Industrial Engineer III - Aerospace Manufacturing

SEKISUI Aerospace is continuing to grow! We are currently accepting applications for an upcoming Industrial Engineer III position at our Renton location.

Job Type:Full-time – Salaried

Location(s):Renton, WA

Annual Salary:$100,000.00 - $140,000.00 Annually (DOE)

Benefits

• Medical (free employee-only coverage and low-cost options available)
• Dental, Vision, Prescription
• Life and AD&D Insurance
• Company-sponsored 401k with Employer Match
• Employee Assistance Program
• Wellness Program
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee Discounts
• 8 Paid Holidays plus closed (with pay) for a week during the winter break!
• Generous PTO

Summary

Reporting to the Industrialization Engineering Manager, the Industrial Engineer supports the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of manufacturing processes and production systems for new and existing processes. This position applies industrial and manufacturing engineering principles to process design, manufacturability, tooling, equipment, production capacity, labor requirements, facility layouts, material flow, ergonomics, quality planning, and operational performance. Working with Process Engineering, Operations, Quality, Design Engineering, Supply Chain, and Program Management, the engineer helps establish safe, repeatable, efficient, and scalable manufacturing processes from product development through stable serial production.

Position Mission

The mission of the Industrial Engineer is to translate product and program requirements into practical, data-driven manufacturing processes that achieve safety, quality, cost, delivery, and production-rate objectives. The position supports industrialization and manufacturing transformation by improving manufacturability, defining production methods and tooling requirements, simplifying process flows, reducing lead time and work-in-process, improving labor and equipment utilization, and establishing standardized production practices. Success requires ownership of assigned manufacturing processes and implementation of sustainable solutions that improve repeatability, capability, flexibility, and scalability.

Essential Functions

The Industrial Engineer develops and improves manufacturing processes, production methods, tooling concepts, equipment requirements, work instructions, labor standards, facility layouts, material flow, and industrial capacity. This position supports new-product industrialization by reviewing designs for manufacturability, developing process plans and production documentation, coordinating tooling and equipment implementation, conducting capacity and capability studies, supporting process qualification, and validating production readiness at required rates. The engineer analyzes manufacturing data to identify constraints, variation, quality concerns, ergonomic risks, and improvement opportunities and works directly with Production to troubleshoot issues and implement corrective actions. The role also supports process controls, Lean improvements, capital projects, supplier coordination, mechanization, automation, and compliance with applicable engineering, quality, customer, and aerospace requirements.

Tasks

• Support the industrialization of new products and programs from early product definition through first builds, production launch, rate validation, and stable serial production.
• Review drawings, models, bills of material, specifications, and engineering changes to assess manufacturability, assembly requirements, production risks, and recurring-cost feasibility.
• Develop manufacturing process plans, routings, operation sequences, process flow diagrams, and value stream
• maps for new and existing products.
• Define requirements for production tooling, fixtures, molds, shop aids, inspection gauges, equipment, and workstations, and support their design, procurement, validation, and implementation.
• With Process Engineering, create and maintain work instructions, manufacturing plans, process specifications, visual aids, quality plans, inspection requirements, and other controlled production documentation.
• Conduct time studies, work sampling, and production observations to establish cycle times, labor standards, staffing models, standardized work, and line-balancing requirements.
• Perform capacity and capability studies for labor, tooling, equipment, work centers, and facilities, and recommend actions needed to meet production demand.
• Design and improve manufacturing layouts, work cells, workstation configurations, material presentation, storage locations, production flow, and ergonomic conditions.
• Support prototype, first-article, pilot, and production-rate builds by providing hands-on technical assistance and resolving manufacturing issues.
• Develop and execute qualification and validation plans for new or modified processes, materials, tooling, equipment, and manufacturing technologies.
• Define production indicators, including productivity, efficiency, utilization, cycle time, lead time, work-in process, first-pass yield, scrap, rework, and schedule attainment.
• Lead or participate in manufacturability reviews, PFMEAs, risk assessments, control-plan development, error proofing activities, and manufacturing-readiness reviews.
• Conduct or support process-capability studies, statistical process control, Measurement System Analysis, and data-driven process improvement activities.
• Coordinate with suppliers and internal stakeholders to evaluate materials, tooling, equipment, manufactured components, and technical solutions required for production.
• Lead or participate in Lean manufacturing initiatives, including Kaizen events, 5S activities, value-stream workshops, waste reduction, and standardization projects.
• Evaluate opportunities for mechanization, automation, robotics, and manufacturing data systems, and develop supporting technical and financial business cases.
• Support engineering and manufacturing change implementation by assessing production impacts and updating processes, tooling, documentation, training, and capacity plans.
• Develop and execute capital and improvement projects, including technical requirements, cost estimates, schedules, equipment acceptance, implementation, and benefit validation.
• Train Production personnel on new or revised manufacturing processes, capture lessons learned, deploy best practices, and ensure compliance with internal standards, customer requirements, and applicable aerospace regulations.

Required Qualifications

• Experience in manufacturing operations, tool and fixture design principles, and industrialization principles (time studies, statistical analysis, value engineering principles)

• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal

• Ability to establish collaborative relationships to achieve objectives

• Ability to work independently and follow through on assignments with limited direction; ability to work within and lead in a team-oriented environment

• Excellent attention to detail

• Project management experience

• Experience in manufacturing process set-up or adaptation

• Experience in problem solving and risk management

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in composite manufacturing operations, tool and fixture design principles

• MS degree in Materials or Industrial Processes

• Structured problem solving (QRQC, 8D, etc.)

• Lean Sigma (DMAIC)

• Experience with Industrialization processes, PFMEA or DFMEA, and Continuous Improvement Tools

Education

• BS in Industrial, Aeronautical, Mechanical, or Manufacturing Engineering OR High School Diploma and equivalent work experience in lieu of degree required

Experience

• Minimum 10 years’ experience with composites manufacturing or industrial engineering

Computer Skills

• Proficient with Microsoft office products, document control systems, and databases. Very proficient with CAD and PDM systems (SolidWorks, Inventor or CATIA). Experience with Epicor is desired.

About Us

For over 30 years, SEKISUI Aerospace has been designing, testing, and manufacturing composite products for the aerospace industry. With a focus on complete customer satisfaction and through the relentless efforts of our skilled employees, SEKISUI Aerospace has achieved and continues to maintain an unparalleled level of performance.

Our consistent delivery of high-quality products demonstrates our intent, integrity, and dedication to our customers and to our reputation as a manufacturer. We will continue to integrate intelligent automation into our manufacturing facilities, which will drive the future of flight well into the next century.