Manufacturing Engineer; Soft Goods

Manufacturing Engineer (Soft Goods)

The Manufacturing Engineer (Soft Goods) is responsible for designing, optimizing, maintaining, and facilitating manufacturing processes for soft goods components, tools, and equipment. This role focuses on developing and improving manufacturing instructions and procedures, overseeing inspection and disposition of soft goods, tools, and equipment, and incorporating Engineering Changes (ECs). The engineer collaborates closely with technicians, design and materials engineers, logistics, and production coordination personnel to ensure reliable, repeatable, and compliant soft goods assemblies.

Responsibilities:

• Design, optimize, and maintain manufacturing processes for soft goods components, tools, and equipment to ensure repeatable and high-quality production.
• Draft, review, and provide input on detailed manufacturing instructions and procedures for soft goods assemblies and related tooling.
• Inspect soft goods, tools, and equipment, evaluate their condition, and make disposition decisions in accordance with design intent, requirements, regulations, guidelines, and procedures.
• Apply root cause and corrective action (RCCA) methodologies to investigate soft-structure failure modes and implement effective corrective actions.
• Define and write procedures to operate and maintain equipment, including fixtures and tooling developed to support repeatable soft goods assembly.
• Review plans and fabrication documentation, conduct investigations into non-conformances, and provide recommendations to assure compliance with engineering and quality standards.
• Lead configuration management and documentation maturity efforts for soft goods build packages, including bills of materials (BOMs) and travelers.
• Work closely with a multi-disciplinary team, including design engineering, materials engineering, human factors, quality, and logistics, to ensure smooth build processes and complete traceability.
• Ensure lot traceability of fabric, adhesives, and consumable materials used in soft goods manufacturing.
• Support hardware through formal reviews, including Preliminary Design Review (PDR), Critical Design Review (CDR), First Article Inspection, and qualification testing activities.
• Maintain awareness of and adhere to all safety policies and procedures, including chemical and adhesive handling protocols and use of required personal protective equipment.
• Specify and coordinate required online and classroom training to maintain certifications necessary to perform job functions.
• Guide and support lower-level Manufacturing Engineers, providing mentorship on soft-structure design and fabrication principles.

Essential

Skills:

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related field.
• 4–9 years of experience in soft goods manufacturing.
• Hands-on experience with textile and coated-fabric behavior under mechanical load, vacuum, thermal cycling, and abrasion.
• Experience working with materials such as urethane-coated fabrics, Kapton, Mylar, Nomex, Kevlar, or Vectran composites.
• Proficiency in Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) and Design for Manufacturability and Inspectability (DFMI) principles.
• Experience applying Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA) to manufacturing processes and soft goods structures.
• Practical sewing and soft goods fabrication experience for engineered textile components.
• Experience performing preventive maintenance on manufacturing equipment, fixtures, and tooling.
• Strong experience in root cause and corrective action (RCCA) methodologies for addressing non-conformances and failures.
• Ability to create and refine clear, detailed work instructions and manufacturing procedures.
• Experience with manufacturing engineering and manufacturing process development, including continuous improvement initiatives.

Additional Skills &

Qualifications:

• Experience with Product Data Management (PDM) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) tools such as SOLIDWORKS PDM, Windchill, Teamcenter, or similar systems.
• Familiarity with configuration management practices for build packages, BOMs, and travelers.
• Understanding of human factors, quality assurance, and logistics considerations in manufacturing environments.
• Ability to collaborate effectively within multi-disciplinary teams and communicate clearly with technicians and engineers.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to documentation accuracy and traceability.
• Mentorship experience or demonstrated ability to guide and support junior engineers in soft-structure design and fabrication.

Work Environment:

The role is primarily based in a lab environment that supports soft goods manufacturing, testing, and inspection. Work may involve both indoor and occasional outdoor tasks depending on project needs and specific assignments. The environment includes use of manufacturing equipment, fixtures, tooling, and materials such as coated fabrics, composites, and adhesives, with established protocols for chemical and…