Development Engineer

Ultra Electronics Group; Columbia City (IN); On-site; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Climate controlled work environment

401(k) plan with company match

Educational Assistance Program

Job summary

Ultra Electronics Group is seeking a Development Engineer to focus on product design, validation, and process improvement. You will create and maintain clear work instructions aligned with quality standards. This role demands strong analytical skills and collaboration across multiple teams to ensure effective documentation that supports production efficiency.

Applicants should have a Bachelor's in mechanical engineering and 4+ years of relevant experience. Security clearance eligibility is required. Benefits include 401(k) matching, PTO, and educational assistance.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience related to development engineering.
• Ability to obtain a U.S. Government security clearance.
• Experience with electronic components and circuit card assemblies.

Responsibilities

• Create and update detailed work instructions for production.
• Translate specifications into step-by-step instructions.
• Assist in bids and product development.

Skills

Work instruction authoring

Technical documentation

Process development

Lean Manufacturing concepts

Dimensional and tolerance analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Protecting What Matters. Powering the Future of Naval Technology. Your work here has global impact. From developing sonar and radar systems to advancing unmanned and undersea platforms, our technologies empower the U.S. Navy and allied forces to operate in some of the world’s most complex environments. As the maritime and underwater battlespace evolves, we continue to push boundaries—driven by innovation, accountability, and a shared commitment to excellence. Join us as we shape the future of naval warfare—safeguarding the seas and strengthening navies worldwide.

Nationality Requirements: Due to the nature of the programs we support, certain roles may require candidates to meet U.S. nationality requirements and be eligible to obtain a security clearance.

Position Summary

The Development Engineer supports the design, validation, and continuous improvement of products and manufacturing processes, with a strong focus on creating, maintaining, and improving work instructions. This role ensures that work instructions are clear, accurate, standardized, and aligned with engineering requirements, quality standards, and production needs. The Development Engineer collaborates closely with design engineering, manufacturing, quality, and operations teams to translate technical requirements into effective, user-friendly documentation that enables safe, efficient, and repeatable execution on the production floor.

Essential Duties

• Create, review, and update detailed work instructions to support new product introductions, process changes, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Translate engineering designs, specifications, and process requirements into clear, step-by-step instructions.
• Develop and maintain manufacturing flow charts, manufacturing BOMs, routings, and MRP related activities.
• Define and implement manufacturing methods, tooling and equipment, and Lean Manufacturing production support for engineering development, design for manufacturing, and transition to manufacturing.
• Assist in bids, improving and developing new products.
• Employ strong analytical skills, especially driving to root cause when completing failure analysis, determining best practice methodologies for manufacturing, and identifying key process failure modes.

Required Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or equivalent studies and 4+ years of experience.
• Work instruction authoring and technical documentation.
• Process development and manufacturing support.
• Strong computer skills and especially proficient in MS Office.
• Ability to obtain a U.S. Government security clearance. Security clearances are granted to U.S. citizens.

Desired Skills

• Strong skills in design analysis and design for manufacturing.
• Team player with good communication skills.
• Proficient at dimensional and tolerance analysis from part level through system level.
• Willingness to travel to various test sites and supplier locations.
• Experience with electronic components, printed circuit boards, and circuit card assemblies.
• Significant experience with manufacturing best practices (lean concepts, 5S, Value Stream Mapping, constraint analysis, etc.) and their application.
• Working knowledge and experience with Statistical Process Control (SPC) and data‑driven analytics.

Benefits

• Climate controlled, well‑lit and clean work environment.
• Work/life balance that includes up to 140 hours PTO for first year.
• 8 Paid Holidays, with 3 floating holidays.
• 401(k) plan with company match.
• Educational Assistance Program (Tuition Reimbursement).
• Wellness Program and incentives.
• HSA contributions.
• Insurance benefits that start 1st of the month following hire.
• Eligibility in company performance‑based bonuses annually.
• Additional employee discounts and perks.
• Company‑paid benefits: $75 monthly student loan repayment program.
• Basic Life Insurance.
• Basic Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance.
• Short Term Disability.
• Long Term Disability.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Voluntary employee‑paid benefits: Medical and prescription insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, supplemental life insurance plans, supplemental AD&D insurance for employee and family, accident plan, critical illness plan, hospital indemnity plan.
• Pet Insurance.
• Identity Theft protection.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Ultra Maritime is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing a workplace that is fair, respectful, and inclusive, and we make employment decisions based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, marital status, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, citizenship status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. As a U.S. defense contractor, Ultra Maritime maintains strict standards related to integrity, compliance, and security. We operate a drug‑free workplace and, where permitted by law, may conduct pre‑employment background checks and substance‑abuse screening based on role requirements.

Reasonable accommodation statement: if you need an accommodation for any part of the application process, please email [e-mail].

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