Early career - Manufacturing Engineer

Manufacturing Engineer - Recent graduates encouraged to apply!

Company:

A. O. Smith Corporation

Location:

Groveport, OH,  (Onsite)

Date posted:
Oct 29, 2025

A. O. Smith is a global leader applying innovative technologies and energy‑efficient solutions to products manufactured and marketed worldwide. The company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of residential and commercial water heating equipment and boilers, as well as a manufacturer of water treatment products for residential and light commercial applications.

A. O. Smith is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with approximately 12,000 employees at operations in the United States, Canada, China, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

We are looking for a recent graduate (May 2025 or upcoming December 2025) with manufacturing industry internship or co‑op experience to join our team. The Manufacturing Engineer will own the planning and coordination of assembly manufacturing processes and procedures to implement the best methods of work. The incumbent will interface with other engineers and functions to constantly evaluate the production and manufacturing process to identify areas for improvement.

• Ensure all processes and equipment within scope of responsibility operate safely and to OSHA standards.
• Setup and maintain accurate labor routings.
• Develop efficient processes to support cost savings targets for operations.
• Review module assembly drawings & CAD models for manufacturability (both internally and with the Customer) as required.
• Determine cost and timing impacts for engineering changes that affect the assembly process, square footage requirements, capital investments (equipment, packaging and facilities) and direct labor.
• Drive lean concepts (5S, Kanban, Visual Factory, TPM, etc.) throughout the organization.
• Implement process improvements to improve overall efficiencies, including automation.
• Setup and troubleshoot plastic welding processes.
• Provide guidance in equipment and capital selection to the Purchasing Department.
• Provide industrial and mechanical engineering expertise to lead design and development of the assembly systems, production tooling and packaging.
• Develop and track capital investment budgets for assigned projects.
• Track, manage and communicate the capital equipment timing plan and open issues to the program team.
• Develop all RFQ’s and equipment specifications for capital and tooling requirements, including all contract services, prior to SOP.
• Main interface with machining, automation and capital equipment vendors.
• Responsible for all production processes development and final approvals including work cell layout, ergonomic workstation design, and line balancing.
• Responsible for development of prototype and production process documentation through SOP +90 days including Process Flow, Cycle Time Analysis, PFMEA and Work Instructions.
• Own error & mistake proofing devices & processes.
• Own initial plant floor layout & PFEP, including material flow and storage.
• Procure and install all line‑side material presentation and handling devices.
• Transfer all equipment and process documentation to the Production Plant prior to SOP including all OEM equipment documentation (electronic and hard copies of manuals, BOM, drawings, recommended spare parts and recommended PMs).
• Own initial training coordination for new equipment or process changes.
• Other duties may be assigned as needed.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related field.
• Previous internship and/or co‑op experience in a related industry.
• Demonstrated skills in optimizing assembly.
• Proven track record improving material flow.
• Exposure to lean manufacturing concepts.
• Strong skills in AutoCAD.
• Knowledge of industrial safety standards and requirements.
• Experience setting up labor routings.
• Ability to analyze current business labor efficiencies, capital investments and other historical data to calculate product cost.
• Self‑motivator who works with minimal direction, makes decisions independently, and can motivate others to complete the task at hand.
• Experience with plastic welding a plus (spin, ultrasonic, laser, vibration, induction,…