Sustaining Engineer

MTK Technologies; Vernon Hills (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

MTK Technologies is seeking a senior engineering professional to lead cost-reduction initiatives in a regulated manufacturing setting. You will evaluate design options, drive design-to-cost projects, and partner with procurement and supplier quality.

Your work will include design verification, risk assessments, and creating detailed cost analyses to sustain product value. The role emphasizes collaboration across manufacturing, process engineering, and regulatory teams, with a focus on delivering

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field is required.
• Minimum 5–8 years of engineering experience in a regulated manufacturing environment.
• Experience delivering measurable cost savings through engineering solutions.
• Experience supporting design controls and engineering change management processes.

Responsibilities

• Identify and evaluate cost-saving opportunities through design optimization, material substitutions, and specification rationalization.
• Drive value engineering initiatives while preserving product functionality, safety, quality, and customer experience.
• Lead design changes for Productivity projects including material and process modifications.
• Develop and execute design verification strategies to support product changes.
• Generate and maintain design control documentation including risk assessments and test protocols.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing, Operations, Process Engineering, and Procurement to reduce cost and improve yield.

Skills

Value Engineering / Design-to-Cost

Cost modeling

Design Controls and Risk Management

Root Cause Analysis

Structured Problem Solving

Statistical Analysis

Manufacturing Processes

Material Specification Optimization

Supplier Qualification

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (or related field)

Job description

Location: Warwick, Rhode Island or Vernon Hills, Illinois

Required Qualifications

• Identify and evaluate cost-saving opportunities through design optimization, material substitutions, component standardization, and specification rationalization.
• Support development of business cases and prioritize opportunities based on ROI, implementation complexity, risk, and strategic impact.
• Drive value engineering initiatives while preserving product functionality, safety, quality, and customer experience.
• Partner with Procurement and Supplier Quality to identify supplier-driven cost-saving opportunities.
• Lead design changes associated with Productivity projects, including component, material, supplier, and manufacturing process modifications.
• Develop and execute design verification strategies to support product changes.
• Generate and maintain required design control documentation, including risk assessments, design outputs, test protocols, reports, and engineering justifications.
• Support regulatory submissions and product lifecycle management activities as required.

Technical Analysis & Problem Solving

• Conduct engineering analyses to evaluate design alternatives, manufacturing methods, and material options.
• Apply structured problem-solving methodologies and data-driven decision-making to identify optimization opportunities.
• Perform risk assessments and define mitigation strategies for proposed cost reduction initiatives.
• Author technical reports, engineering evaluations, and recommendation documents.

Manufacturing & Operations Collaboration

• Partner with Manufacturing, Operations, and Process Engineering teams to improve yield, reduce scrap, simplify assembly processes, and improve overall manufacturing efficiency.
• Support equipment upgrades, process improvements, and manufacturing transfers associated with cost reduction initiatives.
• Provide technical support during implementation and validation activities.
• Support supplier transitions, dual-sourcing initiatives, and material qualifications to reduce cost.
• Collaborate with Strategic Sourcing and Supplier Quality teams to evaluate alternate suppliers and technologies.
• Lead technical assessments and risk evaluations for supplier-related changes.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• Minimum 5–8 years of engineering experience in a regulated manufacturing environment.
• Experience in sustaining engineering, product development, operations engineering, manufacturing engineering, or value engineering.
• Demonstrated track record of delivering measurable cost savings through engineering solutions.
• Experience supporting design controls and engineering change management processes.
• Medical device industry experience preferred.

Technical Skills

• Value Engineering / Design-to-Cost methodologies
• Product cost analysis and cost modeling
• Design Controls and Risk Management
• Root Cause Analysis and Structured Problem Solving
• Statistical Analysis and Experimental Design
• Manufacturing Processes and Process Validation
• Material Selection and Specification Optimization
• Supplier Qualification and Technical Assessment
• Strong business acumen and financial mindset
• Ability to translate technical solutions into cost savings
• Excellent project management and prioritization skills
• Effective communication and stakeholder management
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams without direct authority
• Results-oriented with demonstrated bias for execution
• Familiarity with continuous improvement, lean, or design-to-value methodologies used to improve product cost, process efficiency, and portfolio productivity.