Manufacturing Engineer

Job Title: Manufacturing Engineer Job Description
The Manufacturing Engineer leads small to medium-sized projects of moderate complexity, ensuring successful completion from concept through implementation. This role focuses on improving manufacturing processes, developing and documenting procedures, and introducing new tools and equipment to enhance efficiency, quality, and reliability. The engineer provides training to production teams, defines preventive and predictive maintenance requirements, and performs mechanical evaluations of processes and equipment in a high-volume sheet metal manufacturing environment.
Responsibilities
- Lead and manage small to medium-sized manufacturing projects of moderate complexity, ensuring clear milestones, timely completion, and alignment with operational goals.
- Develop, document, and implement new manufacturing processes, procedures, and standards to improve productivity, quality, and safety.
- Create and deliver training materials and sessions for production and support teams on new processes, tools, and equipment.
- Define preventive and predictive maintenance requirements for manufacturing equipment to maximize uptime and extend equipment life.
- Perform mechanical evaluations of processes and equipment to identify issues, optimize performance, and recommend improvements.
- Drive process improvement and continuous improvement initiatives using lean manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies.
- Apply manufacturing engineering and process engineering principles to optimize sheet metal fabrication and assembly operations.
- Collaborate closely with production support, maintenance, and cross-functional teams on the manufacturing floor to implement engineering solutions.
- Participate in project management activities, including planning, tracking, and reporting concise project progress updates to stakeholders.
- Support automation and tooling design efforts to enhance throughput, quality, and consistency of manufacturing lines.
- Troubleshoot PLC-controlled equipment and other automated systems to resolve production issues and reduce downtime.
- Contribute to the development and refinement of manufacturing processes for shelving products, ensuring they meet performance and quality requirements.
- Identify and eliminate waste in processes through lean principles, standard work, and continuous improvement practices.
- Maintain accurate documentation of processes, equipment specifications, maintenance requirements, and project outcomes.
- Promote a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence within the manufacturing environment.
Essential Skills
- 4+ years of industry experience in manufacturing engineering, process engineering, or a closely related field.
- Current AWS Certified Welding Engineer (CWEng) or AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) certification.
- Strong background in manufacturing engineering and process engineering within a production environment.
- Hands-on experience with process improvement and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Proficiency in lean manufacturing principles and lean Six Sigma methodologies.
- Practical experience applying Six Sigma tools to improve quality and reduce variation.
- Experience with manufacturing processes, particularly in sheet metal fabrication or similar environments.
- Project management skills, including planning, execution, and progress reporting.
- Ability to design and optimize tooling and fixtures for manufacturing applications.
- Mechanical engineering aptitude for evaluating and improving equipment and processes.
- Experience with automation in manufacturing settings, including integration and optimization of automated systems.
- PLC troubleshooting skills to diagnose and resolve issues with automated production equipment.
- Strong communication skills for training, documentation, and cross-functional collaboration.
- Ability to work primarily on the manufacturing floor and engage directly with production teams.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
- Experience working in large-scale, high-volume manufacturing facilities.
- background in sheet metal manufacturing or fabrication for consumer or retail products.
- Familiarity with continuous improvement frameworks and structured problem-solving methodologies.
- Ability to move into leadership roles over time, supporting career progression into engineering management or operational leadership.
- Interest in ongoing professional development through educational assistance and career development programs.
- Comfort working with older equipment and adapting modern engineering practices to legacy manufacturing systems.
Work Environment
This role is based in a very large manufacturing facility of nearly 500,000 square feet, focused on producing sheet metal shelving units commonly used in major retail environments. The building and much of the equipment are older, and the environment is noisy due to multiple fabrication and manufacturing lines operating simultaneously. Office spaces are located above the manufacturing floor, providing quick access to production lines while allowing for meetings and desk-based work. Manufacturing Engineers spend most of their time on the floor, working closely with production support and operations teams on active projects and process improvements. The work schedule is flexible, with a casual dress code and a laid-back atmosphere. The organization offers a comprehensive benefits package, including company bonus potential, paid holidays, accrued vacation, medical, dental, and vision benefits available from the first day of employment, an onsite health clinic, 401(k) with employer match, an Employee Assistance Program, an Educational Assistance Program, and structured career development programs. There is significant opportunity for growth and upward mobility, including pathways for engineers to advance into leadership roles.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Omaha, NE.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $90000.00 - $120000.00/hr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job
classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be
subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits
available for this temporary role may include the following:

Medical, dental & vision
Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
Short and long-term disability
Health Spending Account (HSA)
Transportation benefits
Employee Assistance Program
Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Omaha, NE.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Oct 30, 2026.
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Omaha,NE. About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without
regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,
sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected
by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or
adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,
please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the
city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants
with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector:
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a
condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law
shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process,
including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications
and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you
acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.