Eaton’s IS AER MSD division is currently seeking a Sr Process Engineer - Heat Treat / Fabrication. This role is based in Orchard Park, NY.
The expected annual salary range for this role is $97000 - $143000 a year. This position is also eligible for a variable incentive program.
Please note the salary information shown above is a general guideline only. Salaries are based upon candidate skills, experience, and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.
Eaton's Aerospace Group, Mission Systems Division (MSD) is seeking a Sr Process Engineer who will be the technical owner of heat treat , spring manufacturing, lapping and soldering at the Orchard Park facility. This role combines the full scope of a manufacturing engineer — process development, tooling, capability studies, cost and throughput improvement — with deep, hands-on ownership of the plant's special process areas listed above. The engineer is accountable for the day-to-day operation, programming, and validation of related equipment, and provides direct engineering support to the heat treat, spring room, lapping and solder operations. Other related fabrication areas could be added as the business grows.
This is a floor-facing position. Success depends on being present at the equipment, understanding metallurgical response as well as machine behavior, and translating that understanding into repeatable, documented, audit-ready processes. The engineer also leads capital projects that modernize and expand special process capability at the site.
Job Responsibilities
• Work safely at all times and follow all Eaton MESH protocols, including risk assessments, lockout/tagout, hot work, and chemical handling requirements, and ensure processes, equipment, and work instructions meet MESH, machine guarding, and environmental requirements before release to production.
• Own manufacturing processes, routings, work instructions, and standard work for assigned product families, and keep that documentation current as processes change.
• Develop, qualify, and improve manufacturing methods, fixtures, and tooling to improve quality, throughput, and cost.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action on scrap, rework, and process-related quality escapes using structured problem solving.
• Support new product introduction through process design, PFMEA, control plans, and process capability studies.
• Drive lean and continuous improvement activity on the floor, including cycle time reduction and capacity planning.
• Serve as the site subject matter expert for heat treat: understand furnace and oven behavior, atmosphere and quench media control, fixturing, and load design, and be able to run the equipment personally.
• Program and maintain heat treat oven and furnace recipes and controllers, including setpoints, ramp and soak profiles, alarms, and recipe change control.
• Work safely at all times and follow all Eaton MESH protocols, including risk assessments, lockout/tagout, hot work, and chemical handling requirements, and ensure processes, equipment, and work instructions meet MESH, machine guarding, and environmental requirements before release to production.
• Own manufacturing processes, routings, work instructions, and standard work for assigned product families, and keep that documentation current as processes change.
• Develop, qualify, and improve manufacturing methods, fixtures, and tooling to improve quality, throughput, and cost.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action on scrap, rework, and process-related quality escapes using structured problem solving.
• Support new product introduction through process design, PFMEA, control plans, and process capability studies.
• Drive lean and continuous improvement activity on the floor, including cycle time reduction and capacity planning.
• Serve as the site subject matter expert for heat treat: understand furnace and oven behavior, atmosphere and quench media control, fixturing, and load design, and be able to run the equipment personally. This applies for the spring manufacturing, lapping processes and soldering as well.
• Program and maintain heat treat oven and furnace recipes and controllers, including setpoints, ramp and soak profiles, alarms, and recipe change control.
• Validate heat treat processes end to end — temperature uniformity surveys, system accuracy tests, instrumentation calibration, thermocouple management, and load qualification — and maintain the supporting records.
• Develop and approve heat treat specifications and process sheets, and confirm results through metallurgical evaluation such as hardness, case depth, microstructure, and distortion.
• Keep special process documentation audit-ready and support internal, customer, and third-party audits.
• Troubleshoot equipment and process issues with maintenance and controls, and drive preventive maintenance requirements for heat treat assets.
• Support the spring room: coiling and forming parameters, stress relief and setting operations, material selection, load and rate verification, and tooling.
• Support the lapping room: lapping and finishing process parameters, abrasive and media selection, machine setup, flatness and surface finish control, and consumable qualification.
• Identify, justify, and lead capital projects for heat treat, fabrication, and finishing equipment, lapping, spring room, including scope definition, payback analysis, and appropriation requests.
• Own capital project schedule and budget, and close each project out with validated process capability, trained operators, and complete documentation.
• Partner with quality, maintenance, production supervision, and suppliers to sustain process performance and equipment uptime.
• Validate heat treat processes end to end — temperature uniformity surveys, system accuracy tests, instrumentation calibration, thermocouple management, and load qualification — and maintain the supporting records.
• Develop and approve heat treat specifications and process sheets, and confirm results through metallurgical evaluation such as hardness, case depth, microstructure, and distortion.
• Keep special process documentation audit-ready and support internal, customer, and third-party audits.
• Troubleshoot equipment and process issues with maintenance and controls, and drive preventive maintenance requirements for heat treat assets.
• Support the spring room: coiling and forming parameters, stress relief and setting operations, material selection, load and rate verification, and tooling.
• Support the lapping room: lapping and finishing process parameters, abrasive and media selection, machine setup, flatness and surface finish control, and consumable qualification.
• Identify, justify, and lead capital projects for heat treat, fabrication, and finishing equipment, lapping, spring room, including scope definition, payback analysis, and appropriation requests.
• Own capital project schedule and budget, and close each project out with validated process capability, trained operators, and complete documentation.
• Partner with quality, maintenance, production supervision, and suppliers to sustain process performance and equipment uptime.
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Basic Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited engineering institution required.
• Minimum 3 years Demonstrated experience in the heat treat industry
• Working knowledge of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, including transformation behavior, hardening and tempering response, and the effect of thermal processing on mechanical properties.
• Ability to read and apply heat treat and materials specifications, and to write clear process specifications and work instructions.
• Comfort with furnace and oven control systems and recipe programming, and the ability to work alongside controls and maintenance technicians.
• No relocation is offered for this position. All candidates must currently reside within 50 miles of Orchard Park, NY to be considered. Active-Duty Military Service member candidates are exempt from the geographical area limitation.
• Eaton will not consider applicants for employment immigration sponsorship or support for this position. This means that Eaton will not support any CPT, OPT, or STEM OPT plans, F-1 to H-1B, H-1B cap registration, O-1, E-3, TN status, I-485 job portability, etc.
Preferred Qualifications
• Bachelor's or advanced degree in materials science, materials engineering, or metallurgical engineering
• Five or more years in heat treat within a high-volume or precision manufacturing environment
• helical and belleville manufacturing, IPC soldering
Soft skills
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
All positions may require participation in video and in-person interviews as part of the hiring process. All candidates will be evaluated based on job-related competencies, and all candidates’ privacy rights and data security will be protected in accordance with applicable laws.
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You do not need to disclose your conviction history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Eaton is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report.
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Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited engineering institution
- At least 3 years of demonstrated experience in the heat treat industry
- Working knowledge of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, transformation behavior, hardening and tempering response, and thermal processing effects on mechanical properties
- Ability to read and apply heat treat and materials specifications and write process specifications and work instructions
- Comfort with furnace and oven control systems and recipe programming, including working with controls and maintenance technicians
- Currently residing within 50 miles of Orchard Park, New York, unless exempt as an active-duty military service member
- U.S. person status as defined by applicable export-control regulations
- Bachelor's or advanced degree in materials science, materials engineering, or metallurgical engineering
- Five or more years of heat treat experience in a high-volume or precision manufacturing environment
- Experience with helical and Belleville manufacturing and IPC soldering
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
Eaton Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Eaton and has not been reviewed or approved by Eaton.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as comprehensive, spanning medical, dental, vision, prescription, life, and company‑paid disability, with HSAs/HRAs and wellness programs enhancing access and support.
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Retirement Support — Retirement offerings include a 401(k) with company matching alongside additional retirement contributions, with some sites also featuring pension and profit‑sharing components.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave for all parents, childbirth leave via short‑term disability for birth mothers, adoption benefits, and subsidized backup care signal strong family‑focused support.
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