Manufacturing & Industrial Engineer in Fort Wayne, Indiana at Riverside Mfg LLC

POSITION SUMMARY

The Manufacturing & Industrial Engineer is responsible for developing, optimizing, and controlling manufacturing processes to ensure efficient, high-quality, and cost-effective production. This role combines hands-on manufacturing engineering -- process development, documentation, and new product introduction -- with core industrial engineering disciplines such as time study, work measurement, and lean systems, partnering closely with Production, Quality, and Design Engineering to drive continuous improvement across the manufacturing floor.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Process Development & Documentation

• Develop, document, and maintain manufacturing processes.
• Create and maintain work instructions, process flows, routings, and bills of materials (BOMs).
• Partner with the Documentation Specialist to write, maintain, and update work instructions.
• Establish and monitor key process metrics such as yield, scrap, cycle time, and efficiency.

Industrial Engineering & Continuous Improvement

• Lead time study, work measurement, methods engineering, and ergonomics analysis to establish standard times and optimized work content.
• Perform value stream mapping, capacity modeling, line balancing, and facility layout to maximize flow and minimize waste.
• Drive OEE, throughput, and cost-per-unit improvements through data-driven analysis and structured problem solving.
• Identify and implement process improvements using Lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies; lead or participate in kaizen events.
• Support root cause analysis and corrective actions (RCCA) for defects, scrap, and rework.

Production Support & New Product Introduction

• Provide daily engineering support to production to resolve process issues, improve yields, and minimize downtime across assigned product lines and customer programs.
• Support line balancing, takt time improvements, and labor optimization efforts.
• Lead manufacturing readiness for new product launches, including process development, tooling, fixtures, and test requirements.
• Participate in design reviews to ensure Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), and Design for Test (DFT).
• Coordinate pilot builds, first articles, and process validations, ensuring smooth transition from prototype to full production.

Quality & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Quality to support audits, customer issues, non-conformance disposition, and corrective action responses.
• Specify, qualify, and support manufacturing equipment, tooling, and fixtures used in electronic assembly.
• Ensure manufacturing processes comply with customer flow downs, regulatory requirements, and applicable quality standards.
• Identify and communicate opportunities for automation, cost reduction, or capacity expansion.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial, Manufacturing, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years of experience in a manufacturing or industrial engineering role, preferably in electronic assembly.
• Hands-on experience with time study, methods engineering, value stream mapping, or line balancing.
• Working knowledge of process development, work instructions, routings, and BOMs.
• Experience supporting new product introduction (NPI) and pilot builds.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with familiarity in root cause analysis and corrective action (RCCA) processes.
• Familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies.

Preferred

• Six Sigma Green Belt or equivalent certification.
• Familiarity with DFM/DFA/DFT principles and design review participation.
• Experience specifying or qualifying manufacturing equipment, tooling, or fixtures.
• Exposure to automation systems (PLCs, robotics, vision systems) or MES/SCADA platforms.
• Experience in regulated or defense manufacturing environments (ISO 9001, AS9100, ITAR, DFARS).

CORE COMPETENCIES

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This position splits time between an office/design environment and the shop floor, where appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is required. Some travel to supplier, customer, or sister-facility sites may be required.