures products are manufactured safely, efficiently, and in compliance with contractual, quality, and regulatory requirements. The position may serve as a lead and supports the full product lifecycle, from concept and design through production readiness, manufacturing execution, testing, delivery, and process optimization. Key areas include design for manufacturability and assembly (DFM/DFA), process development, tooling, production planning, risk mitigation, configuration control, and production issue resolution. This is an onsite position requiring the employee to live within commuting distance of North Charleston, South Carolina. Access to classified information at the SECRET level is required. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and able to obtain and maintain a favorable SECRET clearance through DCSA. Continued employment depends on obtaining and maintaining the clearance.

Requirements

Master’s degree in a related ABET-accredited engineering discipline.
At least 10 years of manufacturing engineering or related systems engineering experience.
Ability to obtain a SECRET security clearance; applicants must be U.S. citizens and able to maintain a favorable clearance through DCSA.
Experience transitioning products from development or prototype into repeatable production.
Demonstrated success working in cross-functional engineering and production teams.
Must live within commuting distance of North Charleston, South Carolina.

Nice To Haves

Active SECRET security clearance.
Experience developing and implementing manufacturing processes for complex products or systems, particularly C6ISR systems integrated into military vehicle platforms.
Strong experience resolving complex manufacturing and production issues.
Systems Engineering Technical Review (SETR) experience.
Experience with ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems.
Experience with DoD contracts and customer requirements.
Experience with Manufacturing Readiness Levels and Technology Readiness Levels.
Production Readiness Review (PRR) experience.
First Article Inspection (FAI) process experience.
Experience with Lean/Six Sigma, SPC, and statistical analysis tools.
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) experience.
Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) experience.
Experience in prototype, low-volume, and high-mix manufacturing environments.
Experience with electronics, electromechanical, mechanical, or integrated-system production.

Responsibilities

Participate in product realization planning from conception through delivery.
Evaluate designs for manufacturability, producibility, assembly, testability, cost, quality, and production risk.
Lead or support Manufacturing Readiness Reviews (MRR) and Production Readiness Reviews (PRR), and contribute to Systems Engineering Technical Reviews (SETR).
Identify manufacturing requirements, constraints, tooling and equipment needs, risks, and production capabilities early in development.
Develop manufacturing strategies for prototype, Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP), and full-rate production.
Support transitions from development and prototype builds into controlled, repeatable production.
Develop, document, implement, and maintain manufacturing and assembly processes.
Create process flows, routings, work instructions, bills of material, and tooling specifications.
Define manufacturing methods, equipment, tooling, fixtures, materials, and process controls.
Establish critical process parameters and performance-monitoring methods.
Evaluate process capability, repeatability, throughput, yield, and capacity.
Lead process qualification and validation activities.
Identify opportunities for automation and advanced manufacturing technologies.
Provide manufacturing engineering input throughout design and requirements development, including DFM/DFA assessments.
Review drawings, specifications, tolerances, bills of material, and technical data packages for producibility.
Participate in Preliminary Design Reviews, Critical Design Reviews, and other engineering reviews.
Recommend design improvements that support quality, cost, reliability, and manufacturability.
Collaborate with Systems, Mechanical, Electrical, Software, Test, and Quality Engineering to resolve technical and production issues.
Provide senior-level support to manufacturing and assembly operations.
Investigate production problems, defects, process failures, and nonconformances; lead root-cause analysis and corrective-action activities.
Develop and implement corrective and preventive actions.
Evaluate deviations, substitutions, and process changes for technical impact; support Material Review Board activities as required.
Provide technical guidance to production staff and junior engineers.
Ensure manufacturing processes remain aligned with approved configuration baselines.
Collaborate with Quality Engineering to define inspection points, acceptance criteria, and manufacturing controls.
Apply statistical tools to evaluate process capability and performance.
Support First Article Inspection, source inspections, acceptance testing, and customer quality activities.
Participate in corrective and preventive action programs and continuous improvement initiatives.
Support compliance with the Quality Management System and applicable customer requirements.
Lead initiatives to improve cost, quality, schedule, throughput, yield, safety, and manufacturing efficiency.
Apply Lean, Six Sigma, Statistical Process Control, and other continuous-improvement methods as appropriate.
Analyze manufacturing data to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
Develop business cases for capital equipment, tooling, automation, and facility improvements.
Establish and monitor manufacturing performance metrics.
Provide technical support to Supply Chain for supplier evaluation and selection.
Assess supplier manufacturing processes, capacity, and risks; support make/buy analyses and supplier technical assessments.
Assist in resolving supplier-related production or quality issues and participate in supplier readiness reviews when required.