Manufacturing Engineer

Extension, Inc; Wisconsin; On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Extension, Inc is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to lead and coordinate site manufacturing and process engineering activities at our Wisconsin plant. The role provides technical direction, execution oversight, and day-to-day leadership for engineers and plant teams supporting process development and NPI readiness.

Responsibilities include driving process design, optimization, and standardization across welding, machining, assembly, testing, and painting, while leading lean initiatives, CapEx

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Industrial Engineering (or equivalent).
• 8–12 years of experience in industrial manufacturing; 5+ years in manufacturing/process engineering.
• Leadership experience coordinating manufacturing or process engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Site leadership: coordinate all manufacturing/process engineering activities at the plant.
• Provide day-to-day leadership and technical direction to engineers and plant teams.
• Lead process design, optimization, and standardization for welding, machining, assembly, testing, and painting operations.
• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) activities with manufacturing readiness, validation, and launch execution.
• Lead productivity, efficiency, and flow improvements through lean manufacturing and CI initiatives.
• Manage the site CapEx priority list and capital projects.
• Support automation, robotics, and advanced manufacturing solutions deployment.
• Govern engineering data including BOMs, routings, cycle times, tooling, and consumables.
• Ensure ISO 9001 compliance and support audits.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for manufacturing issues.
• Monitor and report site KPIs related to safety, quality, delivery, efficiency, and cost.
• Collaborate with Production, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Design Engineering teams.
• Facilitate transfer and adoption of best practices across global facilities.

Skills

Process design

Lean manufacturing

Root cause analysis

Data management

Team leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Industrial Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

ERP systems

MS Office

Job description

The Manufacturing Engineer is responsible for leading and coordinating all manufacturing/process engineering activities at the site, supporting specialized hydraulic component manufacturing operations. This role serves as the primary site-level manufacturing engineering leader, providing technical direction, execution oversight, and day-to-day leadership for team members supporting process development. The role ensures site execution aligns with enterprise manufacturing engineering standards, strategies, and priorities established by corporate engineering leadership.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Site Leadership: Serve as the site manufacturing engineer, coordinating all manufacturing/process engineering activities at the plant.
• Team Oversight: Provide day-to-day leadership and technical direction to manufacturing engineers and plant functional engineering team members.
• Process Optimization: Lead manufacturing process design, optimization, and standardization for welding, machining, assembly, testing, and painting operations.
• NPI Support: Support New Product Introduction (NPI) activities by ensuring manufacturing readiness, validation, and launch execution.
• Continuous Improvement: Lead productivity, efficiency, and flow improvements through lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Capital Management: Manage the site capital expenditure (CapEx) priority list.
• Technology Integration: Support deployment of approved automation, robotics, and advanced manufacturing solutions.
• Data Governance: Ensure accuracy and governance of engineering data including BOMs, routings, cycle times, tooling, and consumables.
• Quality Compliance: Ensure manufacturing processes comply with ISO 9001 requirements and support internal and external audits.
• Problem Solving: Lead or support root cause analysis and corrective actions for manufacturing and process-related issues.
• Performance Tracking: Monitor, track, and report site KPIs related to safety, quality, delivery, efficiency, and cost.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Collaborate closely with Production, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Design Engineering teams.
• Standardization: Facilitate transfer and adoption of best practices and manufacturing standards across global manufacturing facilities.

MARGINAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• All other duties as assigned by management.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assign engineering priorities, manage workloads, and ensure timely execution of engineering activities supporting production and NPI.
• Coordinate and oversee methods, motion, and time studies to improve labor and equipment utilization and drive cost savings.
• Support training of production personnel on new processes, equipment, and standard work instructions.
• Oversee development and maintenance of SOPs, work instructions, and manufacturing documentation.

REQUIREMENTS

Education & Experience

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or equivalent engineering discipline.
• Overall Experience: 8-12 years of experience in an industrial manufacturing environment.
• Role Experience: Minimum 5+ years of direct experience in manufacturing or process engineering roles.
• Leadership: Prior experience leading or coordinating manufacturing or process engineering teams.
• Domain: Automotive, heavy equipment, or hydraulic system manufacturing experience preferred.

Licenses & Certifications

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. Permanent Resident (Green Card holder) due to export control regulations (ITAR/EAR).

Qualifications & Technical Skills

• Core Processes: Process design for welding, CNC machining, assembly, testing, and painting operations.
• Domain Knowledge: Hydraulic systems knowledge, preferably related to linear actuators/cylinders.
• Industrial Engineering: Methods, motion, and time study techniques; Value Stream Mapping (VSM) and Lean manufacturing.
• Systems & Data: Engineering data management (BOMs, routings, cycle times, consumables).
• Plant Design: Plant layout, workflow optimization, and material handling design.
• Advanced Tech: Automation, robotics, and advanced manufacturing technology integration.
• Quality & Docs: ISO 9001 compliance, SOP/work instruction development, root cause analysis (8D, 5-Why, Fishbone).
• Tools: AutoCAD, ERP systems, and MS Office Suite proficiency.