Senior Manufacturing Engineer - Lean & Automation

Hickory Springs Manufacturing Company; High Point (NC); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) plan

Paid time off

On-site clinics

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Hickory Springs Manufacturing Company seeks a seasoned Manufacturing Engineer to partner with plant leaders, drive safety, quality, and productivity improvements, and lead capital projects from concept to production. You will apply lean methods and structured problem‑solving to optimize processes across diverse materials and technologies.

The role requires a strong background in APQP, PFMEA, MSA, SPC, PPAP, and ISO 9001, plus the ability to coach teams, manage complex programs, and travel as

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing, Industrial, Mechanical, or related engineering.
• At least 10 years of progressive manufacturing engineering experience.
• Proven improvements in safety, quality, throughput, or cost.
• Knowledge of APQP, PFMEA, MSA, SPC, PPAP.
• ISO 9001 experience.

Responsibilities

• Partner with plant leaders to prioritize engineering initiatives based on safety, quality, delivery, cost, capacity, and workforce needs.
• Analyze production performance, including OEE, cycle time, throughput, scrap, downtime, and labor utilization, to identify constraints and deliver measurable improvements.
• Lead process design, optimization, and standardization for new, existing, and transferred products across a variety of materials and manufacturing technologies.
• Apply lean manufacturing, value stream analysis, line balancing, mistake proofing, and structured root cause analysis to improve flow, reduce variation, and prevent recurring issues.
• Develop and validate process flows, standard work, setup parameters, changeover methods, capacity models, and production controls with the teams who use them.
• Lead equipment, automation, and capital projects from requirements and business case development through supplier selection, installation, validation, and sustained production.
• Establish equipment acceptance criteria and coordinate testing to verify safety, quality, production rate, reliability, maintainability, and integration.
• Coordinate with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, EHS, IT/Controls, suppliers, and integrators to manage project scope, schedule, cost, and technical risks.
• Support product launches and production transfers by assessing manufacturability, equipment capability, process risk, and production readiness.
• Partner with Quality and program teams on APQP, PFMEA, control plans, capability studies, MSA, SPC, PPAP, and applicable customer and quality-system requirements.
• Incorporate machine safety, guarding, ergonomics, and efficient material flow into equipment, tooling, workstation, and layout improvements.
• Coach plant engineers, supervisors, maintenance teams, and operators; coordinate training and complete documented handoffs for new or modified equipment and processes.
• Support audits and corrective actions, verify improvements remain effective, and share proven practices across TSM facilities.

Skills

Leadership

Data analysis

Communication

Lean manufacturing

Problem solving

Project management

Cross-functional teamwork

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing/Industrial/Mechanical engineering

Job description

Hickory Springs Manufacturing Company seeks a seasoned Manufacturing Engineer to partner with plant leaders, drive safety, quality, and productivity improvements, and lead capital projects from concept to production. You will apply lean methods and structured problem‑solving to optimize processes across diverse materials and technologies.

The role requires a strong background in APQP, PFMEA, MSA, SPC, PPAP, and ISO 9001, plus the ability to coach teams, manage complex programs, and travel as