Staff Manufacturing Engineer

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.

Staff-Manufacturing Engineer Supporting Woodward’s Industrial division in Fort Collins, Colorado, the Staff Manufacturing Engineer will play a key leadership role in driving efficiency, scalability, and quality across multiple production lines. This position is responsible for overseeing production support, managing manufacturing processes, and leading cross-functional initiatives to ensure operational excellence. The ideal candidate will possess expertise in Lean manufacturing, process optimization, and advanced analytics, with a focus on improving productivity and reducing waste.

Estimated annual base pay: $113,000- $155,000

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

Key Responsibilities Serve as the technical owner for machining automation in a sustaining environment, including robotics, machine tending, tool life monitoring, part presentation, and related technologies.

Evaluate automation readiness by confirming process stability, capability, tooling reliability, part presentation, and operator interaction before automation is implemented.

Define technical requirements for automation and manufacturing projects, including scope, assumptions, risks, deliverables, acceptance criteria, and success measures.

Partner with controls engineering, maintenance, quality, operations, manufacturing engineering, and operators to deliver practical, sustainable solutions.

Own manufacturing processes within a value stream, ensuring workflows are scalable, repeatable, documented, and adaptable to production and customer requirements.

Lead process capability and productivity improvement efforts using data analysis, SPC, simulation tools, Lean methods, and production feedback to reduce variation and improve performance.

Mentor engineers and technical team members in process ownership, automation readiness, troubleshooting, and structured problem solving.

Key Skills Manufacturing process ownership across multiple production lines or value streams

Data analysis, statistical process control, and process capability methods

Lean manufacturing tools, including standard work, flow, Kanban, JIT, visual management, and waste reduction

Cost analysis and optimization across labor, material, overhead, scrap, inventory, and machine utilization

Design for Manufacturability and Assembly review across products, processes, and equipment needsAPQP tools and systems, including risk assessment, control plans, tooling, fixturing, and critical process parameter monitoring

Equipment selection, troubleshooting, performance improvement, and maintenance strategy alignment

Project leadership, stakeholder communication, and cross-functional coordination

Root cause analysis, critical thinking, and sustainable corrective action

Coaching, mentoring, and technical capability building

Well Qualified Candidates Possess:

Demonstrated experience implementing machining automation systems, including robotics, machine tending, tool life monitoring, part presentation, and supporting equipment

Knowledge of automation readiness criteria and how to determine when a process is ready to automate

Experience with equipment validation, runoff, acceptance criteria, process prove-out, and production release requirements

Experience supporting manufacturing operations in a sustaining environment

Experience working with controls engineering, maintenance, quality, operations, and operators to implement…