Manufacturing Process Engineer

Sterling Engineering; Wood Dale (IL); On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Sterling Engineering in Wood Dale, IL is seeking a Manufacturing Process Engineer to improve casting and foundry operations on the production floor. This hands-on role focuses on processes, equipment performance, and productivity, with 80–90% on the floor daily.

You will work with production teams to identify issues, develop SOPs, and implement practical improvements that raise quality and efficiency across sanding, finishing, and assembly stages.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering.
• 2–7 years manufacturing or process engineering experience.
• Experience troubleshooting manufacturing processes.
• Experience developing SOPs and work instructions.
• Ability to work 80–90% on production floor.
• Strong communication with operators and leadership.

Responsibilities

• Monitor operations to ensure processes and work instructions followed.
• Identify inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement.
• Support sand mold prep, casting, grinding, finishing, and assembly operations.
• Troubleshoot manufacturing equipment, tooling, and recurring issues.
• Work with Maintenance to improve equipment performance and reliability.
• Develop and update SOPs and work instructions.
• Implement process improvements to increase productivity and quality.
• Support root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Collaborate with Production, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, and Tool & Die.
• Train operators on updated procedures.

Skills

Mechanical aptitude

Process improvement

Troubleshooting

Root cause analysis

Communication

Production floor

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Manufacturing/Industrial Engineering

Job description

Manufacturing Process Engineer - Casting & Foundry

Location: Wood Dale, IL

Hire Type: Direct Hire | Full-Time

Schedule: On-Site

Sterling Engineering is partnering with an established manufacturer in Wood Dale, IL, to hire a Manufacturing Process Engineer. This is a highly hands-on position focused on improving casting and foundry operations, manufacturing processes, equipment performance, and production efficiency.

The ideal candidate has strong mechanical aptitude, manufacturing process improvement experience, and enjoys working directly with production teams. Approximately 80-90% of this role is spent on the manufacturing floor.

What You'll Do

• Monitor manufacturing operations to ensure established processes and work instructions are followed.
• Identify production inefficiencies, quality concerns, and opportunities for process improvement.
• Support sand mold preparation, casting, grinding, finishing, and final assembly operations.
• Troubleshoot manufacturing equipment, tooling, and recurring production issues.
• Work with operators and Maintenance to improve equipment performance and reliability.
• Develop and update standard operating procedures (SOPs) and manufacturing work instructions.
• Implement process improvements to increase productivity, consistency, and product quality.
• Support root cause analysis and corrective actions for manufacturing problems.
• Collaborate with Production, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, and Tool & Die.
• Help standardize manufacturing processes and train operators on updated procedures.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field; equivalent hands‑on manufacturing experience considered.
• Ideally 2-7 years of manufacturing or process engineering experience.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and understanding of manufacturing machinery, tooling, and production equipment.
• Experience troubleshooting manufacturing processes and implementing improvements.
• Experience developing or improving work instructions, SOPs, and production methods.
• Ability to identify root causes of manufacturing issues and implement practical solutions.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work directly with production operators and leadership.
• Comfortable spending 80-90% of the workday on the production floor.

Preferred Qualifications

• Aluminum sand casting, foundry operations, or metal casting experience.
• Knowledge of sand molds, casting defects, grinding, finishing, and assembly.
• Experience with manufacturing fixtures, jigs, tooling, and equipment setup.Continuous improvement, root cause analysis, and process standardization experience.
• Preventive maintenance coordination and equipment troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with ISO 9001 manufacturing standards.

Why This Opportunity?

This is an excellent opportunity for a hands‑on engineer who enjoys solving manufacturing challenges and making measurable improvements on the production floor. You'll work closely with experienced manufacturing teams and have a direct impact on product quality, process consistency, and operational efficiency.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.