Process Design Engineer

Where would you like to shape the success of your future career: At a worldwide leading manufacturer of process measuring and control technology? In a family- owned company that values its more than 3,700 employees in more than 30 countries and sees them all as individuals? In a team that breaks new ground with courage and passion? 

Did you answer „Yes“ three times? Then it is time for us to make your acquaintance. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Role Context & Reporting Structure:

This position reports directly to the VP of Operations, Engineering & Supply Chain. A dotted-line relationship exists with the CNC Manufacturing Manager to ensure technical integration and day-to-day shop floor alignment. The dotted line is deliberate: it ensures you have standing and daily presence with the machining team while preserving the independent perspective that comes from reporting outside the production chain of command.

CNC Machining Process Ownership:

The manufacturing floor runs CNC turning centers, multi-axis milling machines, and specialty equipment producing close-tolerance components in stainless steel, brass, PEEK, and other engineered materials. This role owns the value stream processes connecting raw material to finished, inspected parts ready for assembly or shipment.

• Own the efficiency of the manufacturing value stream processes for CNC machining of systems and standard components, from raw stock to finished part release: material staging, machine loading, first-article verification, in-process inspection, deburring, washing, final inspection, and handoff to inventory or the next operation.
• Drive spindle time optimization across turning, milling, and multi-axis machining cells. Spindle time is the core revenue-generating activity. Your job is to systematically identify and eliminate unplanned idle time, unnecessary non-cutting activity, and scheduling gaps that leave machines sitting empty when they should be running.
• Conduct and lead time studies, cycle time analysis, and capacity modeling to identify constraints and quantify improvement opportunity. Time studies directly feed SAP routing accuracy, scheduling reliability, and capacity planning credibility. If the routing says a part takes 45 minutes and it actually takes 62 minutes, the schedule, the capacity plan, and the delivery promise are all wrong.
• Own and continuously improve machine scheduling practices using SAP CM25 (now deployed in Fiori). Ensure accurate, realistic scheduling that supports delivery commitments without creating hidden capacity loss. When the schedule loses credibility, operators start cherry-picking jobs and the whole system breaks down.
• Champion use of the Siemens TMGR Tool Manager for tool presetting, tool life management, and structured tool building, building the discipline that makes changeovers predictable and fast. Tools that are not preset, not tracked for wear life, and not staged in advance create cascading delays that never show up in a standard downtime report.
• Define and enforce setup standards: part setup, work-holding, first-article verification, and handover documentation between shifts and operators. Standardized setups are the foundation of repeatable quality and predictable cycle times.
• Analyze and reduce machine downtime; drive OEE improvement using SI04 and SI01 (SYNCHRO Simplifier modules) as primary visibility tools. SI01 provides real-time machine status; SI04 provides OEE analysis that breaks downtime into component causes. Your job is to make these active management instruments, not passive dashboards.
• Partner with CNC programmers on CAM strategy improvements: feeds, speeds, toolpath efficiency, and verified simulation via Vericut where applicable. This role must be technically credible enough to challenge assumptions, suggest alternatives, and drive programming standards that prioritize efficiency alongside quality.
• Lead root cause analysis on scrap, rework, and non-conformances originating in machining; own corrective actions through to verified closure. You don't just identify the root cause; you implement the corrective action, verify it works, and update the standard to prevent recurrence.

Continuous Improvement & Lean Manufacturing (SYNCHRO+ Manufacturing Lead):

Burkert's SYNCHRO+ system is a comprehensive production management framework used across all Burkert factories worldwide. It encompasses 5S workplace organization, shopfloor management (SFM), total productive maintenance (TPM), standardized processes, continuous improvement workshops, energy and sustainability management, and structured employee development. Every Burkert production site is audited annually against the SYNCHRO standard by a corporate auditor, producing a score across six weighted categories with year-over-year improvement expected.

• Serve as the Huntersville site's SYNCHRO+ lead for the Manufacturing area (CNC, fabrication, welding), working as the peer to the Assembly SYNCHRO Lead. You are responsible for all audit categories in the manufacturing space: 5A (5S workplace organization), GA (General/Leadership including qualification, training, SFM, and employee development), LOG (Logistics including layout, material flow, and order transparency), MS (Management Systems including energy management, waste separation, and sustainability), STA (Standards including process knowledge, safety, documentation, and problem-solving methods), and TPM (Total Productive Maintenance including machine handbooks, OEE tracking, and equipment maintenance).

• Own the site's annual performance against the global Burkert SYNCHRO audit in manufacturing areas. This means you own the score. When the auditor arrives, you are prepared. When the audit report is issued, you own the response. When the next audit cycle begins, your improvement roadmap is already in motion.
• Develop and execute a structured improvement roadmap between audit cycles. Each annual audit produces findings and measures. Your job is to ensure these do not sit in a report. Each finding gets an owner, a due date, and a verification step. You track progress monthly, escalate blockers, and demonstrate closure with evidence.
• Lead and facilitate improvement workshops (Kaizen, 5S, TPM, VSM) in the manufacturing environment. This is not about scheduling workshops to check a box. It is about identifying the real problems on the floor, assembling the right team, running a structured problem-solving process, implementing countermeasures, and following up to verify they held. Workshop outputs must translate into documented standards, updated work instructions, and changed behavior.
• Own and maintain the manufacturing qualification matrix per SYNCHRO standards. The qualification matrix maps who can do what: which operators are qualified on which machines, which skills are in surplus, and which are single points of failure. Keep this current, identify training gaps proactively, and work with the Manufacturing Manager and HR to build a qualification plan that ensures resilience and flexibility.
• Ensure annual instruction plans, familiarization plans, and shopfloor management documentation are current and compliant. This includes SFM boards (SI06), team meeting cadence and agendas, ‘Go&See’ schedules for leadership floor walks, and the structured recurring communication rhythm that connects operators to supervisors to management.

Production Documentation & Standards:

Manufacturing excellence lives or dies in the documentation layer. A process that runs well today but is not documented will drift tomorrow. This role ensures that the documented standard and the actual practice on the floor are the same thing.

• Author and maintain Factory Standards (FSTs), work instructions, BOPs, control plans, and process flow documentation for all manufacturing processes. Documentation is the mechanism by which best practice becomes standard practice. When you improve a process, you update the document. When a deviation occurs, the document is the reference point for root cause analysis.
• Ensure SAP routing data (CM25 / Fiori) accurately reflects current process times, sequences, and resource assignments. Own the routing master data for manufacturing.
• Build and maintain digital machine handbooks in SI08 for production-critical CNC equipment. Ensure maintenance tasks, log entries, inspection records, and spare parts information are current and actively used. The digital MHB replaces analog binders with a live record of each machine's health, history, and maintenance needs.
• Establish structured filing practices on the production drive per SYNCHRO Office standard. Lead the cleanup and standardization of legacy documentation so that any team member can find what they need without searching.
• Drive poka-yoke implementation across machining setups and inspection processes. Every setup, fixture, and inspection station should be evaluated for opportunities to eliminate human error through design rather than through vigilance. Coordinate with Engineering to ensure poka-yoke thinking is integrated into new equipment procurement and fixture design.

Adjacent Manufacturing Areas: Growth & Support:

The strongest focus of this role is CNC machining and turning technologies. Manufacturing at Burkert Huntersville is a connected value stream that includes secondary operations, welding, and interfaces with assembly, supply chain, and quality. This role is expected to grow into these adjacent areas over time.

• Support process development in welding operations, with a particular growth path toward ASME BPE orbital GTAW welding as that program scales. Burkert Huntersville is building an ISO 3834-2 qualified orbital welding capability. CNC machining expertise is the hiring priority; welding process knowledge is a valued addition and a defined area for professional development.
• Contribute to process improvements in secondary operations (deburring, washing, inspection, surface treatment) as part of the full manufacturing value stream. Bringing the same rigor to secondary operations as to primary machining is expected.
• Engage with intralogistics improvements (material flow, milk running, kitting, and staging) as they interface with machining cell efficiency. How material arrives at the machine, how finished parts are routed, and how WIP is managed between operations all affect throughput.
• Collaborate with the Quality organization on inspection methodology, gage management, SPC implementation, and non-conformance investigation as they relate to machined components.

REQUIREMENTS:

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline is required.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification is preferred. Green Belt certification with demonstrated Black Belt-level project experience and results will be considered. The certification must reflect practical, shop-floor application and measurable project outcomes, not classroom completion alone.

Experience:

• Ideally 3 to 8 years of progressively responsible experience in a precision CNC machining environment, including hands-on work with turning, milling, and multi-axis machining of close-tolerance components in metals (stainless steel, brass, aluminum) and/or engineered plastics.
• Demonstrated ownership of machining process improvement initiatives with quantifiable results: spindle utilization gains, setup time reductions, tooling program improvements, scrap reduction, and scheduling discipline improvements.
• Direct experience with SAP production modules, specifically CM25 / Fiori scheduling, routing management, and capacity planning. Experience maintaining routing master data and translating process changes into SAP updates is expected, not optional.
• Hands-on experience with tool management systems. Siemens TMGR experience is a strong differentiator. Experience with comparable systems (Zoller, TDM, Kennametal NOVO) will be considered if the candidate can demonstrate the same underlying discipline: presetting, tool life tracking, structured tool building, and proactive tool change management.
• Experience leading Kaizen events, Value Stream Mapping sessions, and 5S programs in a machining or fabrication environment. We are looking for someone who has led these activities, not someone who has participated in them. Leading means you scoped the event, selected the team, facilitated the analysis, drove the countermeasures, and followed up to verify sustainability.
• CAD/CAM proficiency with Siemens NX, Mastercam, or equivalent software. Vericut simulation experience is preferred.
• Familiarity with GD&T (ASME Y14.5), precision measurement techniques, and CMM-based inspection processes as they apply to machined components.
• CNC machining: turning and milling technologies, multi-axis setups, fixturing design and selection, tooling strategy, and cutting parameter optimization.
• SAP (CM25 / Fiori): production scheduling, routing creation and maintenance, capacity management, and production order processing.
• Siemens TMGR or equivalent tool management system: tool presetting, tool life management, tool assembly documentation, and integration with CNC controls.
• OEE measurement and analysis (SI04 or equivalent): availability, performance, and quality loss categorization; Pareto analysis of downtime causes; improvement targeting based on OEE data.
• Lean tools: Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Kaizen event facilitation, 5S/6S workplace organization, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Single-Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED) for setup reduction, and standard work development.
• Six Sigma tools: DMAIC methodology, statistical process control (SPC) and control charts, Design of Experiments (DOE), Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), and structured root cause analysis methods including Ishikawa (fishbone), 5-Why analysis, and A3 problem-solving reports.
• Process documentation: Factory Standards (FSTs), Bills of Process (BOPs), control plans, process flow diagrams, and routing sheets.

Leadership & Behavioral Requirements:

• Strong influencing skills: you have no direct authority over machinists, operators, or the CNC Manufacturing Manager, but you drive change through credibility, data, and coaching. The ability to influence without authority is the defining leadership competency for this role.
• Practitioner mindset: you are most effective and most credible on the production floor, not in conference rooms. Machinists and operators will follow your lead because you understand the work, have done similar work, and can demonstrate that your recommendations are grounded in reality. Credibility on the floor is earned through competence and presence, not through title or org chart position.
• Independent, balanced perspective: this role exists to find waste and drive improvement with objectivity. You are not beholden to the status quo, and you do not protect the way things have always been done. You report to the VP of Operations for a reason: to ensure your assessments and recommendations are not filtered through the production management chain before they reach leadership.
• Bias for ownership: open findings become your findings. Audit measures become your measures. You do not document problems and hand them to someone else to solve. You close them.
• Genuine curiosity about manufacturing systems: SYNCHRO+ is not a compliance checkbox at Burkert. It is the operating system for how we manage production. We expect this person to become a genuine expert in the system, not just a user.
• Willingness to learn adjacent processes and grow the role over time. Today the priority is CNC machining. Over time, welding, assembly interfaces, supply chain touchpoints, and new manufacturing technologies will enter the scope.

In return, we offer you exciting and challenging responsibilities, diverse perspectives with a high degree of individual freedom and a corporate culture that encourages you to use it.
Curious? Then we look forward to receiving your application.