Job DescriptionSUMMARY:The Manufacturing Engineer - CNC Machining owns the machining process end to end for Kennedy Valve's waterworks and fire protection product lines. This is a hands-on engineering role centered on CNC program development, program troubleshooting, workholding and fixture design, extended to the process engineering and capital equipment decisions that make those processes fast, repeatable, and cost-effective.
This is not a product design or plant-wide continuous improvement role. The core of the work is building, proving, and optimizing the programs, workholding, and machining processes that convert castings into finished valve and hydrant components on Mazak, Okuma, Haas, and Fanuc-controlled equipment.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:- Develop, prove out, and optimize CNC programs for turning and machining centers, targeting cycle time, tool life, and part quality.
- Troubleshoot and correct CNC program, tooling, and process issues on the floor to restore and sustain production.
- Design and specify workholding, fixtures, and tooling to improve accuracy, throughput, and setup time.
- Select cutting tools, speeds and feeds, and machining strategies appropriate to gray and ductile iron and other materials.
- Design machining processes and routings for new and existing components, including method selection, sequencing, and validation.
- Lead capital equipment evaluation and selection for machining processes, including defining requirements, justifying investment, and supporting installation, commissioning, and qualification.
- Support the introduction of new products and technologies into production, including machine setup, program development, and validation.
- Develop and maintain process documentation, setup sheets, work instructions, and standard operating procedures.
- Lead root cause analysis and corrective action for machining process and equipment issues.
- Monitor and analyze machining performance metrics to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
- Collaborate with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and Safety teams to resolve production issues and improve product quality.
- Ensure all processes comply with safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
- Provide training and technical support to Production and Maintenance personnel.
- Participate in capital project planning, justification, and execution.
QualificationsREQUIREMENTS:- Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field preferred. An equivalent combination of education and directly relevant CNC machining experience will be strongly considered.
- Minimum of 3-5 years developing and troubleshooting CNC programs in a production machining environment, ideally within a heavy manufacturing or industrial setting (metal machining, casting, or similar preferred).
- Demonstrated hands-on experience programming and proving out CNC turning and machining centers. Experience across Mazak, Okuma, Haas, and/or Fanuc controls is strongly preferred.
- Proficiency programming in CAMWorks (SolidWorks-integrated CAM) for program development; experience with comparable CAM packages will be considered.
- Demonstrated experience designing workholding and fixtures for machining operations.
- Experience with machining process design, method selection, and capital equipment evaluation and justification.
- Proficient in reading technical drawings, blueprints, GD&T, and schematics.
- Proficiency with SolidWorks for fixture and tooling design; the role operates in a SolidWorks/CAMWorks environment.
- Understanding of quality systems, safety regulations, and preventive maintenance principles.
- Hands-on experience with measuring tools (calipers, micrometers) and in-process inspection methods.
- Working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and/or Six Sigma principles is a plus.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
Additional InformationWORK ENVIRONMENT:- Standing on the production floor or sitting at a desk for long periods of time and walking throughout the facility as required.
- Exposed to elements, such as cold, heat, noise, dust, odors, fumes, etc.
- Work time is spent primarily inside the main entrance building, with rounding on the manufacturing floor and KV grounds; occasional tasks and interactions outdoors.
LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERThe above job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; it is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required for the position.
Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties requested by their supervisor in compliance with Federal and State Laws.Requirements are representative of the minimum levels of knowledge, skills and/or abilities. To perform this job successfully, the employee must possess the abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty proficiently.
