Manufacturing Engineer

Eleven Recruiting is searching for a Manufacturing Engineer for one of our largest Space & Defense clients sitting onsite in Santa Ana, CA. The ideal candidate will have hands-on composite fabrication experience to drive the NPD/NPI introductions from design into repeatable, high-quality production. This is a floor-facing role for someone who wants to own process, not just document it.
Responsibilities:

• Partner with New Product Development (NPD) to build manufacturable, cost-effective composite designs — layup sequencing, bagging strategy, cure cycles, bonding, and trim/drill operations all get engineered in from the start, not bolted on after the fact.
• Own the transition of new composite parts and assemblies from NPD into full value stream (VS) production: process router sheets, standard labor hours, detailed work instructions, Bills of Materials, work cell layout, line capacity planning, and operator training alongside NPD and VS production leads.
• Be the go-to line support for production when composite fabrication issues come up — layup defects, cure deviations, bonding or tooling problems, autoclave scheduling conflicts — and drive them to resolution fast.
• Work directly with Quality on Rejected Material disposition, including composite-specific non-conformances (porosity, delamination, fiber misalignment, out-of-tolerance cure), and fix the process issues behind them.
• Evaluate and process Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) end to end, coordinating implementation across affected hardware.
• Support cost estimating for new RFQ programs, with a sharp eye on composite material usage, layup labor, and tooling cost drivers.
• Lead cost reduction and productivity improvement projects across the plant — manage multiple production, new-release, and rework projects simultaneously as assigned by the Value Stream Manager.

Qualifications:

• Four-year degree in Manufacturing/Industrial Engineering or related technical field, plus 3-5 years of relevant experience in job shop or lower-volume production environments.
• Mechanically inclined with real shop-floor knowledge of composite-specific tooling, cutting/kitting equipment, and cure/bond fixtures — this isn't a desk job dressed up as manufacturing engineering.
• Lean manufacturing experience strongly desired: value stream mapping, 5-S, Kanban, standard work, visual management, cell design, setup reduction, mistake-proofing.
• Working knowledge of composite process specs and standards (AS9100 or similar); familiarity with NDI/NDT acceptance criteria for composite parts is a plus.
• Proficient in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, MS Project, ERP systems, and Outlook. Strong written and verbal communication with basic project management skills.

Salary: $110,000 - $130,000