Manufacturing Engineer

Location: Houston, TX Employment Type: Full-Time, Salaried, Exempt Department: Production Reports To: Vice President of Production Industry: Manufacturing

RAM Windows & Doors is a rapidly growing manufacturer of residential and commercial windows and doors. RAM has manufactured high-end custom windows since 1978 and expanded its offering in 2021 to include high-end custom exterior doors. The company continues to expand its product lines and market presence, creating opportunities for hardworking, motivated and results-driven professionals.

RAM Windows & Doors is seeking a hands-on Manufacturing Engineer to serve as a versatile technical resource for the Production department. This position reports directly to the Vice President of Production and works closely with Production, Maintenance, Quality and Planning.

The primary focus of this role is the design, fabrication and continuous improvement of jigs, fixtures, tooling, workstations and manufacturing processes. The Manufacturing Engineer will also support CNC programming, throughput and process-improvement initiatives, standard work development, equipment implementation and the transition of production data into the company’s ERP system.

This is a hands-on manufacturing engineering role. The successful candidate will spend significant time on the production floor designing, building, testing and improving tooling and processes—not solely analyzing them from a desk.

The ideal candidate has strong practical manufacturing experience, excellent mechanical aptitude and the ability to quickly understand equipment, processes and production problems. We value demonstrated manufacturing ability and completed projects more heavily than certifications or purely academic experience.

• Design, build, test and improve jigs, fixtures, gauges, templates, carts, workstations and other manufacturing aids for saw, CNC, machining, fabrication and assembly operations.
• Create and revise fixture designs, part drawings and workstation layouts using Solid Works, AutoCAD or comparable CAD software.
• Work directly with operators and supervisors to understand manufacturing problems and develop practical solutions.
• Coordinate with Maintenance, internal fabrication personnel, machine shops and outside vendors to manufacture tooling and fixtures.
• Assist directly with fabrication, assembly, installation and modification of tooling and equipment as needed.
• Validate tooling performance on the production floor and revise designs based on operator feedback, measured results and actual production use.
• Research and recommend equipment, tooling, fixtures, automation and material-handling solutions.

• Learn the company’s CNC equipment, controls and programming methods.
• Develop the ability to write, edit, troubleshoot and optimize CNC programs.
• Support program prove-out, machine setups and troubleshooting in coordination with operators and Maintenance.
• Design fixturing and work holding to improve CNC setup time, accuracy, repeatability and throughput.
• Assist with machining and manufacturing process development for new and existing products.

• Observe production processes directly and identify bottlenecks, excessive labor, rework, downtime, unnecessary motion and other forms of waste.
• Conduct time studies, process observations and capacity analyses.
• Establish baseline measurements before implementing improvements and verify results after implementation.
• Improve manufacturing flow, workstation layout, material presentation and operator methods.
• Develop and implement standard work, work instructions and visual controls.
• Train employees on new tooling,…