The Manufacturing Engineer supports TSS Denver’s Louisville, Colorado site by developing, stabilizing, and improving manufacturing processes across machining, molding, spring manufacturing, cleanroom assembly, sealing products, piston rings, and complex assembly operations. This role partners with Operations, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, Product Engineering, and Customer Service to drive safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost performance, while demonstrating a strong sense of accountability, urgency, and execution to support aerospace, space, semiconductor, industrial, healthcare, medical, and energy customers through process improvement, standardization, new product introduction, and effective problem-solving.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
- Develop, document, and improve manufacturing processes, work instructions, routings, standard work, and production methods for TSS Denver value streams, including Custom, Variseal, Varilip, piston rings, springs, injection molding, cleanroom assembly, and related secondary operations.
- Provide hands-on production support by troubleshooting process instability, equipment-related issues, recurring defects, low output, and labor productivity losses on the shop floor.
- Lead structured root cause analysis and corrective actions for production misses, scrap, rework, customer complaints, inspection delays, and repeat process failures.
- Improve throughput and output in constrained areas by analyzing cycle times, labor standards, setup practices, tooling, fixtures, material flow, inspection flow, and equipment utilization.
- Develop and improve fixtures, tooling, gaging, and process methods for CNC machining, plastic machining, metal machining, spring cut/weld, injection molding, assembly, and cleanroom processing.
- Support new product introduction and product transfers by developing production-ready processes, validating methods, documenting risks, confirming capacity, and ensuring smooth handoff to Operations.
- Partner with Quality to ensure processes meet AS9100, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, FAA/TSO-C150, customer-specific, and internal requirements.
- Support cleanroom, aerospace, space, and semiconductor-related work by helping define, document, validate, and improve cleaning, handling, inspection, packaging, and assembly processes.
- Use production data, standards, scrap data, run rates, downtime, OEE, earned hours, and other KPIs to identify practical improvement opportunities that improve delivery, quality, cost, and capacity.
- Drive continuous improvement using Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, problem solving, value stream mapping, and shop-floor kaizen methods.
- Support capital equipment, automation, cobot, visual inspection, vertical lift, CNC, molding, cleanroom, and tooling projects from justification through implementation and qualification.
- Collaborate with Maintenance and Production to improve equipment reliability, preventive maintenance effectiveness, machine availability, and overall equipment effectiveness.
- Develop and maintain PFMEAs, control plans, process validations, manufacturing records, and other required process documentation.
- Participate in internal, customer, regulatory, and certification audits and support corrective actions as required.
- Train supervisors, leads, operators, setters, technicians, and inspectors on process standards, changes, troubleshooting methods, and best practices.
- Support site priorities including lead time reduction, on-time delivery improvement, cleanroom expansion, automation expansion, site layout optimization, product transfers, and manufacturing excellence projects.
- Serve as a visible change agent and role model for the site by demonstrating ownership, urgency, accountability, disciplined follow-through, and a collaborative approach to solving problems across functions.
- Ensure compliance with environmental, health, and safety requirements while promoting a practical culture of operational excellence and daily accountability.
- Other duties as assigned.
Education and Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Plastics Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- 3-7 years of manufacturing engineering experience in a regulated, high-mix manufacturing environment.
- Experience in one or more of the following strongly preferred: CNC machining, plastic machining, metal machining, injection molding, spring manufacturing, cleanroom assembly, precision inspection, automation, or complex assembly.
- Experience supporting aerospace, space, semiconductor, industrial, healthcare and medical, oil and gas, or other quality-sensitive manufacturing environments preferred.
- Experience working with cross-functional teams in Operations, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, Customer Service, and Product Engineering preferred.
- Demonstrated experience leading change, influencing without direct authority, and driving cross-functional accountability in a manufacturing environment.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- High ownership mindset with the discipline to close actions, follow through on commitments, and escalate barriers early when support is needed.
- Change leadership style that combines urgency, high standards, and practical execution with humility, collaboration, and respect for operators and cross-functional partners.
- Ability to challenge the status quo constructively, ask direct questions, and convert disagreement or ambiguity into clear action plans.
- Strong hands-on manufacturing engineering capability with the ability to work directly on the production floor to diagnose and solve process issues.
- Working knowledge of precision machining, engineered polymers, metal components, injection molding, assembly, cleaning, inspection, and secondary manufacturing operations.
- Ability to interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, specifications, customer requirements, and manufacturing standards.
- Knowledge of AS9100, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, FAA/TSO-C150, and customer-specific requirements preferred.
- Experience with root cause analysis tools including 5 Whys, Fishbone, FMEA, control plans, CAPA, and structured problem solving.
- Ability to use data to improve shop-floor performance, including cycle time, downtime, scrap, rework, labor utilization, OEE, earned hours, standard hours, and throughput.
- Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, value stream mapping, standard work, visual management, and continuous improvement.
- Practical understanding of tooling, fixtures, gaging, machine capability, process capability, SPC, and inspection methods.
- Ability to support capital equipment, automation, cobot, inspection, CNC, molding, cleanroom, and layout improvement projects.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively with operators, setters, supervisors, quality technicians, engineers, maintenance technicians, and site leadership.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a high-mix, two-shift manufacturing environment while maintaining urgency and follow-through.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel; experience with ERP/MRP systems such as JDE preferred.
Work Environment/Physical Demands/Equipment Used
This position is located in a 115,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Louisville, Colorado supporting two-shift production across CNC machining, injection molding, spring manufacturing, cleanroom assembly, inspection, and complex assembly operations. The role requires frequent time on the production floor and direct interaction with operators, setters, supervisors, technicians, engineers, quality personnel, and maintenance personnel. Approximate time allocation is 50% production floor and 50% office/project work. The position requires prolonged sitting, standing, walking, squatting, twisting, and bending, and may require lifting up to 50 lbs.
Health and Safety – PPE Requirements
- Safety Glasses to be worn at all times when on the production floor
- Safety Shoes to be worn at all times when on the production floor
- Must wear appropriate PPE for all work activities performed; varies based on work
Benefits include Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k plus matching, life insurance, STD, LTD.