DescriptionThe Mechanical/Industrial Engineer is a hands-on manufacturing engineering leader responsible for designing, optimizing, and sustaining production systems to improve capacity, labor efficiency, quality, cost, and equipment utilization. The role analyzes operations, develops mechanical tooling and production solutions, resolves manufacturing defects, and leads continuous improvement projects in partnership with Production, Quality, Maintenance, Automation, Test, Product/Process Engineering, R&D, and Supply Chain teams.
This role operates in a high-volume electronics production environment involving PCB fabrication and printed circuit board assembly processes, including surface-mount technology (SMT), solder paste printing, component placement, reflow, wave and selective soldering, cleaning, inspection, and test-related process controls. The engineer supports safe, stable, repeatable, and scalable manufacturing across equipment, tooling, layouts, material flow, labor methods, and product transitions.
Location: Austin, TX.
Duties and Responsibilities:- Production and process optimization: Analyze manufacturing workflows, equipment, labor utilization, cycle time, line balancing, and constraints. Identify bottlenecks and implement improvements that increase throughput, efficiency, and manufacturing stability.
- Capacity and workforce efficiency: Perform capacity analysis, establish production standards, and recommend staffing, workstation, line, and cell configurations that maximize headcount efficiency while supporting quality and cost requirements.
- Mechanical tooling and fixture development: Design, develop, qualify, and improve jigs, fixtures, tools, workstations, and mechanical production aids for top-level assembly (TLA) and related manufacturing processes. Maintain accurate tooling documentation in Agile or the applicable product lifecycle management system.
- Defect resolution and corrective action: Lead root-cause investigations and corrective actions for TLA and production defects. Use structured problem-solving, data analysis, and cross-functional follow-through to prevent recurrence.
- Layout and material flow: Develop and maintain efficient production layouts, material movement, storage, and point-of-use presentation. Recommend layout updates that improve flow, ergonomics, safety, and capacity.
- PCB and PCBA process support: Partner with process, quality, automation, and test teams to improve controls across PCB/PCBA fabrication and assembly operations, including SMT printing and placement, reflow, wave/selective soldering, cleaning, inspection, and test interfaces.
- Continuous improvement: Lead Lean, Six Sigma, and other structured improvement initiatives to reduce waste, variation, downtime, rework, and operating cost while improving yield, productivity, and equipment utilization.
- Quality and compliance: Support defect prevention, statistical process control, process capability, control plans, risk assessments, work instructions, and root-cause analysis. Ensure changes are documented and implemented through applicable engineering change and deviation processes.
- Cost reduction: Evaluate manufacturing costs and identify opportunities for labor, material, tooling, equipment, floor-space, and resource savings without compromising product quality or production readiness.
- Project and change leadership: Lead cross-functional projects involving equipment upgrades, tooling deployment, process changes, automation opportunities, new technologies, and new product introduction or mass-production readiness.
- Documentation and performance reporting: Create and maintain manufacturing documentation, engineering specifications, layouts, standards, and project records. Track and present relevant KPIs, project status, risks, results, and recommended next actions to management.
- Technical leadership: Provide technical guidance, mentor less-experienced team members, coordinate vendor or contractor support when needed, and promote disciplined engineering practices across manufacturing operations.
- Ensure TLA production requirements and maximum labor efficiency are achieved at the expected quality and cost.
- Increase manufacturing capacity and equipment utilization through data-based process, tooling, layout, and workflow improvements.
- Reduce recurring defects and production disruptions through effective root-cause analysis and sustainable corrective actions.
- Deliver qualified, documented, production-ready tooling and processes that support current products, changes, and new product introductions.
- Identify and implement measurable cost-reduction and continuous-improvement opportunities while maintaining safety and product quality.
Requirements- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related engineering field.
- 6+ years of professional engineering experience in high-volume electronics manufacturing or a comparable production environment.
- Demonstrated experience with manufacturing process optimization, capacity analysis, line balancing, work measurement, material flow, and production layout.
- Hands-on experience designing, developing, qualifying, or improving mechanical tooling, fixtures, jigs, and production workstations.
- Working knowledge of PCB fabrication and PCBA processes, including SMT, solder paste printing, component placement, reflow, wave/selective soldering, cleaning, inspection, and test-related process controls.
- Proficiency with Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, structured problem-solving, root-cause analysis, and corrective action methods.
- Ability to collect, analyze, and interpret production data and translate findings into practical engineering solutions.
- Strong project management, technical documentation, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Preferred Skills:- Experience with electronics assembly equipment, automation, test interfaces, and production equipment qualification.
- Experience using CAD tools for mechanical design and production layout development.
- Familiarity with product lifecycle management systems such as Agile and with engineering change, deviation, and document-control workflows.
- Experience supporting new product introduction, product qualification, and transition to mass production.
- Knowledge of statistical analysis software, manufacturing KPIs, and quality management systems.
