Manufacturing Engineer in Clifton, New Jersey at Specialty Manufacturing Buyer LLC

About PrecisionX Group:

PrecisionX Group is a leading provider of precision metal components, serving critical industries such as aerospace & defense, medical devices, satellite & space, electric vehicles, mining, and semiconductors. By uniting the specialized expertise of GEM, Coining, National Manufacturing, Ditron, MSK Precision Products, and Hudson Technologies we offer a comprehensive range of advanced manufacturing solutions. Our core capabilities include machining, deep drawing and progressive stamping, Swiss machining, micro stamping, and transfer press.

Our team consists of over 600 employees, located in CT, NJ, NY, and FL. With our collective expertise, our strong foundation in metal manufacturing techniques, and a relentless focus on quality and innovation, PrecisionX Group is committed to delivering superior products and services that meet the evolving needs of our customers.

Position Summary:

This role is ideal for an engineer who is comfortable wearing many hats, solving urgent production issues, and working directly with toolmakers, CNC machinists, quality personnel, and production teams.

The successful candidate will act as a technical problem-solver on the manufacturing floor, with a strong focus on progressive tooling, CNC manufacturing methods, root-cause analysis, quality improvement, and production support. This is not a desk-only engineering role. The position requires someone who can move between engineering, quality, the tool room, and production to identify problems, develop practical solutions, and keep manufacturing running efficiently.

Essential Functions:

To accomplish this job successfully, an individual must be able to satisfactorily perform each stated essential function, with or without reasonable accommodation. Reasonable accommodations may be made to help qualified individuals with disabilities perform the essential functions.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Manufacturing & Production Support:

• Provide hands-on engineering support for day-to-day production issues.
• Troubleshoot manufacturing problems related to tooling, CNC machining, part quality, and process stability.
• Work directly with operators, toolmakers, machinists, and production supervisors to resolve urgent shop-floor issues.
• Evaluate production methods and recommend improvements to increase efficiency, repeatability, and throughput.
• Support corrective actions when production parts do not meet dimensional, cosmetic, or functional requirements.
• Assist with setup optimization, process validation, and manufacturability improvements.

2. Tooling & Tool Room Support:

• Support the tool room with troubleshooting and improvement of progressive tooling and related production tooling.
• Assist in identifying tooling wear, failure modes, alignment issues, and design-related problems.
• Recommend tool modifications, repairs, or process changes to improve part quality and tool life.
• Collaborate with toolmakers to develop practical solutions for active production problems.
• Review tooling designs and provide engineering input for improvements, maintenance, and manufacturability.

3. CNC & Manufacturing Engineering:

• Help determine effective CNC machining approaches for production components, tooling, fixtures, and secondary operations.
• Work with CNC machinists/programmers to improve machining strategy, fixturing, tooling selection, and process reliability.
• Support fixture design, tooling concepts, and process development for machined components.
• Analyze machining-related issues such as tolerance variation, tool wear, chatter, setup errors, and cycle-time inefficiencies.
• Recommend improvements to CNC processes that support quality, cost, and delivery goals.

4. Quality Control & Continuous Improvement

• Apply quality control experience to investigate dimensional issues, nonconformances, and customer concerns.
• Support root-cause analysis and corrective/preventive action activities.
• Use inspection data to identify trends and recommend engineering or process changes.
• Work with Quality Control to ensure parts meet drawings, specifications, and customer requirements.
• Assist in developing or improving inspection methods, control plans, work instructions, and process documentation.
• Promote practical continuous improvement initiatives across engineering, tooling, CNC, and production

5. Documentation & Cross-Functional Communication:

• Read and interpret engineering drawings, tolerances, specifications, and manufacturing documentation.
• Create or revise work instructions, process notes, inspection criteria, and engineering documentation as needed.
• Communicate clearly with shop-floor personnel, quality staff, engineering, and management.
• Document technical findings, corrective actions, and recommended process improvements.
• Support engineering change activities when tooling, process, or product updates are required.

Non-Essential Responsibilities:

• Performs other duties as directed.

Position Qualifications And Competency Statements:

• Regard for safety – Ability to follow safety rules and processes and keeps own safety and the safety of others in the forefront of every action.
• Attitude – Ability to maintain a positive mindset towards achieving success and eagerness and willingness to accept and meet challenges.
• Work Ethic – Ability to make decisions based upon ethical principles, considering how the choice will affect others
• Application of technical knowledge and skills – Ability to comprehend complex technical and specialized information.
• Achieving results and problem solving – Ability to collect and analyze information, problem-solve, and make recommendation for decisions.
• Accountability – Ability to accept responsibility and account for his/her actions.
• Time and Priority Management – Ability to utilize the available time to organize, prioritize and complete work within given deadlines.
• Communication – Ability to effectively communicate with others verbally and in writing.

Skills And Abilities:

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related technical field preferred.
• Equivalent hands-on manufacturing, tooling, CNC, or quality experience may be considered.
• Experience in a manufacturing environment with direct shop floor involvement.
• Working knowledge of progressive tooling, tool room operations, CNC machining, and production troubleshooting.
• Quality control experience, including inspection methods, dimensional analysis, and corrective action support.
• Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings, GD&T, tolerances, and technical specifications.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and practical problem-solving ability.
• Comfortably working in a fast-paced production environment and responding to urgent issues.
• Ability to communicate effectively with machinists, toolmakers, inspectors, operators, and management.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and basic engineering documentation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with stamped, coined, precision metal, or small-component manufacturing.
• Experience supporting progressive dies, punch tooling, fixtures, jigs, and production tooling.
• CNC machining knowledge, including milling, turning, tooling selection, fixturing, and setup troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with CAD software such as PTC Creo, AutoCAD, or similar.
• Knowledge of GD&T and precision inspection equipment.
• Experience with root-cause analysis tools such as 5 Why, fishbone diagrams, corrective actions, and process audits.
• Exposure to ISO 9001, AS9100, IATF, or similar quality systems.
• Experience in a high-mix, fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Work Environment:

This position involves working in a manufacturing environment that is adjacent to the shop work environment. The employee must be aware of potential hazards, including, but not limited to, working in close proximity to moving mechanical parts, operating vehicles, exposure to electrical current, high temperatures, and chemicals. It's important to maintain a high level of alertness and caution while performing tasks in this work environment.