Manufacturing Engineer - Tucson, AZ- Active Secret Clearance Required Engineering

Manufacturing Engineer - CNC Programming & Floor Support needed for a contract opportunity with SOC's client to work onsite in Tucson, AZ.

MUST HAVE A SECRET CLEARANCE

Our customer has an opening for a Manufacturing Engineer to provide essential engineering support within a machining factory environment. This highly technical, hands-on role will focus on maintaining and improving product throughput by working directly with machinists, troubleshooting CNC equipment and machining processes, developing and optimizing CNC programs, and maintaining engineering documentation.

The primary responsibility of this position will be to work directly with machinists on the factory floor to improve machining efficiencies, troubleshoot production issues, and train machinists on the operations required to meet hardware requirements.

• Collaborate continuously with machinists on the production floor to improve machining efficiencies and provide technical guidance and training on operations required to meet hardware requirements.
• Troubleshoot CNC machining equipment and manufacturing processes, including lathes and mills, to minimize production interruptions and maintain product throughput.
• Apply knowledge of cutting tool technology, fixture design, machining processes, and CNC programming techniques to establish production best practices.
• Develop, modify, optimize, and prove out production-level CNC programs for 3-, 4-, and 5-axis mills and live-tooling lathes.
• Apply knowledge of cutting tools, feeds, speeds, and machining parameters to improve CNC programs, cycle times, tool life, and overall manufacturing performance.
• Perform first-piece prove-outs and support the transition of new or modified CNC programs into production.
• Train and develop production machinists to expand their technical knowledge, machining capabilities, and understanding of manufacturing processes.
• Develop and maintain standardized machining techniques, CNC program documentation, work instructions, and other manufacturing documentation using Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) systems.
• Apply technical expertise to support production expectations for productivity, quality, cost, and safety.
• Utilize Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement methods to increase manufacturing efficiency, improve throughput, and reduce costs.
• Ensure manufacturing processes consistently produce products that meet cost, quality, reliability, and technical requirements.
• Provide manufacturability feedback to drafting and engineering teams for incorporation into future design iterations.
• Support new product introduction (NPI) and manufacturing development activities.
• Generate tooling concepts and cycle-time estimates to support bidding and manufacturing planning activities.
• Troubleshoot assembly, machining process, tooling, and other manufacturing issues.
• Resolve technical and production issues by collaborating with Application Engineering, Purchasing, Quality Representatives, Product and Process Suppliers, and customers.
• Conduct research related to manufacturing equipment acquisition and develop Return on Investment (ROI) reports to support equipment purchase justification.
• Maintain a clean and safe work environment and follow all applicable safety and environmental procedures and regulations.
• Report safety and environmental incidents to the appropriate supervisor.
• Provide a high level of service to internal and external customers, share technical knowledge and lessons learned, and contribute to a positive and collaborative team environment.

• Manufacturing Engineering experience within a CNC machining or precision manufacturing environment.
• Hands-on experience supporting machinists and CNC equipment on a manufacturing floor.
• Experience with CNC programming and program optimization.
• Experience with CNC mills and lathes.
• Knowledge of 3-, 4-, and 5-axis machining.
• Experience with live-tooling lathes.
• Experience using CAM software to develop and maintain CNC machining programs.
• Strong knowledge of cutting tools, feeds and speeds, machining parameters, and tooling applications.
• Experience troubleshooting CNC machining and manufacturing process issues.
• Ability to perform CNC program prove-outs and support first-piece production.
• Strong problem-solving and root-cause analysis skills.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and manufacturing documentation.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work directly with machinists, engineers, quality personnel, suppliers, and other cross-functional teams.

• Previous experience within aerospace, defense, precision machining, or complex hardware manufacturing.
• Experience with fixture design and tooling concepts.
• Experience improving CNC cycle times, machining efficiency, and manufacturing throughput.
• Experience training or mentoring CNC machinists.
• Experience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI).
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement…