Manufacturing Engineer

Actalent; Menlo Park (CA); On-site; USD 69,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision

401(k) retirement plan

Life Insurance

Short/long-term disability

Health Spending Account (HSA)

Transportation benefits

Employee Assistance Program

PTO / Vacation

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to support primary structure and assembly operations on the shop floor, removing barriers and driving continuous improvements. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams and external vendors to enhance manufacturability and quality.

Responsibilities include hands-on floor support, issue troubleshooting, and leading process improvements across multiple work centers to boost throughput and reliability.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in manufacturing engineering with focus on primary structure and assembly operations.
• Hands-on floor support and troubleshooting in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience driving process improvements across multiple work centers.
• Strong background in welding, drilling, sealing, and machining.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on shop floor support for primary structure and assembly operations.
• Identify and remove barriers affecting production in real time.
• Champion process improvements to enhance throughput and reduce waste.
• Collaborate with design, manufacturing, and reliability teams to translate intent into robust processes.
• Work with internal teams to resolve build issues and refine work instructions.
• Coordinate with external vendors to align processes and quality expectations.
• Apply engineering fundamentals to optimize structural assembly and builds.
• Develop and support processes involving welding, drilling, sealing, and machining.
• Utilize GD&T and manufacturing tools to ensure design conformance.
• Support decision-making with trade-off analyses and practical solutions.
• Document changes and best practices for knowledge sharing.

Skills

Shop floor support

Troubleshooting production

Process improvement

Welding machining drilling

GD&T expertise

Cross-functional collaboration

Safety compliance

Manufacturing fundamentals

Vendor coordination

Problem solving

Education

Formal engineering education or equivalent

Tools

GD&T tools

Machining tools

Welding equipment

Job description

Job Title: Manufacturing Engineer

This is a second-shift position!!!!

Job Description

This Manufacturing Engineer role focuses on supporting primary structure and assembly operations on the shop floor, removing barriers to keep production running smoothly, and driving continuous process improvements across multiple work centers. The position requires close collaboration with cross‑functional engineering teams, internal production groups, and external vendors to enhance assembly operations, improve manufacturability, and ensure high-quality, reliable products.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands‑on support on the shop floor for all primary structure and assembly work, ensuring production flows efficiently and safely.

• Identify and remove barriers that impact production, troubleshooting issues in real time to keep operations moving.

• Champion process improvements across multiple work centers to enhance assembly operations, reduce waste, and improve throughput.

• Collaborate closely with design, manufacturing, and reliability engineering teams to translate engineering intent into robust manufacturing processes.

• Partner with internal production teams to resolve build issues, refine work instructions, and improve assembly methods.

• Work with external vendors to align processes, tooling, and quality expectations, leveraging their capabilities to support production goals.

• Apply engineering fundamentals in statics, mechanisms, and materials to optimize structural assembly and primary structure builds.

• Develop, refine, and support processes involving welding, drilling, sealing, and machining to improve quality and repeatability.

• Utilize expertise in common drilling and trim operations and other manufacturing processes to improve efficiency and reduce defects.

• Use geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) principles and manufacturing tools to ensure parts and assemblies meet design requirements.

• Support decision-making in complex assembly builds, evaluating trade‑offs and recommending practical, manufacturable solutions.

• Document process changes, improvements, and best practices to ensure consistency and knowledge sharing across teams.

Essential Skills

• Proven experience in manufacturing engineering with a focus on primary structure and assembly operations.

• Demonstrated ability to provide floor support and troubleshoot production issues in a fast‑paced manufacturing environment.

• Hands‑on experience with process improvement initiatives across multiple work centers or production lines.

• Strong background in welding, drilling, sealing, and machining processes as applied to structural assemblies.

• Experience making informed decisions in complex assembly builds, balancing design intent, manufacturability, and quality.

• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to interface effectively with engineering, manufacturing, production, and vendor teams.

• Solid engineering fundamentals in statics, mechanisms, materials, and process improvements related to design, fastening, and joining operations.

• Expertise in common drilling and trim operations and familiarity with related manufacturing tools and equipment.

• Expert‑level understanding and application of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) in a manufacturing environment.

• Ability to champion and lead process improvements from concept through implementation on the shop floor.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Formal engineering education or equivalent practical experience in a manufacturing or industrial environment.

• Experience collaborating with cross‑functional teams that include design, manufacturing, reliability, and production.

• Background working with external vendors to align manufacturing processes and quality standards.

• Strong problem‑solving mindset with the ability to analyze root causes and implement sustainable corrective actions.

• Comfort working in a structured environment with defined processes while actively seeking opportunities for continuous improvement.

Work Environment

The role is based primarily on the shop floor within a production environment focused on primary structure and assembly operations. You will work closely with production staff, engineers, and technicians, frequently interacting with tooling, fixtures, and equipment used for welding, drilling, sealing, machining, and trim operations. The position involves being physically present around active manufacturing lines, where adherence to safety protocols, use of appropriate personal protective equipment, and compliance with facility procedures are essential. Work hours typically align with standard production shifts, with flexibility as needed to support critical build activities, resolve issues, and implement process changes in real time.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Menlo Park, CA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $50.00 - $80.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job‑related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre‑tax and Roth post‑tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long‑term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Menlo Park,CA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 21, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News‑Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.