NPI Process Composite Engineer

Pay Rate: Flexible and Dependent on Experience

Hours: 4/10 Workweek

Location: Hood River County

Type: Full time Direct Hire

As the NPI Process Engineer, you will lead the transition of advanced composite products from development into scalable production environments. You will partner with Engineering, Program Management, Operations, Quality, and customers to develop repeatable manufacturing processes and support successful aerospace and defense product launches.

• Lead New Product Introduction (NPI) programs from concept through production implementation.
• Develop and optimize composite manufacturing processes for scalable production.
• Collaborate with engineering teams and customers to ensure manufacturability and scalability.
• Develop tooling, fixtures, work instructions, and manufacturing documentation.
• Execute process validation plans, first article builds, and production trials.
• Support Design for Manufacturability (DFM) reviews.
• Lead root cause investigations and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Analyze KPIs related to quality, throughput, efficiency, and cost.
• Support tooling, labor estimation, and process planning activities.
• Train and support technicians during implementation and production ramp-up.
• Partner with suppliers and internal teams on materials and process improvements.
• Champion Lean Manufacturing and operational excellence initiatives.

You are an experienced manufacturing engineer with expertise in composite materials and process development. You excel in fast-paced production environments, solve complex manufacturing challenges, and collaborate effectively across engineering and operations teams.

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of engineering experience in composite manufacturing.
• Experience supporting or leading NPI programs in composite manufacturing environments.
• Experience developing manufacturing processes from prototype through production.
• Hands-on experience with composite tooling, layup processes, cure cycles, and manufacturing techniques.
• Experience supporting production scale-up and process validation.

• Experience with in aerospace composite manufacturing environments.
• Experience with autoclave curing, vacuum bagging, compression molding, or bladder molding.
• Experience using Solid Works, CATIA, or similar CAD software.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and SPC methodologies.
• Experience with First Article Inspection (FAI) and AS9100 environments.
• Familiarity with PLCs, controls systems, or manufacturing automation.

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the US. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment Visas.

Cinder is a people-first staffing and recruiting company committed to creating workplaces where employees feel valued, supported, and engaged. Our mission is to leverage our power as a recruiting and consulting company to build workplaces where people thrive. Backed by our ISO 9001 certification, we deliver high-quality staffing solutions, and our clients have rated us over 100% for multiple quarters. Join us and be part of a team that makes a real impact!