Manufacturing Process Engineer

Strand Products Inc • Ventura, CA

51d • Onsite

About The Position

The Manufacturing Process Engineer is responsible for owning, improving, validating, and sustaining the manufacturing processes used to produce high-precision wire and cable assemblies at Strand Products, a 100% employee-owned manufacturer serving the medical device, aerospace, and defense industries. This is a hands-on, production-focused role with a strong presence on the manufacturing floor. The Manufacturing Process Engineer works cross-functionally with Engineering, Quality, Production, Maintenance, and Supply Chain to improve process capability, quality, throughput, equipment performance, labor efficiency, and manufacturing cost. A central responsibility of the role is converting improvement opportunities into stable, documented, repeatable production processes through automation, tooling, equipment, data, and disciplined process control. The role also owns the manufacturing-engineering handoff from New Product Introduction (NPI) into sustaining production. The Manufacturing Process Engineer ensures new processes are production-ready before transfer, establishes clear acceptance criteria and documentation, closes transfer gaps, and remains accountable for process performance after release to production.

Requirements

• BS/MS Degree in Engineering or related field.
• 5 or more years of engineering experience in a medical device, aerospace, defense, or other regulated manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience owning and improving production processes in a sustaining manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience transitioning new products or processes from NPI/pilot production into stable sustaining production.
• Experience identifying, specifying, implementing, and validating manufacturing automation, equipment, tooling, or process-control improvements.
• Working knowledge of process validation, IQ/OQ/PQ, PFMEA, Control Plans, capability analysis, GR&R, DOE, root-cause analysis, and structured continuous improvement.
• Excellent analytical and computer skills including Minitab, SolidWorks (preferred), 3D printing, MRP or ERP systems, and Microsoft Office.
• Experience working within ISO 9001, AS9100, and/or ISO 13485 quality management systems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively at all levels.
• Demonstrated high attention to detail and a process-oriented mindset focused on continuous improvement.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to remain rational and effective in stressful situations.
• Collaborative work style with a strong sense of accountability, self-awareness, and humility.
• Results- and action-oriented with an appropriate sense of urgency.
• Ability to work in both office and manufacturing environments, including regular presence on the production floor.
• Ability to sit, stand, bend, stoop, and use hands as needed for normal engineering and manufacturing-support activities.
• Ability to work with computer screens, technical drawings, detailed records, tools, fixtures, and production equipment as required by the role.
• Ability to comply with applicable cleanroom, PPE, safety, and manufacturing-area requirements.
• Applicants must be authorized to access export-controlled information as a U.S. person, as defined by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

Nice To Haves

• SolidWorks (preferred)
• Curious, resourceful, collaborative, accountable, and comfortable taking ownership of production processes.
• People who spend time where the work happens, ask questions, learn from operators and cross-functional partners, respectfully challenge existing methods, and turn ideas into practical, sustained improvements.
• Someone who wants to contribute, grow, and see the direct impact of their work on the success of the organization.

Responsibilities

• Own assigned manufacturing processes from release through sustaining production, including process performance, capability, documentation, and improvement.
• Develop, validate, standardize, document, and continuously improve manufacturing methods and process controls.
• Analyze production data and manufacturing KPIs to identify constraints, recurring defects, sources of variation, excessive labor content, downtime, and cost opportunities.
• Lead improvements that increase throughput, yield, first-pass quality, OEE, capacity, and labor efficiency while reducing scrap, rework, downtime, and process variation.
• Perform time studies, capacity analysis, line balancing, workflow analysis, and workstation/process optimization as appropriate.
• Use structured problem-solving and statistical methods, including capability studies, GR&R, DOE, trend analysis, and Minitab, to make data-based process decisions.
• Design and optimize tooling, fixtures, workholding, and production methods to improve repeatability, ergonomics, safety, quality, and cycle time.
• Lead Lean, Kaizen, waste-reduction, standard-work, and other continuous-improvement initiatives.
• Establish and monitor meaningful process metrics and verify that implemented improvements deliver sustained results.
• Identify and implement cost-reduction opportunities through process optimization, automation, waste elimination, material utilization, and equipment improvements.
• Identify manufacturing operations that are strong candidates for automation or semi-automation based on safety, quality, repeatability, labor content, capacity, and return on investment.
• Develop business cases and technical requirements for automation and equipment projects, including expected benefits, risks, implementation needs, and measurable success criteria.
• Specify, source, install, qualify, and integrate manufacturing equipment and automated systems.
• Lead or support automation initiatives involving PLC-controlled equipment, machine vision, sensors, data acquisition, motion control, error-proofing, and manufacturing equipment integration.
• Work with internal teams, integrators, and equipment suppliers from concept through factory/site acceptance, installation, qualification, training, and production release.
• Ensure new equipment and automation are safe, maintainable, documented, validated as required, and practical for production operators and maintenance personnel.
• Collaborate with Maintenance to improve equipment reliability, preventive maintenance effectiveness, uptime, and long-term supportability.
• Develop tooling, fixtures, and 3D-printed solutions when they provide an effective and scalable manufacturing improvement.
• Serve as the manufacturing-process owner for the transition of new products and processes from NPI into sustaining production.
• Partner with Product/Design Engineering, Quality, Production, Supply Chain, and other stakeholders during NPI to ensure manufacturability, process capability, production readiness, and scalability.
• Define and use clear production-transfer criteria covering equipment and tooling readiness, validated processes, work instructions, training, BOMs, routers, PFMEAs, Control Plans, inspection requirements, capacity, and unresolved risks.
• Lead or support IQ/OQ/PQ, process verification, capability studies, pilot builds, validation protocols, and validation reports required for production release.
• Identify and close manufacturing gaps before handoff, including unstable processes, incomplete documentation, unclear operator methods, inadequate tooling, capacity constraints, and unresolved quality risks.
• Confirm operators and support functions are trained and that production can execute the process consistently before formal transfer.
• Establish post-transfer monitoring and follow-up to verify that process capability, yield, cycle time, quality, and output remain stable as production volume increases.
• Take ownership of sustaining-process improvements after transfer and feed production learning back into future NPI activity.
• Provide daily production engineering support and maintain regular presence on the manufacturing floor to understand processes firsthand.
• Troubleshoot manufacturing issues using structured root-cause and problem-solving methods, and implement durable corrective actions rather than temporary fixes.
• Partner with Quality to investigate manufacturing-related nonconformances and customer complaints using 5 Why, Fishbone, FMEA, and related tools.
• Support MRB activities by providing technical evaluations, disposition recommendations, and resulting process improvements.
• Create and maintain work instructions, PFMEAs, Control Plans, BOMs, routers, process specifications, and engineering change documentation.
• Support cleanroom manufacturing operations and train production personnel on new or revised processes, equipment, tooling, and work instructions.
• Support applicable ISO 9001, AS9100, ISO 13485, customer, and audit requirements as they relate to manufacturing processes and engineering documentation.
• Build strong working relationships with Production, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Engineering and communicate clearly with employees at all levels.
• Take ownership of assigned problems and projects from definition through implementation, verification, documentation, and sustained results.
• Share knowledge, listen to employees closest to the work, and contribute to a collaborative One Strand culture.

Benefits

• Employee ownership through our ESOP program.
• Comprehensive benefits including health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.
• Paid holidays and up to 3 weeks of paid time off annually.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level