Manufacturing Engineer

FuelCell Energy; Torrington (CT); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

FuelCell Energy is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to support the Operations team during a critical facility buildout and ramp‑up. You will connect people, processes, data, and systems across departments and work autonomously in a fast-moving environment.

The role emphasizes documenting SOPs, standard work, and process flows, plus coordinating cross‑functional projects and change management activities as the plant scales.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Management, or a similar discipline.
• 3+ years of experience in a manufacturing or operations environment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional projects and track action items to closure without direct authority.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and data organization; experience with ERP or MES systems a plus.
• Excellent written communication skills with experience authoring SOPs, work instructions, or technical documentation.
• Highly organized with a strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

Responsibilities

• Author, maintain, and version-control SOPs, work instructions, and process flow diagrams for manufacturing operations.
• Manage document control systems to ensure the production floor is always operating to current-revision documentation.
• Partner with engineering and quality teams to translate design intent into operator-ready work instructions.
• Act as the central coordinator between manufacturing, quality, engineering, and supply chain; tracking open items and driving cross-functional work to closure.
• Schedule and facilitate recurring operational meetings including TAMs, Gemba walk prep, and shift handoff review.
• Maintain action item logs and ensure follow-through on commitments across teams.
• Collect, consolidate, and report on daily and weekly production data including output, cycle times, yield, utilization, and scrap rates.
• Maintain production tracking dashboards and prepare VP-ready summaries for operational reviews.
• Support Lean/Continuous Improvement projects and tracking.

Skills

Cross-functional projects

Excel

Data organization

Documentation

ERP/MES systems

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Manufacturing/Operations/Management

Tools

ERP/MES systems

Job description

The Manufacturing Engineer is an individual contributor embedded within the Operations team during a critical period of facility buildout and production ramp‑up. This position serves a critical role on the manufacturing floor of connecting people, processes, data, and systems across multiple different departments. The successful candidate will be highly organized, analytically sharp, and capable of working autonomously in a fast‑moving environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Author, maintain, and version‑control SOPs, work instructions, and process flow diagrams for manufacturing operations
• Manage document control systems to ensure the production floor is always operating to current‑revision documentation
• Partner with engineering and quality teams to translate design intent into operator‑ready work instructions

Cross‑Functional Coordination

• Act as the central coordinator between manufacturing, quality, engineering, and supply chain; tracking open items and driving cross‑functional work to closure
• Schedule and facilitate recurring operational meetings including tiered accountability meetings (TAMs), Gemba walk prep, and shift handoff review
• Maintain action item logs and ensure follow‑through on commitments across teams

Production Tracking & Reporting

• Collect, consolidate, and report on daily and weekly production data including output, cycle times, yield, utilization, and scrap rates
• Maintain production tracking dashboards and prepare VP‑ready summaries for operational reviews
• Support value‑added network (VAN) initiatives by organizing data collection activities and cycle time characterization studies

Change Management Support

• Coordinate engineering change order (ECO/ECN) workflows and ensure EBOM/MBOM changes are communicated to and implemented on the production floor
• Track open change orders from release through implementation, escalating delays as needed
• Support kaizen events, value stream mapping (VSM) exercises, and Lean/Continuous Improvement project tracking
• Maintain the continuous improvement project log and facilitate follow‑through on identified improvement actions
• Assist in calculating and presenting productivity, cycle time, and capacity metrics to support decision‑making

Facility Buildout & Ramp‑Up Support

• Coordinate equipment qualification activities, readiness milestone tracking, and associated documentation
• Assist with new hire onboarding logistics, training record maintenance, shift assignment coordination, and cross‑training tracking
• Help develop and maintain operational readiness checklists for transitioning departments into multi‑shift production

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Management, or a similar applicable discipline
• 3+ years of experience in a manufacturing or operations environment
• Demonstrated ability to manage cross‑functional projects and track action items to closure without direct authority
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and data organization; experience with ERP or MES systems a plus
• Excellent written communication skills with experience authoring SOPs, work instructions, or technical documentation
• Highly organized with a strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in an electrochemical, fuel cell, battery, or advanced energy manufacturing environment
• Familiarity with Lean manufacturing principles (5S, standard work, VSM, kaizen, tiered accountability)
• Experience supporting a new facility buildout or production ramp from LRIP to full‑rate production
• Understanding of Engineering BOM & Manufacturing BOM structures, engineering change management, and product life cycle management tools
• Prior experience supporting a manufacturing facility ramp or greenfield production startup