Manufacturing Engineer

ZEISS•Chesterfield, MO

About The Position

The Manufacturing Process Engineer is responsible for driving manufacturing process improvements to continuously enhance efficiency, quality, capacity, and cost performance. This role partners closely with R&D, Production, Quality, and other cross-functional teams to transition new products into scalable manufacturing, implement advanced production technologies, and optimize existing processes using continuous improvement methodologies such as Lean and Six Sigma.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Applied Physics, Materials Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
3-5 years of engineering experience in a professional or internship capacity within a manufacturing, production, or industrial environment.
Exposure to project management principles and cross-functional project work.
Demonstrated hands-on problem-solving skills with the ability to identify root causes and implement effective solutions.
Understanding of manufacturing processes, process improvement, and continuous improvement methodologies.
Ability to analyze data, identify trends, and support process optimization initiatives.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in an international or global business environment is preferred.
Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or related operational excellence tools is a plus.
experience with ERP systems is advantageous.
Comfortable presenting information and collaborating with team members, production personnel, and cross-functional stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Lead the transition of products from development to manufacturing in collaboration with the R&D team.
Develop and validate robust production processes for mass production.
Implement and validate production equipment, tooling, measurement systems, and software.
Define in-process inspection criteria based on process qualification results.
Create and update manufacturing documentation, procedures, specifications, and work instructions.
Support ERP master data updates, including bills of materials, routings, cycle times, and yield rates.
Train production personnel on new processes and technologies.
Identify opportunities to improve production capacity, lead time, labor efficiency, material yield, and overall cost of production.
Develop and implement new manufacturing technologies based on business case analysis.
Ensure production workstations incorporate best practices for safety and ergonomics.
Improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) through structured problem-solving and process optimization.
Increase the capacity and performance of existing manufacturing equipment.
Monitor and analyze production capacity and process performance metrics.
Apply Lean, Six Sigma, and other continuous improvement tools to drive operational excellence.
Support the development and maintenance of strategic engineering tools, including capacity plans, project plans, procedures, and knowledge management systems.
Assist in establishing and maintaining engineering standards and best practices.
Contribute to lifecycle management and continuous improvement initiatives across the organization.
Perform other related duties as assigned.