Manufacturing / Process Engineer

Maitland Engineering LLC • South Bend, IN

5d

About The Position

Maitland Engineering is expanding from manufacturing orthopedic implants into aerospace and defense precision tooling. Reporting to the VP of Engineering, the Manufacturing / Process Engineer will lead day-to-day manufacturing operations and develop the processes, systems, capabilities, and culture needed to grow the aerospace tooling business. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring precision-machining knowledge, the ability to develop people, and an interest in building a new operation.

The role will support daily shop-floor operations, establish capacity and workflow, improve manufacturing performance, and standardize processes and production controls. It will partner with Engineering and other functions to optimize CNC machining and support projects from development through production. The engineer will use Epicor ERP and production data, guide continuous-improvement initiatives, and contribute to equipment selection, capital planning, automation, and capacity growth.

Maitland is ISO 13485:2016 certified and pursuing AS9100 certification. This role will help develop processes aligned with AS9100, strengthen documentation and traceability, support First Article Inspection under AS9102 and customer-specific requirements, and participate in audits, quality reviews, production-readiness activities, and program launches.

Requirements

• Aerospace or defense manufacturing and/or tooling experience.
• 3–5+ years of progressive experience in precision machining, manufacturing engineering, production management, or manufacturing operations.
• Proven experience leading and developing manufacturing personnel.
• Strong understanding of CNC machining and precision manufacturing, preferably in a high-mix, high-volume environment.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and specifications.
• Working knowledge of GD&T / ASME Y14.5.
• Experience with capacity planning, process development, and optimization.
• Experience creating bills of materials (BOMs) in an ERP system.
• Experience conducting time studies.
• Strong problem-solving and root-cause-analysis skills.
• Experience working within a formal quality management system.
• Strong communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead change, establish accountability, and develop people.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with AS9100 / AS9102.
• Experience with ISO 13485 or another highly regulated manufacturing environment.
• ERP/MRP experience; Epicor experience is a plus.
• CNC turning experience, particularly with Citizen CNC lathes.
• CNC milling experience, including 3-, 4-, or 5-axis machining.
• CNC programming/CAM experience with Mastercam, SolidWorks, NX, CATIA, or similar.
• CMM and precision inspection experience.
• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, or similar methodologies.
• Experience with aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, nickel alloys, or other aerospace materials.
• New Product Introduction and prototype-to-production experience.
• Keyence experience.
• Automation experience.
• AI utilization.
• A bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field; equivalent combinations of technical education, machining experience, and demonstrated manufacturing leadership will be considered.

Responsibilities

• Support daily manufacturing operations with a strong presence on the shop floor.
• Establish capacity and workflow to achieve safety, quality, delivery, and cost objectives.
• Guide and develop machinists, engineers, leads, and production personnel while building accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Improve machine utilization, setup efficiency, throughput, cycle times, scrap, rework, and on-time delivery.
• Develop and standardize manufacturing processes, work instructions, routings, setup documentation, and production controls.
• Partner with Engineering to optimize CNC machining, tooling, fixturing, polishing, cutting strategies, and manufacturing processes.
• Support CNC turning and milling, including Citizen Swiss CNC lathes, and transition projects from development through first article, CPK, GRR, and production.
• Use Epicor ERP and production data to manage performance, capacity, and continuous improvement.
• Support equipment selection, capital planning, new technology, automation, and manufacturing capacity growth.
• Establish KPIs and lead Lean and continuous-improvement initiatives focused on productivity, quality, and profitability.
• Work cross-functionally with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Purchasing, Sales, and customers to solve problems and deliver results.
• Develop manufacturing processes aligned with AS9100 requirements.
• Strengthen documentation, traceability, configuration control, and process discipline.
• Support First Article Inspection (AS9102) and customer-specific requirements.
• Participate in audits, quality reviews, production-readiness activities, and new program launches.
• Apply disciplined manufacturing and quality practices from the medical-device industry to the aerospace environment.

What This Job Offers

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