Manufacturing Engineer

IRISS, Inc.; Bradenton (FL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

IRISS, Inc. is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to support its Operations and Manufacturing Engineering team in Bradenton, Florida.

The role oversees development, improvement, and sustainment of safe, capable manufacturing and assembly processes, emphasizing automation, line balancing, throughput, productivity, and process quality. The engineer collaborates with operators, Team Leads, Production, Planning, Quality, Maintenance, and suppliers to deliver measurable improvements and ensure

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in manufacturing, mechanical, industrial, or related engineering discipline.
• Typically 3–7 years hands-on manufacturing engineering experience.
• Experience with sheet metal fabrication, assembly, tooling, fixtures, time studies, and line balancing.
• Experience with punch, press brake, stud insertion, and spot welding preferred.
• Lean, Six Sigma, CAD, and capital project execution knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain manufacturing methods, flows, routings, setup instructions, standard work, tooling requirements, and labor and machine time standards.
• Conduct time studies and process observations to establish cycle times, identify waste, and improve repeatability, ergonomics, and productivity.
• Design fixtures, jigs, gauges, workstations, and material handling aids; coordinate fabrication, trials, operator training, and release to production.
• Support new product introduction and engineering changes through manufacturability reviews, process trials, tooling readiness, and controlled updates to production documentation.
• Evaluate and implement automation for punch, press brake, stud insertion, and spot-welding operations; coordinate trials and ensure safety and reliability before handover.
• Balance work across manufacturing and assembly operations using demand, takt time, cycle times, staffing, and capacity; identify bottlenecks and redesign layouts for better flow.
• Lead Lean initiatives, 5S, standard work, and continuous improvement projects with clear targets and follow-up.

Skills

Analytical skills

Project coordination

Shop-floor communication

Follow-through

Education

Bachelor's degree in manufacturing/Mechanical/Industrial engineering

Tools

CAD

Automation integration

Job description

Department: Operations and Manufacturing Engineering

Reports To: Manufacturing Engineering Manager

Website: IRISS.com | YouTube: IRISS

Role Summary

IRISS is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to support our Operations and Manufacturing Engineering team in Bradenton, Florida.

The Manufacturing Engineer is responsible for developing, improving, and sustaining safe, capable, and efficient manufacturing and assembly processes at IRISS. The role leads manufacturing engineering activities across fabrication, finishing, and assembly, with a focus on equipment automation, line balancing, throughput, productivity, and process quality.

Key priorities include automation of punch, press brake, stud insertion, and spot-welding operations; productivity improvement in paint, drying oven, and baking processes; deployment of Lean principles; and coordination of capital projects. The engineer works directly with operators, Team Leads, Production, Planning, Quality, Maintenance, and equipment suppliers to deliver measurable improvements and sustain results.

Primary Responsibilities

Manufacturing Process Engineering

• Develop and maintain manufacturing methods, process flows, routings, setup instructions, standard work, tooling requirements, and labor and machine time standards.
• Conduct time studies and process observations to establish demonstrated cycle times, identify waste, and improve repeatability, ergonomics, and productivity.
• Design or specify fixtures, jigs, gauges, workstations, and material handling aids; coordinate fabrication, trials, operator training, and release to production.
• Support new product introduction and engineering changes through manufacturability reviews, process trials, tooling readiness, and controlled updates to production documentation.

Automation of Fabrication Operations

• Evaluate and implement automation and semi-automation for punch, press brake, stud insertion, and spot-welding operations, including material loading, unloading, handling, positioning, and part transfer.
• Develop equipment and integration requirements with suppliers, including part presentation, grippers, fixtures, tooling, controls, changeovers, and operator interfaces.
• Prepare feasibility studies and business cases comparing cycle time, labor requirements, quality, safety, capital cost, operating cost, and expected return on investment.
• Coordinate trials using representative materials and part families. Verify process capability, equipment reliability, guarding, interlocks, and safe operating methods before production handover.

Line Balancing and Manufacturing Flow

• Balance work across manufacturing and assembly operations using customer demand, takt time, actual cycle times, staffing, and equipment capacity.
• Identify bottlenecks and redesign work allocation, layouts, material presentation, and transfer methods to improve flow and reduce waiting, travel, and work in process.
• Partner with Production and Planning to validate capacity, staffing requirements, and achievable output; verify improvements through sustained production results.

Paint, Drying Oven and Baking Productivity

• Map the complete finishing flow, from preparation and washing through painting, drying, baking, cooling, and unloading; identify constraints and losses at each stage.
• Improve cart and rack loading, part spacing, batch size, changeovers, handling, and process sequencing to increase throughput and reduce queue and turnaround time.
• Work with paint and oven suppliers, Quality, and Maintenance to optimize equipment performance and validated process settings while maintaining finish quality and required drying and curing performance.
• Assess spray equipment, application efficiency, oven loading, heat distribution, and capacity improvement opportunities; measure sustained output, first-pass yield, and cost after changes.

Lean and Continuous Improvement

• Deploy and sustain 5S, visual management, standard work, waste elimination, setup reduction, and structured problem solving across manufacturing and assembly.
• Lead Kaizen events and focused improvement projects with clear baselines, targets, owners, completion dates, and follow-up checks.
• Coach operators and Team Leads in identifying waste and implementing practical improvements. Support hour-by-hour boards with validated output targets and analysis of recurring losses.
• Quantify productivity and cost benefits with Operations and Finance and update standard work and training to sustain improvements across all shifts.

Safety and Process Quality Improvement

• Identify and reduce process hazards, repetitive motion, awkward handling, and ergonomic risks through equipment, fixture, layout, and work method improvements.
• Partner with Quality to define critical process characteristics, inspection requirements, error-proofing, process controls, and acceptance criteria for new or modified processes.
• Lead or support root cause analysis of scrap, rework, recurring defects, and process-related downtime; implement corrective actions and verify effectiveness.
• Assess process and equipment risks before changes, coordinate required technical and safety reviews, and ensure operators are trained before release to production.

Capital Project Coordination

• Coordinate assigned capital projects from requirements definition and justification through supplier selection support, installation, commissioning, and production handover.
• Prepare scopes of work, technical specifications, equipment comparisons, cost estimates, project schedules, acceptance criteria, and implementation plans.
• Track approved budgets, milestones, supplier deliverables, utility and facility readiness, project risks, and open actions; report variances and elevate decisions promptly.
• Coordinate equipment acceptance trials, installation resources, downtime windows, training, spare parts, maintenance documentation, and post-startup performance verification.

Qualifications and Core Competencies

• Bachelor's degree in manufacturing, mechanical, industrial, or a related engineering discipline, or an equivalent combination of technical education and relevant experience.
• Typically, 3 to 7 years of hands‑on manufacturing engineering experience, with demonstrated improvements in productivity, process quality, and manufacturing flow.
• Experience with sheet metal fabrication, assembly, tooling, fixtures, time studies, and line balancing. Experience with punch, press brake, stud insertion, and spot welding is strongly preferred.
• Practical knowledge of automation integration, Lean methods, root cause analysis, CAD, and capital project execution. Paint and oven process experience and Lean or Six Sigma certification are preferred.
• Strong analytical skills, project coordination, shop‑floor communication, and follow‑through; ability to work with operators, technical suppliers, and cross‑functional teams.

Initial Performance Goals

During the first 90 to 180 days, the Manufacturing Engineer will:

• Baseline cycle times, throughput, labor productivity, first‑pass yield, and key losses across priority manufacturing and assembly operations.
• Develop a prioritized automation roadmap for punch, press brake, stud insertion, and spot welding, with feasibility assessments and capital recommendations.
• Complete initial line balancing and standard work improvements for selected manufacturing and assembly areas.
• Implement measurable improvements in paint, drying oven, and baking throughput, supported by validated process quality and sustained results.
• Establish a focused Lean improvement pipeline and a capital project tracker; agree performance targets and review progress with Operations leadership.

Measures of Success

Productivity and Flow: Good units per labor hour; cycle time; line balance; throughput; reduction in waiting and work in process.

Automation: Accepted equipment performance against approved cycle time, quality, reliability, safety, and financial objectives.

Paint and Ovens: Good units or carts per hour, adjusted for product mix and loading; first‑pass yield; queue and turnaround time.

Safety and Quality: Verified risk reduction; closure of process safety actions; reduction in scrap, rework, and recurring defects.

Lean Sustainment: 5S and standard work adherence; completed improvement actions; sustained, verified productivity and cost benefits.

Capital Delivery: Milestone and budget performance; acceptance criteria achieved; training and handover complete; benefits verified.

Accountability

The Manufacturing Engineer owns process development, technical improvement delivery, and coordination of assigned capital projects. Production owns daily execution; Quality approves product acceptance requirements; Maintenance supports equipment reliability. Capital spending, supplier commitments, and scope changes follow IRISS approval authority.