Manufacturing Engineer

Job purpose

The Process Engineer is responsible for improving the safety, reliability, capability, quality, throughput, yield, and cost performance of manufacturing processes and equipment across Slitting and Packaging operations. This is a hands-on manufacturing engineering role combining process engineering, mechanical engineering, equipment design, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement. The Process Engineer will work directly with Operations, Maintenance, Process Engineering Technicians, Quality, OEMs, and other Engineering resources to diagnose complex equipment and process problems, develop permanent engineering countermeasures, improve equipment design, and establish sustainable manufacturing standards. The successful candidate will be equally comfortable working on the production floor diagnosing equipment performance, analyzing process data, developing mechanical designs in CAD, leading Root Cause Analysis, time studies and managing longer-term engineering projects. This position serves as a technical escalation point for Slitting and Packaging and provides engineering-level direction and support to Process Engineering Technicians and other technical resources.

Duties and responsibilities

Process & Equipment Ownership

• Serve as a process and equipment Subject Matter Expert for assigned Slitting, Packaging, automation, and ancillary manufacturing systems.
• Maintain a regular and structured presence on the manufacturing floor to develop machine-level understanding and identify opportunities related to safety, quality, reliability, throughput, yield, and cost.
• Establish operating parameters, process controls, setup standards, and technical requirements necessary to maintain stable and repeatable production.
• Observe production runs, evaluate machine behavior, and identify process or equipment conditions that may indicate performance degradation.
• Lead engineering efforts to improve process capability and reduce variation between machines, products, operators, and shifts.
• Support development and qualification of new products, materials, processes, and manufacturing methods.

Advanced Troubleshooting & Root Cause Analysis

• Serve as an engineering escalation point for complex, repetitive, or chronic manufacturing equipment and process problems.
• Diagnose mechanical, pneumatic, electrical, controls, sensor, motion, and process-related failure modes in partnership with Maintenance and Process Engineering Technicians.
• Lead structured Root Cause Analysis and failure investigations for significant equipment, quality, safety, and process issues.
• Differentiate symptoms from true failure mechanisms and ensure temporary repairs or workarounds are progressed toward permanent corrective action.
• Develop, document, and validate corrective and preventive actions designed to eliminate recurrence.
• Analyze equipment history, downtime, process data, work orders, quality results, and failure trends to identify systemic improvement opportunities.
• Provide technical direction during high-priority equipment failures while maintaining clear ownership between Operations, Maintenance, and Engineering.

Mechanical Design & Engineering

• Develop mechanical and electro-mechanical designs for manufacturing equipment modifications, upgrades, fixtures, tooling, guarding, and process improvements.
• Create, revise, and maintain engineering drawings, assemblies, specifications, bills of material, and related technical documentation using CAD software.
• Perform engineering evaluations of existing machine designs to identify weak points, wear conditions, tolerance concerns, component selection issues, and recurring failure modes.
• Apply sound engineering principles to component sizing, material selection, tolerances, fit, function, maintainability, and machine design.
• Develop and evaluate proof-of-concept solutions before full implementation.
• Work with internal resources, machine shops, fabricators, integrators, and OEMs to manufacture and implement engineered solutions.
• Review equipment modifications for design integrity, maintainability, safety, and compliance before release to production.
• Maintain accurate as-built drawings and specifications following equipment changes.

Equipment Reliability & Maintenance Partnership

• Partner closely with Maintenance to improve the reliability, availability, and maintainability of manufacturing equipment.
• Identify chronic equipment losses and lead engineering actions to eliminate recurring failures rather than repeatedly restoring equipment to operation.
• Support development and optimization of preventive and predictive maintenance requirements based on equipment performance and failure history.
• Assist with determining critical spare-part requirements, component standardization, and replacement strategies.
• Review recurring maintenance work orders and equipment failures to identify opportunities requiring engineering intervention.
• Support Maintenance Technicians with drawings, specifications, troubleshooting methodology, OEM information, and technical guidance.
• Ensure equipment modifications and repairs maintain proper engineering and machine-design standards.

Process Engineering Technician Development & Technical Leadership

• Provide technical direction, mentoring, and engineering support to Process Engineering Technicians.
• Establish priorities and technical expectations for investigations, machine evaluations, proof-of-concept work, documentation, and continuous improvement activities.
• Review technician findings and escalate appropriate issues into formal engineering projects or corrective actions.
• Utilize Process Engineering Technicians for hands-on troubleshooting, testing, fabrication, data collection, documentation, and implementation while retaining engineering ownership of design and process decisions.
• Develop the technical capability of Process Engineering Technicians, Maintenance Technicians, operators, and production leadership through structured coaching and knowledge transfer.
• Promote disciplined troubleshooting based on evidence, engineering principles, and root cause rather than trial-and-error adjustments.

Capital Projects, Equipment Installation & Commissioning

• Develop technical specifications and requirements for new manufacturing equipment, systems, and upgrades.
• Participate in equipment selection, design reviews, vendor discussions, Factory Acceptance Testing, installation, Site Acceptance Testing, commissioning, and production ramp-up.
• Support development of capital project justification based on safety, quality, capacity, reliability, labor, yield, and cost improvements.
• Coordinate engineering activities with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Facilities, OEMs, integrators, and contractors.
• Ensure new equipment is properly transitioned from the project stage into sustainable production ownership.
• Establish required drawings, spare parts, preventive maintenance requirements, operating standards, training, process parameters, and technical documentation before final project closeout.
• Identify and resolve design or process deficiencies discovered during equipment startup and production ramp-up.

Continuous Improvement & Manufacturing Performance

• Develop, monitor, and analyze manufacturing KPIs related to:
  • Equipment uptime and downtime
  • Throughput and production rate
  • Yield and material loss
  • Scrap and rework
  • Changeover performance
  • Quality defects
  • Recurring failures
  • Process capability
• Use manufacturing data to identify, prioritize, and quantify improvement opportunities.
• Lead engineering and continuous improvement projects focused on eliminating losses and improving overall equipment and process performance.
• Apply structured problem-solving methods to improve process stability and repeatability.
• Support Kaizen, corrective action, cost-reduction, and productivity initiatives.
• Measure improvement results and verify that implemented changes produce sustainable performance gains.

Standard Work, Documentation & Change Control

• Develop and maintain SOPs, technical standards, setup specifications, troubleshooting guides, checklists, process documentation, and engineering standards.
• Establish clear technical requirements for machine settings, components, hardware, installation practices, and critical process parameters.
• Ensure engineering changes are properly documented and communicated before implementation.
• Maintain equipment drawings, specifications, and revision history to accurately represent current machine configuration.
• Develop troubleshooting documentation that captures proven failure modes, diagnostic methods, and corrective actions.
• Support consistent application of process and equipment standards across all shifts.
• Ensure lessons learned from equipment failures and engineering projects are converted into sustainable standards rather than remaining tribal knowledge.

Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Incorporate safety, ergonomics, maintainability, and risk reduction into equipment and process designs.
• Partner with EHS and Quality when evaluating modifications that could affect employee safety, product quality, or regulatory compliance.
• Participate in machine risk assessments and corrective actions.
• Ensure engineering modifications comply with applicable Federal, State, Local, and company requirements.
• Support compliance with applicable OSHA, NFPA, NEC, environmental, machine-safety, and internal engineering standards.
• Ensure equipment modifications do not bypass or compromise established machine guarding, interlocks, safety devices, or process controls.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering from an accredited engineering program.
• Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Process Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or closely related engineering discipline.
• Minimum 3 years of engineering experience in a manufacturing environment, with demonstrated hands-on involvement with production equipment and processes.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex manufacturing equipment.
• Experience developing or modifying mechanical designs using CAD.
• Experience leading technical problem-solving or Root Cause Analysis.
• Experience supporting equipment improvements, installations, upgrades, or commissioning activities.
• Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings, electrical schematics, pneumatic diagrams, wiring diagrams, and OEM technical documentation.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to use production and equipment data to identify and solve manufacturing problems.

Strongly Preferred

• 5+ years of manufacturing engineering experience in a high-volume or 24/7 production environment.
• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• Experience with high-speed web handling, converting, slitting, winding, printing, packaging, paper, film, or similar rotating manufacturing equipment.
• Experience with automated manufacturing equipment, servo systems, sensors, motors, pneumatics, robotics, and PLC-controlled machinery.
• Proficiency with SolidWorks and/or AutoCAD.
• Experience designing machine components, tooling, fixtures, guarding, or equipment modifications.
• Experience with equipment reliability, preventive/predictive maintenance, and chronic-failure elimination.
• Experience working directly with machine builders, OEMs, integrators, and fabrication resources.
• Familiarity with OSHA, NFPA, NEC, and industrial machine-safety requirements.

DNP IAM is a 100 percent U.S. subsidiary of Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP) – the world’s largest manufacturer of dye-sublimation media for photo printers and thermal transfer ribbons and barcode printers. DNP Imagingcomm America Corporation has the broadest selection of solutions for the photo retail market and products designed to address retailer’s specific business goals and objectives—backed by the quality and reliability today’s customers expect. Manufacturing, sales, and development offices of dye-sublimation media for photo printers are in Concord, NC, and more information is available at www.dnpphoto.com/en-us/.

DNP Imagingcomm America Corporation is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate based on race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.