Sr Manufacturing Engineer

Justrite Safety Group; Mattoon (IL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) plan with company match

Flexible work hours

Generous paid time off

Job summary

Justrite Safety Group in Mattoon, Illinois is searching for a Senior Manufacturing Engineer to lead the development of manufacturing methods and tooling improvements. This role demands a blend of technical expertise and leadership to enhance safety, quality, and productivity in operations.

Successful candidates will have a strong background in manufacturing engineering with at least 7-10 years of experience in related fields such as metal fabrication and welding. Join Justrite and be a key contributor to innovative safety solutions, ensuring that every employee leaves work safely.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7–10 years of manufacturing engineering experience.
• Experience in metal fabrication, sheet metal, welding, or roll forming.
• Strong understanding of preventive and predictive maintenance.

Responsibilities

• Lead and optimize manufacturing processes and equipment.
• Own plant machine uptime and equipment performance KPIs.
• Develop and implement reliability improvement strategies.

Skills

Manufacturing improvement projects

Equipment reliability

Lean Manufacturing

Root-cause analysis

Predictive maintenance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Job description

About Justrite Safety Group

At Justrite Safety Group, we’re more than just a collection of industrial safety companies; we’re a dynamic organization dedicated to protecting people, property, and the planet. Our ever‑growing portfolio collaborates to deliver advanced industrial safety solutions that set the standard for excellence. As our business continues to grow, we look for top talent to join our team and lead the charge in revolutionizing industrial safety, ensuring that every worker returns home safe, every workplace remains secure, and our environment thrives for generations to come. With Justrite Safety Group, safety isn’t just a priority—it’s our passion.

The Contribution You’ll Bring To This Role

The Senior Manufacturing Engineer is responsible for leading the development and implementation of advanced manufacturing methods, tooling, automation, and machine designs to improve safety, quality, productivity, and cost performance. This role serves as a technical leader for complex manufacturing initiatives, drives continuous improvement efforts, and manages capital and operational projects to ensure timely completion within budget and scope. The Senior Manufacturing Engineer owns manufacturing equipment performance and machine uptime KPIs, partners closely with Operations and Maintenance to identify, prioritize, and execute reliability improvements, and provides dotted‑line leadership to Maintenance personnel regarding equipment reliability, preventive maintenance strategies, root‑cause analysis, and continuous improvement activities.

About The Team

As a member of the Manufacturing Engineering team, you’ll work on innovative projects that directly enhance our production capabilities and drive continuous improvement across our facilities. Our team is committed to optimizing processes, developing cutting‑edge tooling and equipment, and resolving complex engineering challenges to ensure the highest standards of quality and efficiency. With a focus on collaboration and excellence, you’ll help advance our manufacturing operations and support the growth of a leader in safety solutions.

Manufacturing & Plant Engineering

• Lead the design, implementation, and optimization of manufacturing processes, equipment, tooling, and automation systems to improve operational performance.
• Serve as the subject matter expert for manufacturing equipment reliability and process capability.
• Own plant machine uptime, OEE, and related equipment performance KPIs, establishing targets, monitoring trends, and leading corrective actions to achieve business objectives.
• Drive root‑cause analysis and corrective action activities related to equipment downtime, recurring failures, quality issues, and process inefficiencies.
• Develop and implement reliability improvement strategies, preventive maintenance programs, and predictive maintenance initiatives in partnership with Maintenance and Operations.
• Provide dotted‑line leadership and technical direction to Maintenance personnel regarding equipment reliability, maintenance planning, troubleshooting methodologies, and continuous improvement projects.
• Prioritize equipment improvement projects and capital investments based on safety, reliability, productivity, and financial impact.
• Mentor Manufacturing Engineers, Maintenance Technicians, and other technical personnel while serving as a key technical resource across the facility.
• Lead cross‑functional continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, TPM, and reliability‑centered maintenance principles.

Your Skills And Expertise

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field required.
• Minimum 7–10 years of manufacturing engineering experience, preferably within metal fabrication, sheet metal, welding, roll forming, or related industrial manufacturing environments.
• Demonstrated leadership of manufacturing improvement projects with measurable results in safety, quality, productivity, and equipment reliability.
• Experience owning and improving machine uptime, OEE, MTBF, MTTR, and other manufacturing performance metrics.
• Strong understanding of preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance, TPM, equipment reliability, and root‑cause analysis methodologies.

Additional Qualifications

• Proven ability to influence cross‑functional teams and provide technical leadership without direct supervisory authority.
• Experience managing capital projects, equipment installations, automation initiatives, and facility improvements.
• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or reliability certifications preferred.

Compensation

The position offers a competitive base salary ranging from $110,000 to $130,000. Actual base salaries may vary above or below the recommended pay range based on factors such as location, relevant experience, and performance. This role is eligible for an annual incentive plan to enhance overall total compensation when Justrite Safety Group achieves annual business and financial targets.

Benefits

Our benefits package is designed to support career and personal well‑being and includes comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage; flexible hours and alternative work arrangements to support a healthy work‑life balance; a 401(k) plan with company match; company‑paid short and long‑term disability insurance; generous paid time off, personal days; and a robust employee wellness program.

Why Choose Justrite Safety Group?

As a leading name in the safety industry, Justrite provides a platform to collaborate with top professionals, learn from experts, and contribute to cutting‑edge solutions. Our commitment to excellence and innovation ensures that you’ll be part of a team making a real impact. With a strong focus on career advancement, Justrite empowers employees to thrive both personally and professionally, making it an ideal workplace for those looking to grow in a meaningful, rewarding environment. Join us and be part of a team dedicated to product excellence and positive community impact.