What a manufacturing engineer does
A manufacturing engineer designs, maintains and improves the processes that turn materials into finished products. The work includes setting up production lines, designing fixtures and tooling, writing work instructions, solving quality problems, reducing scrap and downtime and supporting new product introductions. Manufacturing engineers spend much of their time on the plant floor, working with operators, maintenance staff, quality teams and suppliers.
A strong manufacturing engineer can deliver less waste, steadier output and fewer quality escapes. The wrong hire stays at a desk while the same problems repeat on the line. Finch screens candidates for experience in your type of manufacturing, lean and problem-solving methods, quality systems and a hands-on presence on the floor. Where your role calls for a licensed professional engineer, we also confirm PEO status.
Typical responsibilities
- Design and improve production processes, layouts and line balancing
- Develop fixtures, tooling and work instructions
- Lead root cause analysis and corrective action for quality issues
- Support new product introduction and process validation
- Apply lean manufacturing methods to reduce waste and downtime
- Work with maintenance, quality and suppliers on equipment and materials
Qualifications and credentials
- A bachelor's degree in mechanical, industrial, manufacturing or a related engineering discipline
- A P.Eng. licence or EIT status with PEO is often preferred, and is needed where the role involves professional engineering responsibility
- Experience with lean, Six Sigma or similar continuous improvement methods; Six Sigma belts are often listed as assets
- Familiarity with quality systems such as ISO 9001, or IATF 16949 for automotive work
- CAD skills in SolidWorks, AutoCAD or similar for tooling and layout design
Who hires a manufacturing engineer
- Automotive parts manufacturers
- Food and beverage processors
- Plastics, packaging and metal fabrication companies
- Pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers
- Electronics and industrial equipment makers
Where we recruit manufacturing engineer candidates
We fill manufacturing engineer roles for employers across Toronto and the GTA, including North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Burlington, Oshawa and Pickering, and for employers across Canada. GTA employers can meet us at our North York office by appointment.
What Finch checks before you meet a candidate
- Experience in your manufacturing processes, such as machining, moulding, assembly or packaging
- Problem-solving methods, with real examples of root cause analysis
- Quality system experience matched to your certifications
- Comfort working on the plant floor with operators and maintenance staff
- PEO status where your role requires it
Interview questions to ask
- Tell me about a recurring quality problem you solved. How did you find the root cause?
- How would you reduce changeover time on a line that runs several products?
- How do you get operators to adopt a new process they did not ask for?