Manufacturing Engineering & Estimating Lead – Onsite Anaheim

Pen Mfg; Anaheim, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Pen Manufacturing is seeking a senior, hands-on Manufacturing Engineering & Estimating Manager to lead DFM, estimating, planning, and direct customer interaction for major sheet metal programs. This on-site role demands deep shop-floor experience and the ability to guide customers, estimators, engineers, and production from quote through ramp.

You will own key customer programs, translate RFQs into repeatable production, and develop detailed manufacturing plans, routings, and work instructions

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hands-on experience in sheet metal fabrication, precision metal fabrication, or a similar contract manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of laser cutting, punching, press brake forming, welding, hardware insertion, assembly, and outside processing.
• Significant experience estimating and costing fabricated sheet metal products
• Strong hands-on DFM and manufacturing engineering experience
• Ability to read and critique engineering drawings, CAD models, tolerances, and specifications
• SolidWorks or similar 3D CAD experience
• Experience translating imperfect customer drawings/models into practical, repeatable manufacturing processes
• Comfortable working directly with customers on technical and manufacturing issues
• Strong understanding of labor standards, routings, material planning, sequencing, work-center capacity, and production planning
• Experience supporting products from RFQ and first article through production ramp and recurring manufacturing
• Willingness to be hands-on and spend significant time on the production floor
• Must work on-site in Anaheim, CA

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical lead for several of Pen’s largest and most strategic customer programs.
• Work directly with customer engineering and purchasing teams to understand requirements, resolve design issues, and improve manufacturability
• Review drawings, CAD models, specifications, and RFQs for feasibility and DFM
• Lead estimating and ensure quotes reflect realistic material, labor, routing, tooling, outside processing, and production assumptions
• Manage and develop Pen’s estimating and engineering resources
• Translate new customer programs from RFQ and prototype into repeatable production
• Develop manufacturing plans, routings, work instructions, material requirements, sequencing, and production requirements
• Understand how new work will flow through lasers/turrets, press brakes, welding, hardware, assembly, and outside processing before it is released to production
• Partner with Sales on technical discovery for major new opportunities
• Partner with Operations and Production to ensure jobs are released and scheduled intelligently
• Identify capacity and work‑center constraints, tooling requirements, automation opportunities, and equipment needs
• Support first articles, prototypes, and production ramp-ups
• Review completed jobs against estimates and improve future costing and production assumptions
• Build strong technical relationships with customers and help expand existing accounts

Skills

Sheet metal fabrication

Estimating

DFM

SolidWorks

CAD models

Customer interaction

Production planning

RFQ handling

Manufacturing engineering

On-site presence

Tools

ERP/MRP

CNC programming

Job description

Pen Manufacturing is seeking a senior, hands-on Manufacturing Engineering & Estimating Manager to lead DFM, estimating, planning, and direct customer interaction for major sheet metal programs. This on-site role demands deep shop-floor experience and the ability to guide customers, estimators, engineers, and production from quote through ramp.

You will own key customer programs, translate RFQs into repeatable production, and develop detailed manufacturing plans, routings, and work instructions