Manufacturing Engineer at Rheo Engineering LLC – Peoria, Illinois

About Rheo:
Rheo Engineering is a fast-growing team of roughly 90 engineers, craftsmen, and professionals building the powder handling systems that help pharmaceutical manufacturers produce medicine safely, efficiently, and reliably. We're a critical player in the medicine supply chain — and we take that responsibility seriously. Our values — Bold Humility, Reliability, Collaboration, Competence, and Initiative — aren't just words. They shape how we work and who we hire.

The Role:
If you're the kind of engineer who gets restless when problems go unaddressed — who looks at a process and immediately starts asking why it works the way it does — this role was built for you.

We're looking for a Manufacturing Engineer who will own our cleanroom production processes end to end. There's no one handing you a finished playbook. You'll be the expert in the room, expected to identify gaps, drive improvements, and make real decisions about how we build things. The impact of your work shows up directly in product quality, equipment uptime, and our ability to deliver for customers who depend on us.

This role lives at the intersection of the office and the production floor. You'll split your time between hands-on work in our ISO 7 cleanroom and the engineering and planning work that happens away from it — process documentation, cross-functional collaboration, equipment strategy, and more. It's a role that requires both technical rigor and genuine curiosity, and the opportunity to make your mark is immediate.

What You'll Own:
- This role carries genuine authority over how our production environment operates.
- You decide how new designs transition to the production floor, and you're accountable for ensuring they're ready to build reliably and repeatably
- The equipment fleet is yours to manage — its condition, its performance, and its future
- When the production floor surfaces a design issue through an ECR, you're the one who resolves it — escalating to Design Engineering only when necessary
- You'll lead commissioning of new equipment and processes from the ground up — IQ/OQ/PQ, SOPs, and training
- You'll own ERP setup for production processes and methods, ensuring the system accurately reflects how work gets done on the floor
- You'll plan and manage the development and execution of new processes, methods, and production controls
- You'll maintain and create Standard Operating Procedures and training documents for production processes
- You'll design and maintain tooling and fixturing for cleanroom-compatible processes, including custom heat-sealing equipment
- You'll audit and monitor production for efficiency and compliance — and when you see an opportunity to improve, you'll act on it
- You'll be the voice of manufacturability in cross-functional conversations with Design Engineering, Quality, Production, and Purchasing

What Success Looks Like:
- Production processes and equipment run reliably — and improvements to cycle time, cost, or quality are documented over time
- Equipment qualification and validation documentation is current, accurate, and audit-ready
- Engineering and production teams receive timely, practical manufacturability input that reduces rework and prototype iterations

Minimum Qualifications:
Education:
- Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field

Experience:
- 2+ years as a Manufacturing Engineer
- 2+ years of 3D CAD software experience

Software:
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, Visio)
- Proficiency in 3D CAD software (Autodesk Inventor preferred)
- Proficiency in ERP software (Epicor Kinetic preferred)

Traits:
- You don't wait to be pointed at problems — you go find them
- You take full ownership of your work and see it through, no matter the obstacle
- You're energized by autonomy, not slowed down by it
- Clear, direct communicator who earns trust on the floor and in the conference room
- Highly organized and detail-oriented — you operate well in a compliance-driven environment without losing your drive to improve it
- Competitive instinct to build something better than what came before

Preferred Qualifications:
- Familiarity with equipment qualification and validation processes (IQ/OQ/PQ)
- Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or higher)
- Experience with process FMEA, control plans, or similar structured quality tools
- Familiarity with GD&T
- Experience with CNC machining, vacuum forming, or custom heat sealing equipment

Working Conditions:
- Blended environment — regular work at a desk and computer alongside hands-on time on the production floor and within an ISO 7 cleanroom
- Cleanroom-appropriate PPE required when present in the cleanroom
- Must be able to lift up to 15 lbs. regularly and up to 50 lbs. occasionally
- Physical activities as needed: bending, kneeling, climbing stairs/ladders, pushing/pulling

Benefits:
- Medical Insurance (multiple plan options, including PPO and High Deductible plans)
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- HSA with Employer Contributions
- Company-paid Term Life & AD&D Insurance with options for additional Voluntary Life coverage
- Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
- 401(k) with 4% Employer Match
- Generous PTO (starting at 16 days for salaried) + 10 Paid Holidays, growing with tenure
- Paid Maternity (6 weeks) and Paternity (2 weeks) Leave
- T-Mobile Phone Plan paid by Rheo + $750 smartphone stipend every two years
- Identity Protection through Aura Identity Guard
- $500 Employee Referral Bonus Program
- Equipment reimbursement (safety footwear, prescription safety glasses)