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Manufacturing Engineer Job Descriptions, Average Salary, Interview Questions

What Does a Manufacturing Engineer Do?

An engineer who designs, develops, and implements manufacturing processes and systems is known as a manufacturing engineer. Their responsibilities include analyzing production data for improvement, managing production schedules, ensuring quality control, and developing/implementing new technologies.

Manufacturing engineers need to be skilled at planning and analytical thinking. They have to calculate production, labor, and material costs, as well as estimate future needs in those areas. The job requires knowledge of product design, fabrication, assembly, tooling, and materials. Manufacturers rely on manufacturing engineers to ensure that products are produced efficiently, cost-effectively, and with the highest standards of quality.

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National Average Salary

Manufacturing engineer salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. To explore salary ranges by local market, please visit our sister site zengig.com.

The average U.S. salary for a Manufacturing Engineer is:

$81,100

Manufacturing Engineer Job Descriptions

Crafting the perfect job description may be the key to finding an exceptional manufacturing engineer. To help you with your recruiting search, our team has put together some examples from past openings.

Example 1

Manufacturing engineers analyze, design, develop, and implement methods to create products that we use in everyday life. They are involved in the manufacturing process from beginning to end. To be a manufacturing engineer, you need excellent analytical, organizational, written, and verbal communication skills. [Your Company Name] is looking for a manufacturing engineer to help our business succeed. If you have experience in maintaining and improving a high level of manufacturing and product quality, designing new products and processes, and ensuring cost-efficiency and conformance with regulatory standards, please apply for the manufacturing engineer position at our company.

Typical duties and responsibilities

  • Evaluate manufacturing processes and workflows to identify opportunities for improvement
  • Apply a working knowledge of product design and assembly to the manufacturing process
  • Create processes and procedures to help the company meet budgetary and performance goals
  • Alongside the creative team, design and develop new products and product mock-ups
  • Participate in cross-departmental meetings to ensure collaboration
  • Establish effective and efficient work sequences
  • Solve existing manufacturing problems
  • Develop standardized design criteria for all products

Education and experience

This position requires a bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, process engineering, or a related field.

Some employers prefer a master’s degree or Ph.D. for certain positions or career advancement.

Required skills and qualifications

  • Expertise in working with engineering and computer-assisted design software
  • Demonstrated skill in solving highly technical problems
  • Advanced knowledge of production machinery and processes
  • Proficiency in computer technology and systems operations

Preferred qualifications

  • Bachelor’s and master’s in engineering
  • 3+ years of experience in engineering
  • Expert level with Wafer fabrication and processing
  • Experience with device physics
  • Experience with circuit analysis
  • Experience with data analysis
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills

Example 2

Position summary:

Responsible for developing and improving effective manufacturing processes at the company, in line with the company strategic planning, quality policy, and the quality management system, including, defect prevention, inspection, process control and all regulatory activities such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and TS 16949. This position is also responsible for productivity improvements within our operations department, as well as new product launch support.

Duties:

  • Drives and creates continuous improvement activities
  • Develops, prepares, and/or maintains documentation pertaining to manufacturing processes, systems operation, product development, and other technical processes
  • Develops and drives implementation of best practices, routines, and innovative solutions to improve production rates and quality of output. Scope includes but is not limited to scrap reduction, cycle time reduction, downtime reduction, FPY increase, OEE increase, 0km and warranty ppm reduction, etc.
  • Gathers and collects data from production lines to aid in decision making and process improvement effort prioritization
  • Researches, reviews, and collects available technical information as a basis for documentation
  • Supports quality initiatives and work with team to develop the necessary poke yokes to improve quality
  • Designs, implements, and maintains procedures relating to efficient manufacturing practices for the molding and stamping area with a focus toward Lean initiatives
  • Creates new documentation or updates existing documentation to accurately reflect changes in a product or process
  • Assists in the development of manufacturing work flow, line layouts, or floor plans
  • Documents procedures and ensures standard work is being followed
  • Tracks process parameters and ensures standard work is up to date and being followed
  • Performs all other duties as assigned

Role qualifications

Skills, Abilities and Other Requirements:

  • Ability to work with minimal supervision
  • Ability to read and interpret drawings
  • Good understanding of drawing requirements and bills of material
  • Excellent computer skills
  • Strong communication skills, to include spoken, written, and presentation skills
  • Strong structured problem solving skills and critical thinking capability
  • Strong accuracy with attention to detail

Education and Experience:

  • College graduate with Bachelor’s degree required, with Engineering or Business degrees preferred
  • Solid business, financial, and project management skills
  • Good mix of commercial and leadership skills as well as ability to communicate easily at both the technical and non-technical level
  • Demonstrated record of building and maintaining effective working relationships with customers, peers, subordinates, and management

Physical demands and work environment

Physical Demands:

  • Must be able to stand, walk, sit, use hands to grasp, reach with arms, climb stairs, stoop, kneel, crouch, talk, and hear
  • Must be able to occasionally lift and/or move 40 pounds Work environment is temperature controlled

Work Environment:

  • While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time and an air-conditioned and heated office. The noise level is moderate. The factory floor is in the same building as the main office.

Example 3

Job purpose

  • Integrate new tools, systems, and machines. Establishes and develops new processes through experimentation. Review, adjust, and troubleshoot existing equipment in Secondary and Molding. Improves manufacturing and value-added processes.

Job authority

  • Make changes to a process or equipment to improve the overall efficiency
  • To stop any job that creates an unsafe condition
  • To stop any job that is running out of specification.
  • Ensure work instructions are clear and complete with regard to direction needed to complete the job
  • Check data and prints to ensure the job is completed efficiently

Responsibilities

  • Assist in establishing work instructions and workflow diagrams
  • Assist on continuous improvement projects
  • Ensure clear direction is understood on all duties
  • Maintain a clean and safe personal work area
  • Complete time tickets accurately on a daily basis and turn in at the end of the week
  • Continue to upgrade skills in all facets of manufacturing and secondary operations
  • Other responsibilities as specified by the Manufacturing Engineering Manager

Key duties

  • Assist in developing new processes for Manufacturing and Secondary operations
  • Establish and troubleshoot processes through planned experimentation
  • Improve overall efficiency of a process thorough lean manufacturing and scrap reduction
  • Assist in design for manufacturing meetings to help develop automation
  • Basic fixture design and review in Solidworks
  • Assist in reviewing prints to determine manufacturing feasibility
  • Assist in creating job set up instructions for all existing jobs
  • Establish and adjust programs for Wittmann and UR Robots
  • Participate in secondary, product, and tool design review as needed
  • Initiate action to prevent occurrence of releasing non-conforming data
  • Assist with maintaining CAD software and hardware upgrades as required
  • Assist in run off of automation and secondary equipment. (Examples: function, safety, etc.)
  • Assemble and disassemble secondary equipment as applicable to skill level
  • Assist in overall operations of the Manufacturing engineering area as needed in such areas as cleaning, organizing, or other duties that may not be related to Engineering
  • Use Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook)
  • Use JMP or Minitab Statistical Software
  • Use Corel Draw or Adobe Illustrator graphics software
  • Other duties as specified by the Manufacturing Engineering Manager or his designate

Example 4

We are searching for a contract team member to fill a manufacturing engineering role. We do not have approval to hire yet because this is typically our slow time of year; however, we are extremely busy. If the sales stay strong we could potential hire this person sometime next year. I have attached the job duties and job description. Someone that just finished school that wants experience will be perfect. You can go the intern route or temp to hire route.

Duties

Lead manufacturing engineering, tooling department and maintenance functions in evaluating, improving, and controlling the plant efficiency and cost effectiveness of manufacturing operations through the effective use of facilities and equipment.

Responsibilities

  • Recommend and/or approve changes for improved plant layout to ensure the most efficient flow of materials and traffic
  • Support manufacturing with routers, raw materials, and accurate costs for assigned products
  • Analyze production efficiencies, recommend, and approve improvements in equipment, design, and methods
  • Identify and implement plans for continuous flow manufacturing operations
  • Evaluate, plan, recommend, and approve the physical organization of production and warehouse areas
  • Compile information necessary for capital expenditures and budget preparations
  • Evaluate alternative production methods, determines and approves proper machine, human resources, training, and communication systems requirements.
  • Administer direct supervisory responsibilities for personnel including selection, hiring, training, performance evaluations, promotional recommendations, and work schedules
  • Provide guidance and personal counseling and keeps employees informed of policies, procedures, and operational changes
  • Perform all operational according to prescribed safety principles
  • Develop engineering team to become self-directed towards company goals and objectives
  • Perform all other duties as assigned

Skills

Process improvement, Design, Engineering

Additional skills & qualifications

Manufacturing Engineering technical degree

Experience level

Entry Level

Candidate Certifications to Look For

  • Certified Manufacturing Engineer (CMfgE). This certification shows that candidates have the skills and knowledge in mathematics and engineering sciences, materials, manufacturing processes, design and development, quality control, and management. To earn their CMfgE, a minimum of eight combined years of manufacturing-related education and work experience (a minimum of four years of work experience) is recommended. Candidates who hold a Certified Manufacturing Technologist (CMfgT) certification can qualify with seven combined years of manufacturing-related education and work experience. Candidates must pass an exam to earn their certification. 
  • Six Sigma Green Belt. The International Association for Six Sigma Certification (IASSC) offers the Six Sigma Green Belt, which demonstrates a candidate’s knowledge of the Lean Six Sigma Methodology in order to both lead and support improvement projects. Candidates must sit for the exam and pass with a score of 70% or higher. Prerequisites include completing the Six Sigma Yellow Belt course and 3 or more years of related work experience.

How to Hire a Manufacturing Engineer

When hiring a manufacturing engineer, first consider the following:

  • Recruiting: Do you have the knowledge, tools, and resources to attract and screen candidates?
  • Complexity: Do you need a senior professional, or will mid or junior-level skills and experience suffice?
  • Duration: Is this a one-time project or an ongoing need?
  • Management: Do you have the time and expertise to direct the work effectively?
  • Urgency: How soon does the work need to be completed?
  • Headcount: Do you have the budget and approval for an internal employee, or should you consider alternate options?

Answering these questions will help determine the best course of action for your current hiring need. Fortunately, great options exist for every scenario. These are our recommendations:

1. Use 4 Corner Resources (or another professional recruiting firm)

The heavy lifting is done for you when working with a top-tier staffing company like 4 Corner Resources. We source, screen, recruit, and deliver only the most qualified candidate(s), saving you significant time and effort throughout the hiring process while you remain focused on your core business. Understanding your needs and ensuring the right candidate for the position is the key to our success.

This is the best route to take when:

  • You need to fill the position quickly
  • You want access to a vast talent pool of high-quality, prescreened candidates
  • Your position is suited for temporary hiring services, contract staffing, or contract-to-hire recruiting, and you intend to direct the work activity.
  • You are hiring an employee as a direct placement but aren’t able to recruit effectively or efficiently with your internal staff. 
  • You aren’t familiar with current salary rates, market trends, and available skill sets
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2. Advertise your opening on a top job board

Your best option may be to advertise your opening on a proven job board. There are many widely used job sites out there that draw visits from qualified candidates. If you have someone internally who can dedicate the time and energy to sort through applications and screen individuals effectively, this can be a great choice. 

We recommend using a job board when:

  • Your internal recruiting team has the knowledge and experience to assess candidate qualifications
  • You are hiring a direct employee and have time to manage the entire recruiting effort 
  • You have a process for receiving, screening, and tracking all resumes and applications
  • You are prepared to respond to all applicants

We recommend CareerBuilder for manufacturing engineer openings:

CareerBuilder

CareerBuilder has been a trusted source for hiring since 1995. Reach 80+ million unique, diverse U.S. job seekers annually by posting your jobs through their talent acquisition channels. Through CareerBuilder, you can engage candidates and drive them into your sourcing pipeline. We recommend using CareerBuilder for hiring when you have the internal resources and processes to review, screen, and reply to all applicants.

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3. Leverage your internal resources

You can utilize your own website, social media, and employees to assist in your search for top candidates. 

A company website posting should be the first step in notifying prospective candidates that you are hiring. Social media can also be a powerful tool for spreading the word about your new opening. As far as exposure is concerned, this option can be as good as some job boards when you have a large enough following across various platforms, like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter.

Current employees are every organization’s greatest asset. Encourage your internal team to promote job openings to their network by offering cash and other incentives.

We recommend these options when:

  • Your brand has great name recognition
  • You can consistently monitor and respond to candidate activity through your website and social media accounts
  • You have a process in place to quickly and broadly communicate job openings and requirements
  • You have an effective employee referral program in place

If you aren’t sure which path is best, schedule a discovery call today with our seasoned recruiting professionals. The 4 Corner team is on standby to help you find the best option for your unique hiring need.

Sample Interview Questions

  • Can you describe a time when you executed a change and improved a specific product?
  • What was the least successful project you worked on?
  • How do you evaluate manufacturing processes?
  • What is value engineering?
  • How do you keep track of manufacturing activities and results?
  • How do you deal with employees who are reluctant to the changes you have made to a process?
  • How do you ensure quality in the manufacturing process?
  • How do you keep up to date with manufacturing engineering trends?
  • What are the benefits and limitations of Six Sigma?
  • Do you have experience working with CNC machines?
  • What is lean manufacturing and how does it benefit an organization?
  • How do you ensure safety in the manufacturing plant?
  • Can you describe a typical day at work for you as a manufacturing engineer?
  • Can you explain what MES is and how it is used?
  • What challenges in the manufacturing process do you focus on for improvements you can design?
  • How do you calculate the cost of manufacturing work still in progress?
  • What is the difference between precision and accuracy?

Need help hiring a Manufacturing Engineer?

We match top professionals with great employers across the country. From filling urgent job openings to developing long-term hiring strategies, our team is here to help. Review our staffing solutions, browse our award-winning Staffing Corner blog, or call today. We look forward to connecting with you soon.

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