Manufacturing Engineer I

About the Role

As a Manufacturing Engineer I at Karman Space & Defense, you will play a crucial role in transitioning designs from development into production by establishing manufacturing processes, work instructions, and tooling to ensure high-quality hardware fabrication. You will collaborate with engineering, technicians, and production teams to optimize the build process, ensuring efficiency, repeatability, and alignment with program requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Supports engineering, production, and program activities throughout the design-to-production lifecycle.
• Develops bills of materials, work instructions, and build documentation for assemblies.
• Works directly with technicians and hardware on fabrication and assembly tasks.
• Designs and implements basic fixtures, tools, and inspection gauges to support manufacturing.
• Supports material and resource planning, including Epicor data entry for bills of materials and methods of manufacture.
• Coordinates material flow to ensure smooth production operations.
• Communicates across the organization to gather information and support implementation of manufacturing solutions.
• Assists with prototype builds and evaluates materials and manufacturing processes.
• Coordinates with vendors and suppliers, including supplier quality teams.
• Monitors fabrication and production processes to support quality and process control.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Bachelor of Science in manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering, or equivalent years of experience.
• 0–3 years of relevant industry experience.
• Strong mechanical aptitude.
• Ability to read blueprints, drawings, and technical diagrams and follow verbal and written instructions.
• Hands-on engineering experience in a fabrication and assembly shop environment.
• Experience with EPICOR ERP software.
• Flexibility in work hours is essential, as this role may occasionally require extended hours during periods of high-priority work. Paid overtime may not always be guaranteed.

Preferred Qualifications

• ERP Experience
• Experience in a manufacturing environment
• Inspection/ GD&T Knowledge
• Experience with inspection/non-conformance documentation