Manufacturing Engineer (Level II and Senior)

Woodward is committed to creating a great workplace for all team members. Our company and its members are committed to acting with integrity, being respectful and accountable to one another, and staying humble and driven, while maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards.

We are steadfastly committed to attracting the best talent across our communities creating a rewarding workplace. Together we are fulfilling our purpose to design and deliver energy control solutions our partners count on to power a clean future.

Woodward supports our members’ wellbeing and regularly benchmarks with other companies in our industry to offer an extensive Total Reward package for this position. Salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. 

Estimated annual base pay:

Level II:  $77,000 - $100,000

Level III: $93,000 - $121,000

All Levels are eligible for the benefits below:

• All members included in annual cash bonus opportunity. 

• 401(k) match (4.5%)

• Annual Woodward stock contribution (5%)

• Tuition reimbursement and Training/Professional Development opportunities for all members  

• 12 paid holidays

• Industry leading medical, dental, and vision Insurance upon date of hire

• Vacation / Sick Time / Vacation Buy-up / Short Term Disability / Bereavement leave

• Paid parental leave

• Adoption Assistance  

• Employee Assistance Program, including mental health benefits

• Member Life & AD&D / Long Term Disability / Member Optional Life 

• Member referral bonus 

• Spouse / Child Optional Life / Optional AD&D / Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending 

• Voluntary benefits, including:  

  • Home / Auto Insurance discounts 

  • Whole Life Insurance / Critical Illness Insurance / Legal Assistance / Military Leave 

Level II

Key Responsibilities:

• Production Support: Monitor production processes and identify inefficiencies through technical analysis. Implement small-scale process improvements, train operators on SOPs, and manage hardware disposition by evaluating defective or non-conforming hardware for repair, rework, or replacement.

• Manufacturing Process Ownership: Develop and maintain manufacturing processes for assigned areas, ensuring accuracy and consistency in workflows. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to refine process steps and improve production efficiency.

• Process Capability and Improvement: Analyze process capability using statistical tools like SPC, identifying opportunities for improvement and driving small-scale enhancements.

• Production Documentation Management: Create and refine production documentation to ensure alignment with manufacturing standards and compliance requirements. Begin transitioning documentation to digital platforms for improved accuracy, accessibility, and collaboration.

• Project Support and Leadership: Manage small-scale manufacturing projects, ensuring timelines, budgets, and deliverables are met under supervision.

Key Skills:

• Productivity Improvements: Analyzes production process data to identify bottlenecks, waste, and inefficiencies. Implements small process changes and recommends improvements for throughput, reduce rework, and enhance productivity.

• Data Analysis: Analyze production data to identify trends, inefficiencies, and bottlenecks using tools like Pareto charts and process control charts.

• Conducting Cost Analysis and Optimization: Analyze manufacturing costs by evaluating material waste, labor efficiency, and equipment utilization. Perform detailed cost-benefit analyses to identify opportunities for cost savings and waste reduction.

• Lean Manufacturing: Implement Lean tools, such as Kaizen and Value Stream Mapping, for localized process improvements.

• Design for Manufacturability & Assembly: Apply DFMA principles to improve product manufacturability and assembly. Analyze designs for material selection, part count reduction, and ease of assembly, while collaborating with cross-functional teams to refine designs.

• Equipment: Assists in selecting equipment for specific operations, preparing purchase requests, and evaluating vendor proposals for return on investment and in alignment with capital equipment plans. Troubleshoots moderately complex equipment issues and supports maintenance teams to improve reliability

• Mentorship: Share foundational knowledge with peers and newer hires. Collaborate with others to support mutual learning and contribute to a positive team environment.

• Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking : Analyze production problems using structured methodologies (e.g., 5 Whys, Fishbone diagrams) to identify root causes.

• Knowledge of APQP Tools and Systems: Applies APQP tools to improve process stability and reliability. Supports tooling/fixturing refinements and analyzes process capability metrics (e.g., Cpk) to reduce variability and enhance performance.

• Communication and Collaboration Skills: Coordinate with cross-functional teams to align goals and share updates on manufacturing improvements.

Other Qualifications:

• 4 Year Bachelors BS OR 8+ years equivalent experience

Level III

Key Responsibilities:

• Production Support: Lead troubleshooting for complex process issues, applying advanced tools to identify root causes and recommend solutions to optimize workflows. Oversee hardware disposition efforts, including root cause analysis of recurring hardware defects and implementation of corrective actions.

• Manufacturing Process Ownership: Lead efforts to create, standardize, and maintain manufacturing processes for assigned areas. Monitor process metrics and implement changes to ensure reliability and alignment with production goals.

• Process Capability and Improvement: Lead process improvement initiatives, applying techniques like Six Sigma, DOE, FMEA, and/or simulation tools to improve capability and reduce variation.

• Production Documentation Management: Lead efforts to standardize and improve documentation across assigned processes, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and accessibility for operators and engineers. Implement digital documentation systems to streamline updates and enable real-time collaboration.

• Project Support and Leadership: Lead medium-sized manufacturing projects, including risk assessments, process improvements, and resource coordination.

Key Skills:

• Productivity Improvements: Leads medium-sized process improvement projects, focusing on streamlining operations, reducing waste, and improving overall process reliability. Applies tools such as process mapping and root cause analysis to drive measurable improvements.

• Data Analysis: Use data to drive process improvements by identifying root causes of issues and recommending actionable changes to enhance efficiency.

• Conducting Cost Analysis and Optimization: Develop cost models to identify high-cost operations, compare alternatives, inventory analysis, and recommend process improvements to reduce waste, and optimize asset utilization.

• Lean Manufacturing: Lead Lean initiatives within a department, addressing inefficiencies and improving flow using advanced techniques.

• Design for Manufacturability & Assembly: Lead DFMA evaluations for medium-complexity products, identifying opportunities to simplify designs, reduce costs, and optimize assembly processes. Recommend design changes that improve manufacturing efficiency and scalability.

• Equipment: Specifies equipment, tooling, and gaging for projects while creating detailed RFPs and RFQs. Integrates equipment needs into value stream and/or site capital plans. Leads troubleshooting efforts for recurring equipment problems and coordinates with vendors to implement solutions. Oversees preventive maintenance schedules for critical systems.​​

• Mentorship: Provide guidance to entry-level engineers and interns on projects and problem-solving approaches. Offer constructive feedback to help them grow and develop their skills.

• Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking: Solve complex production challenges by applying advanced problem-solving methods, such as DOE or Six Sigma tools.

• Knowledge of APQP Tools and Systems: Leads implementation of APQP deliverables for medium-complexity projects, optimizing tooling/fixturing designs and improving process capability. Reviews data to ensure processes meet quality and performance standards.

• Communication and Collaboration Skills: Present ideas and recommendations to leadership, facilitating collaboration across departments.

Other Qualifications:

• 4 Year Bachelors BS OR 8+ years equivalent experience

This position requires use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).   All applicants must be U.S. Persons within the meaning of the ITAR and EAR, or eligible to obtain all required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce. The ITAR defines a U.S. Person as a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident (i.e., 'Green Card holder'), or a protected person (e.g., asylee, or refugee).

Woodward is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other category protected under federal, state, or local laws.