Senior Manufacturing Engineer

About this Opportunity

We are seeking a hands-on Manufacturing Engineer or Senior Manufacturing Engineer to join our Swiss precision machining factory. This is a highly technical, shop-floor-driven role — not a desk job. You will be expected to run Swiss CNC lathes, program parts from bar stock to finished product, and drive continuous improvement initiatives including NPI, efficiency gains, scrap reduction, and evaluation of new machining technology.

You will join an experienced team of engineers working with Swiss and Willowtree machines, collaborating on new product introductions and operational excellence across a facility producing extremely tight-tolerance, small-diameter components in stainless steel, titanium, and aluminum for the medical device market.

CNC \& Swiss Machining Requirements (Non-Negotiable)

• Hands-on Swiss lathe operation is required.

You must be able to run a Swiss CNC lathe independently.

• CNC programming is required.

You must be able to program a part from scratch — taking a product from raw bar stock to a complete finished component.

• Fanuc controller experience is required.

The facility operates approximately 100 Swiss CNC machines on Fanuc controllers. Experience on Citizen, Tsugami, or similar platforms is directly applicable.

• Experience with Haas mills is a strong plus.
• Formal machining education (e.g., certificate from a community college machining program) is accepted in lieu of a traditional engineering degree, provided hands-on CNC and Swiss experience is demonstrated.
• Ability to work with extremely small, tight-tolerance parts in stainless steel, titanium, and aluminum.
• Comfortable evaluating new machining technology (e.g., Tsugami) and making recommendations for adoption.

Key Responsibilities

New Product Introduction (NPI)

• Lead engineering efforts on new product introductions from concept through production launch.
• Program and validate CNC Swiss lathe processes for new part geometries.
• Develop and maintain process documentation, standard work, and SOPs for new and existing products.

Continuous Improvement

• Drive efficiency improvement, cost reduction, and scrap reduction initiatives across the factory floor.
• Apply Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies to identify and eliminate waste.
• Establish and monitor KPIs to measure improvement initiative effectiveness.
• Conduct root cause analysis for process deviations and implement corrective actions.

Technology Evaluation

• Evaluate emerging Swiss machining technology and equipment (e.g., Tsugami) and assess fit for current operations.
• Collaborate with the team to recommend and implement new technology adoptions.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with NPI, quality, and operations teams to support production readiness and product launches.
• Train and mentor manufacturing technicians on CNC operation, process standards, and CI methodologies.
• Participate in site-wide engineering initiatives alongside a team of Senior and Manufacturing Engineers.

Requirements

• Machining Experience:

Hands-on Swiss CNC lathe operation and CNC programming — this is the single most important qualifier for this role.

• Controllers:

Fanuc controller proficiency required. Citizen, Tsugami, or similar Swiss platform experience is directly transferable.

• Education:

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field preferred. Community college machining certificate accepted with strong hands-on experience.

• Experience:

Minimum 5 years in a precision machining or manufacturing engineering environment. Medical device or ISO 13485 experience is a plus but not required — machining expertise takes priority.

• Materials:

Experience machining stainless steel, titanium, and aluminum. Comfort working with extremely small, tight-tolerance components.

• CI Methodologies:

Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or Kaizen is a plus.

• Work Authorization:

US Citizens and Green Card holders only.

• Location:

Wheeling, IL. Onsite 5 days per week. Relocation assistance available.

Compensation \& Benefits

• Base salary $95K–$120K
• Discretionary bonus
• Unlimited PTO with approval — team average is 3–4 weeks annually
• Relocation assistance available