Manufacturing Engineer 1

Rubbercraft is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer 1 for New Product Introduction (NPI). The Manufacturing Engineer will develop, optimize, and transfer new products to production for aerospace components and assemblies, ensuring safety, quality, delivery, and cost targets are met. This role blends hands-on shop-floor problem solving with structured Lean deployment and end-to-end project management. You will collaborate with Design Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Operations to industrialize new products, reduce waste, and improve throughput.

Job Responsibilities:

•   Process Development & Optimization
  1. Design and document manufacturing processes, routings, and work instructions for assembly and sub-assemblies for all value streams with an emphasis on extrusions.
  2. Design and develop new extrusion dies for complex profiles and varying rubber material properties.
  3. Apply Lean tools (VSM, SMED, 5S, standard work, visual management, Kaizen) to eliminate waste and improve flow, cycle time, and WIP.
• Project Management
  1. Manage new products from order entry to final transfer to production and/or delivery to customer.
  2. Own scope, schedule, budget, and risk for continuous improvement and capital projects (e.g., new equipment, layout changes, automation).
  3. Build project plans, manage stakeholders, lead cross-functional teams, and report progress via standard PM dashboards.
  4. Develop business cases and ROI for process changes and capital investments.
• Technical Enablement
  1. Create and maintain work instructions, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and operational reports to support company objectives and ensure process consistency.
  2. Support tooling/fixture design and procurement; coordinate with vendors and maintenance for qualification and readiness.
  3. Coordinate with production on test schedules, operator training, and project handoffs.
• Shop-Floor Support
  1. Provide daily NPI support to resolve constraints and technical issues. This may include working with Sales, Supply Chain, Operations and Quality as needed.
  2. Coach operators/technicians in standard work, quality checks, and problem-solving.
  3. Monitor key process indicators (scrap, rework, OEE, FPY) and drive structured improvement.

Job Specifications:

Education: Bachelor's degree in engineering required

Years' Experience: 1 years of relevant experience required, experience with rubber industry

• Lean/Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or higher) or formal Lean practitioner credentials.
• Experience with MRP/ERP (Great Plains) 
• Data analysis and visualization skills (Excel/Power Query/Power BI; basic Python is a plus).

Skills:

• Knowledge of rubber manufacturing principles and processes 
• Demonstrated expertise with complex manufacturing engineering solutions
• Thorough knowledge of manufacturing while analyzing, evaluating and determining solutions to a variety of problems
• Proficient in applying Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma or other continuous improvement practices
• Ability to improve products or services by applying professional and business knowledge 
• Able to solve complex problems; makes decisions based on the analysis of multiple sources of information
• Effective interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills to drive tasks to completion
• CAD experience to design fixtures and jigs

 Benefits:

At RCC, we recognize how important your career and benefits are to you and your family. We offer a full suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability coverage, accident insurance, critical illness insurance, basic and supplemental life insurance, employee assistance plan, retirement savings and matching, tuition reimbursement and other developmental opportunities. We are committed to supporting the way you live and work.

RCC is an Equal Opportunity Employer Veterans/Disabled - Affirmative Action Employer.

This position requires the use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). All applicants must be U.S. persons within the meaning of ITAR. ITAR defines a U.S. person as a U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (i.e. 'Green Card Holder'), Political Asylee, or Refugee

(Actual placement within the salary range is dependent on multiple factors, including but not limited to skills, education, experience and location)