NEW PRODUCT MANUFACTURING DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER – SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA
MANUFACTURING COMPANY IN SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA IS LOOKING FOR A NEW PRODUCT MANUFACTURING DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER!
This is a 100% onsite, hands-on engineering position with a smaller manufacturing organization of approximately 50 employees.
We are looking for an engineer with strong experience in New Product Development (NPD), manufacturing/process development, material research, CAD, and tooling. Candidates coming from rubber, polymers, plastics, composites, or related materials manufacturing are strongly preferred.
COMPENSATION & SCHEDULE
Salary: $85,000–$100,000 annually
Bonus: End-of-year holiday bonus
Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM
Location: Santa Fe Springs, CA – 100% ONSITE
Additional hours may occasionally be required depending on project demands.
MUST-HAVE REQUIREMENTS
Please review these requirements carefully before applying.
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Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from a U.S. institution required. Mechanical Engineering strongly preferred.
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U.S. citizenship required due to the company’s regulated government/defense-related manufacturing environment.
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CAD experience is required.
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Must have experience with New Product Development / New Product Introduction and taking products from concept or prototype into manufacturing.
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Must have material research/material selection experience.
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Must come from a manufacturing background involving polymers, plastics, rubber/elastomers, composites, or metals. Rubber, polymer, plastics, and composites experience is most transferable.
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Experience working directly with toolmakers and mold/tooling development is highly preferred.
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Must demonstrate a stable employment history, ideally averaging at least 3–4 years with previous employers.
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Must be genuinely interested in the position based on the career opportunity, responsibilities, location/commute, professional growth, or long-term fit rather than compensation alone.
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Must be comfortable working for a smaller, hands-on manufacturing organization where engineers interact closely with production, quality, tooling, and leadership.
POSITION SUMMARY
The New Product Manufacturing Development Engineer will serve as the critical link between product design and manufacturing.
This individual will be responsible for transitioning new products and prototypes into robust, scalable, repeatable, and profitable manufacturing processes, with significant involvement in NPD/NPI, tooling, material research, process development, validation, and commercialization.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
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Lead new products from prototype development through manufacturing launch and commercialization.
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Research and evaluate materials and manufacturing processes for new product applications.
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Develop manufacturing processes for elastomeric components utilizing materials such as:
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Silicone and Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR)
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Butyl
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Nitrile / NBR
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EPDM
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FKM / Fluoroelastomers
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Thermoplastic elastomers
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Work directly with toolmakers to design, procure, test, troubleshoot, and validate injection and compression molds.
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Support mold design involving gating, venting, material flow, cycle time, and operator ergonomics.
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Utilize 3D CAD/modeling software to support molds, tooling, fixtures, equipment, and manufacturing development.
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Apply Design of Experiments (DOE) and scientific molding/process optimization techniques.
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Troubleshoot manufacturing and molding issues involving flash, cure defects, shrinkage, dimensional variation, and process consistency.
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Develop and validate processes capable of supporting reliable production volumes.
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Develop and maintain PFMEAs, Control Plans, standardized work instructions, IQ/OQ/PQ protocols, and manufacturing documentation.
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Utilize SPC and statistical analysis to monitor process capability and reduce manufacturing variation.
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Support the development of production tooling, molds, fixtures, and manufacturing equipment.
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Work closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Tooling, and Customer Service.
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Drive continuous improvement related to quality, cost, manufacturability, cycle time, and productivity.
QUALIFICATIONS
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Bachelor’s degree in Engineering required; Mechanical Engineering preferred.
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5+ years of relevant manufacturing engineering experience preferred.
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Strong New Product Development (NPD/NPI) experience.
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Experience conducting material research, evaluation, and selection.
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Experience with injection molding and/or compression molding strongly preferred.
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Experience in rubber, elastomers, polymers, plastics, or composites strongly preferred.
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Metals manufacturing engineers may be considered if their experience is highly transferable.
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Experience developing or supporting molds, tooling, and production fixtures.
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Experience working directly with toolmakers highly preferred.
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Knowledge of manufacturing processes including molding, CNC machining, assembly, and/or 3D printing.
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Experience with DOE and manufacturing process optimization.
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Experience developing PFMEAs, Control Plans, work instructions, and process documentation.
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Knowledge of IQ/OQ/PQ validation.
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Working knowledge of SPC and process capability analysis.
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Experience with Minitab or similar statistical software is a plus.
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Proficiency with 3D CAD software, such as SolidWorks or similar platforms.
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Strong root-cause analysis and manufacturing problem-solving abilities.
QUALITY & REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT
The facility operates within established quality and regulatory systems that include:
ISO 9001:2015 | AS9100 | ITAR | JCP/DOD Requirements | NIST 800-171 | CMMC Level 2
BENEFITS
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Medical Insurance
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Dental Insurance
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Vision Insurance
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Life Insurance
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401(k)
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Vacation Time
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Sick Time
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End-of-Year Holiday Bonus
APPLY TODAY
If you are a New Product Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, NPI Engineer, Product Development Engineer, Process Development Engineer, or Mechanical Engineer with experience in rubber, polymers, plastics, elastomers, composites, molding, tooling, and new product development, we want to hear from you.
THIS IS A 100% ONSITE POSITION IN SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA.