Lead Manufacturing Engineer

Aptiv•Garden Grove, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Aptiv Interconnect is seeking a Senior Manufacturing & Process Engineer to bridge technical engineering operations and customer stakeholders. In a high-mix, low-volume aerospace and defense manufacturing environment, this role evaluates, optimizes, and scales manufacturing processes to improve production efficiency, product quality, and cost savings. The engineer applies process engineering expertise to complex technical challenges, develops rigorous process documentation, and leads customer-facing technical discussions to align production capabilities with customer specifications and the standards of space, defense, and industrial markets. The position provides technical leadership in process optimization, quality assurance, customer and cross-functional collaboration, and the development of junior engineers. It also supports commercial quoting with technical input, labor estimates, and process recommendations. The role is based in Garden Grove, California, reports to the Engineering Manager, and is full-time.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
At least 7 years of progressive process or manufacturing engineering experience in a high-precision or regulated manufacturing environment.
Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident) due to ITAR regulations.
Understanding of IPC/WHMA-A-620 and J-STD-001 workmanship standards.
Experience working under AS9100 and ISO 9001 quality management systems.
Proficiency with 2D/3D CAD software and ERP/MRP systems.
Demonstrated mastery of Lean Manufacturing tools, including Kaizen, 5S, VSM, and Poka-Yoke.
Track record of leading technical presentations, managing client expectations, and handling customer-driven design and production reviews.
Exceptional technical writing skills and strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex engineering concepts to customers and internal teams.

Nice To Haves

Aerospace, defense, or space manufacturing experience.
Start-up experience.
Familiarity with cable assembly design, manufacturing processes, connector systems, and testing protocols, including MIL-DTL specifications.
IPC certification.
Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
Syspro experience.

Responsibilities

Assess production processes, identify bottlenecks, reduce cycle times, eliminate waste, and implement Lean/Six Sigma continuous improvement initiatives.
Lead troubleshooting for internal and external quality escapes, use root cause analysis methods, and collaborate with the Quality team to implement lasting corrective solutions.
Author, revise, and improve SOPs, Work Instructions, Manufacturing Process Specifications, and Control Plans within the ERP system.
Lead and maintain PFMEA activities to identify and mitigate manufacturing risks.
Oversee process validation protocols and ensure engineering processes and documentation comply with applicable standards and customer requirements.
Serve as the primary technical subject matter expert during customer meetings, design reviews, technical audits, and engineering site visits.
Collaborate with customer engineering teams on DFM and DFA feedback to support New Product Introduction transitions.
Mentor and develop junior and manufacturing engineers through hands-on coaching and knowledge sharing.
Provide the commercial team with timely technical input, labor estimates, and process recommendations to support quote quality and turnaround.
Comply with company policies and procedures.
Perform other duties as assigned.