Manufacturing Engineer

Job Description MANUFACTURING ENGINEER — FINISHING / ASSEMBLYCompany:Light Composites, Inc.Reports to:Composites Engineering ManagerCompensation:$70,000 – $85,000 salary + benefitsSchedule:Full-time, Monday–FridayFloor Assignment:Finishing and Bonding/Assembly departmentsAbout Light CompositesLight Composites is a growing carbon fiber composites manufacturer serving defense, aerospace, medical device, and industrial markets. We are AS9100D and ISO 9001:2015 certified. ~50-person team.The RoleWe are hiring a Manufacturing Engineer to be embedded in our Finishing and Bonding/Assembly departments — the downstream operations that turn cured composite parts into finished, inspected assemblies ready to ship. You'll work alongside senior engineers and directly with operators to improve finishing processes, reduce rework, and streamline assembly workflows.Finishing is our second-largest department (12 people) handling trimming, sanding, filling, painting, and cosmetic work. Bonding/Assembly (5 people) handles structural adhesive bonding, mechanical assembly, and sub-assembly operations.Essential ResponsibilitiesProcess & ToolingProcess improvement — Observe finishing and assembly processes, identify inefficiencies, and implement changes that reduce cycle times and reworkFixture development — Design and build trim fixtures, sanding jigs, bonding fixtures, and assembly aids using Fusion 360Rework reduction — Track and analyze rework sources, implement process changes to improve first-pass yieldWork instruction support — Create clear process documentation for finishing sequences, bonding procedures, and assembly stepsFloor support — Be the first responder when finishers or assemblers hit a process issueOperator training — Train finishers and assemblers on new or updated work instructions, tooling, and process changesCycle time analysis — Track cycle times by program/operation, identify outliers, and drive improvementsNew program introduction — Lead first-run builds for new programs; translate customer requirements into finishing sequences, bonding procedures, and assembly work instructions before production beginsTooling and fixture maintenance — Own the condition of finishing and bonding tooling (trim fixtures, bonding jigs, assembly aids); track wear and coordinate repairs or replacementsProcess validation — Run qualification builds when introducing new materials, processes, or significant process changes; document results and sign off before full production releaseEstimating support — Provide accurate cycle time estimates for new programs and engineering changes to support quotingQuality & ComplianceInspection spec development — Define inspection criteria, tolerances, and methods for finishing and assembly operations in our digital inspection systemNCR disposition — Own real-time disposition decisions (use-as-is, rework, scrap) for nonconforming parts coming out of your departments; don't wait for a CAPA — act on the floorAS9100D/ISO 9001 compliance — Support and maintain quality requirements within your departmentsRoot cause analysis & CAPAs — Lead root cause investigations for recurring defects; own corrective actions through closureAssist during internal and external quality auditsCross-Department CollaborationCoordinate with upstream departments (Cure, Machining) and with Lamination to resolve process issues at handoff pointsWork with the Quality Engineer to develop and update in-process inspection plansUse MRPeasy ERP to track work orders, log cycle times, and communicate job statusRequirements2+ years of manufacturing engineering experience, or relevant engineering degree with internship/co-opCAD proficiency (Fusion 360, SolidWorks, or equivalent) — you will be designing tooling and fixturesShop-floor engineering role — must be on the floor, not at a deskAbility to read engineering drawingsWorking knowledge of quality management systems (AS9100, ISO 9001)MRP ownership — maintain routings, cycle times, and BOMs in MRPeasy in coordination with the GM and Production ManagerStrong problem-solving skills and attention to detailPreferredExperience with composite finishing (trimming, sanding, filling, painting)Experience with structural adhesive bondingMRP/ERP experience (MRPeasy, SAP, or similar)Familiarity with lean manufacturing or continuous improvementBilingual English/Spanish — strong plus given our team compositionWhy This Role ExistsRight now, most of the process knowledge in Finishing and Bonding/Assembly lives in our operators' heads. That's a risk to quality, throughput, and our ability to scale. This role creates dedicated engineering ownership of those departments — someone responsible for capturing that knowledge, turning it into documented processes, and continuously improving how we work. If you want to own something meaningful and make a visible impact quickly, this is it.Growth PathWork alongside an experienced Composites Engineering Manager and Senior ME with direct mentorship. Light Composites is growing rapidly with significant room for advancement.BenefitsMedical, dental, and vision insurance401(k) with company matchPTO and paid holidays--- ---- ---- ----MANUFACTURING ENGINEER — LAMINATION / KIT-CUTCompany:Light Composites, Inc.Reports to:Composites Engineering ManagerCompensation:$70,000 – $85,000 salary + benefitsSchedule:Full-time, Monday–FridayFloor Assignment:Lamination and Kit/Cut departmentsAbout Light CompositesLight Composites is a growing carbon fiber composites manufacturer serving defense, aerospace, medical device, and industrial markets. We are AS9100D and ISO 9001:2015 certified. ~50-person team.The RoleWe are hiring a Manufacturing Engineer to be embedded in our Lamination and Kit/Cut departments — the upstream heart of our composites manufacturing process. You'll work alongside senior engineers and directly with operators to streamline workflows, reduce cycle times, improve first-pass yield, and reduce scrap.Lamination is our largest department (12 people) running layups across 29 programs daily. Kit/Cut prepares all material kits and cuts prepreg plies. These departments set the pace for everything downstream.Essential ResponsibilitiesProcess & ToolingProcess improvement — Observe layup and kitting processes, identify inefficiencies, and implement changes that reduce cycle times and improve repeatabilityLayup aids and templates — Design and build ply templates, layup guides, and kitting aids (Fusion 360) that reduce operator error and speed up productionScrap reduction — Track and analyze scrap sources, implement process changes to improve first-pass yieldWork instruction support — Create clear, operator-friendly process documentation for layup sequences and kitting proceduresFloor support — Be the first responder when laminators or kit cutters hit a process issueOperator training — Train laminators and kit cutters on new or updated work instructions, tooling, and process changesCycle time analysis — Track cycle times by program/operation, identify outliers, and drive improvementsNew program introduction — Lead first-run builds for new programs; translate customer drawings into layup sequences, kitting plans, and work instructions before production beginsTooling and mold care — Own the condition of lamination tooling (molds, caul plates, mandrels); track wear, flag damage, and coordinate repairs or replacementsProcess validation — Run qualification builds when introducing new materials, processes, or significant process changes; document results and sign off before full production releaseEstimating support — Provide accurate cycle time estimates for new programs and engineering changes to support quotingQuality & ComplianceInspection spec development — Define inspection criteria, tolerances, and methods for lamination and kit/cut operations in our digital inspection systemNCR disposition — Own real-time disposition decisions (use-as-is, rework, scrap) for nonconforming parts coming out of your departments; don't wait for a CAPA — act on the floorAS9100D/ISO 9001 compliance — Support and maintain quality requirements within your departmentsRoot cause analysis & CAPAs — Lead root cause investigations for recurring defects; own corrective actions through closureAssist during internal and external quality auditsCross-Department CollaborationCoordinate with downstream departments (Cure, Finishing, Machining) to resolve process issues at handoff pointsWork with the Quality Engineer to develop and update in-process inspection plansUse MRPeasy ERP to track work orders, log cycle times, and communicate job statusRequirements2+ years of manufacturing engineering experience, or relevant engineering degree with internship/co-opCAD proficiency (Fusion 360, SolidWorks, or equivalent) — you will be designing tooling and fixturesShop-floor engineering role — must be on the floor, not at a deskAbility to read engineering drawingsWorking knowledge of quality management systems (AS9100, ISO 9001)MRP ownership — maintain routings, cycle times, and BOMs in MRPeasy in coordination with the GM and Production ManagerStrong problem-solving skills and attention to detailPreferredExperience with composite materials (prepreg layup, ply cutting, autoclave/oven cure)Familiarity with Eastman or similar automated kit cutting equipmentMRP/ERP experience (MRPeasy, SAP, or similar)Familiarity with lean manufacturing or continuous improvementBilingual English/Spanish — strong plus given our team compositionWhy This Role ExistsRight now, most of the process knowledge in Lamination and Kit/Cut lives in our operators' heads. That's a risk to quality, throughput, and our ability to scale. This role creates dedicated engineering ownership of those departments — someone responsible for capturing that knowledge, turning it into documented processes, and continuously improving how we work. If you want to own something meaningful and make a visible impact quickly, this is it.Growth PathWork alongside an experienced Composites Engineering Manager and Senior ME with direct mentorship. Light Composites is growing rapidly with significant room for advancement.BenefitsMedical, dental, and vision insurance401(k) with company matchPTO and paid holidays