Manufacturing & Quality Engineer

$116,977 - $116,977/Yr

Novanta - Mukilteo, WA

Full-time - Mid Level

Mukilteo, WA

11-50 employees

Publishing Industries

About the position

At Novanta, we are at the forefront of innovation, powering technology products that are transforming healthcare and advanced manufacturing. Our mission is to improve productivity, enhance lives, and redefine what is possible through engineered components and sub-systems that deliver extreme precision and performance. As a Manufacturing and Quality Engineer, you will play a crucial role in executing advanced manufacturing engineering initiatives within a designated Focus Factory or Value Stream. This specialized technical position is designed for motivated individuals who are eager to identify opportunities and implement changes that primarily improve product and process quality. You will be the primary driver of quality performance for the suppliers supporting your designated manufacturing area, ensuring that our high standards are met consistently. In this role, you will communicate effectively with suppliers, factory teams, and management through daily management practices, emphasizing a close connection to the Gemba. You will lead key manufacturing engineering projects aimed at enhancing safety, productivity, and quality. Your responsibilities will include designing and deploying fixtures and tools to eliminate waste and variability in manufacturing processes, driving capital-intensive projects, and assisting in failure root cause analysis and corrective actions related to quality issues. You will also evaluate products, materials, and processes for improvement opportunities, support existing test systems, and develop automation solutions across multiple assembly and test processes. Your leadership will foster a culture of continuous improvement, and you will assist in strategic sourcing efforts to assess and improve suppliers. As you actively learn and deploy Novanta Growth System (NGS) initiatives, you will drive improvements in internal test and assembly processes, enhancing specifications and direction for suppliers. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a global team dedicated to innovation and excellence in manufacturing and quality engineering.

Responsibilities

• Communicate with suppliers, factory and management teams through Daily Management, with emphasis to be closer to the Gemba.
• Lead the identification and execution of key manufacturing engineering projects to improve Safety, Productivity and a primary bias for quality.
• Design/deploy fixtures, tools and solutions to eliminate waste/variability in the manufacturing processes.
• Drive Capital intensive and Advanced manufacturing projects for the area with ownership driving approvals through to implementation.
• Assist and/or own failure root cause analysis and corrective actions tied to quality issues identified in/or originating from the supported area.
• Ensure supplier quality issues detected in the area are driven back to the supplier through formal SCAR processes. Own the timely turnaround of NCRs through the supply base.
• Evaluate products, materials, and processes for improvement opportunities, prioritize and execute necessary changes.
• Support existing test systems and manufacturing infrastructure to enable a high-level of performance to our customers (on time delivery) and shareholders (revenue).
• Develop and implement automation solutions across multiple assembly and test processes.
• Work with all levels of the operation to nurture a culture of continuous improvement by providing a high-level of support (collaborative problem-solving) for the ideas and pain-points of the team.
• Assist the strategic sourcing effort to assess, audit, qualify and improve suppliers to the focus factory/value stream.
• Lead/support change management initiatives affecting the manufacturing operations.
• Actively learn and deploy NGS (Novanta Growth System) initiatives and lead adoption of NGS principles in the area.
• Drive deep into existing/legacy products to define, characterize and improve internal test and assembly processes, as well as improve specifications and direction for suppliers.

Requirements

• Willingness to acquire knowledge on new technologies to solve quality and productivity problems.
• Excellent problem solving and analytical skills.
• Able to work independently, self-directed and solutions oriented.
• Sound organizational and planning skills with a solid attention to detail.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills (through all org levels).
• Ability to use practical electronic theory, small hand tools, electronic meters, frequency counters, oscilloscopes.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (prefer Mechanical or Manufacturing).
• 2+ years of manufacturing support experience in manufacturing environments.
• 1+ years in supporting supplier quality improvement.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with Problems Solving tools (ex: FMEA, 8D/ DIVE, Six Sigma).
• Understanding of statistical tools and associated analytic tools.
• Demonstrated ability to write code that facilitates automation, PLC programming and/or LabVIEW experience preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to be a Continuous Improvement change agent.
• Capable of reading schematics & drawings, GD&T.
• Cleanroom and vacuum systems experience is very beneficial.
• Mechanical Design experience, with Solidworks preferred.
• Knowledge of optical systems is desired.

Benefits

• Full range of medical benefits.
• Financial benefits to improve quality of life.
• Annual bonuses and other forms of compensation may be provided as part of the compensation package.