Manufacturing Optimization Engineer

Your Job

As a Manufacturing Engineer specializing in sheet metal programming, you will play a pivotal role in evolving our production controls, improving quality, and driving continuous improvement experimentation. You will leverage your sheet metal programming background—and explore automation and AI—to enhance quality, efficiency, and throughput across production control and other manufacturing operations.

Our Team

You will join a cross-functional production control division focused on routing, assigning hours, programming, and scheduling, routing, and programming for sheet metal fabrication. Reporting to the Operations Manager of Production Control, your team collaborates daily with schedulers, expeditors, and planners to deliver high-quality parts on time.

What You Will Do

- Partner with operations, scheduling, and programming and shop operators and designers teams to identify root causes of errors and design optimized sheet metal processes

- Develop, test, and refine automated and AI-driven solutions (e.g., CAM scripting, MRP integrations) to reduce manual routing and programming tasks with other stakeholders in the business

- Lead continuous improvement initiatives—using data analysis and process mapping—to drive increased quality routings, programs, and other shop tasks to improve throughput

- Create and maintain robust standard operating procedures (SOPs), work instructions, and training materials for new initiatives

- Collaborate with software vendors and IT to configure, validate, and roll out new production control tools within a hybrid (in-office/remote) environment

- Mentor and upskill junior engineers, schedulers, and expeditors – change to programmers, expediters, and planners on best practices in sheet metal programming and process optimization

Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)

- Technical Degree or Higher in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field

- Demonstrated proficiency in CAD/CAM software and advanced nesting tools

- Strong analytical skills with experience in root-cause analysis, data visualization (Excel, Power BI), and statistical process control (ability to communicate with various stakeholders)

What Will Put You Ahead

- Hands-on sheet metal programming experience (e.g., Trumpf, Amada, LVD, SigmaNEST)

- Experience implementing or piloting AI/ML solutions in a manufacturing environment

- Python or scripting experience for automating programming and data-driven process controls

- Preferred 1+ year of experience in manufacturing environment

At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location. If you have questions, please speak to your recruiter about the flexibility and detail of our compensation philosophy. Hiring Philosophy

All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds. We are Military Ready and Second Chance employers. Learn more about our hiring philosophy here.

Who We Are

As a Koch Engineered Solutions company, John Zink (JZ) is a global leader in emissions control and a pioneer in modern Smart Combustion solutions. Our research and development facilities make up the largest testing complex of its kind. Additionally, our worldwide service organization is the largest, most technically advanced team of its kind. We provide solutions to capture emissions, destroy pollutants, manage waste and heat vital processes to help industries operate more cleanly and efficiently.

At Koch, employees are empowered to do what they do best to make life better. Learn how our business philosophy helps employees unleash their potential while creating value for themselves and the company.

Our Benefits

Our goal is for each employee, and their families, to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We provide essential resources and support to build and maintain physical, financial, and emotional strength - focusing on overall wellbeing so you can focus on what matters most. Our benefits plan includes - medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, ADD, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region. If you have questions on what benefits apply to you, please speak to your recruiter.

Additionally, everyone has individual work and personal needs. We seek to enable the best work environment that helps you and the business work together to produce superior results.

Equal Opportunities

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Except where prohibited by state law, some offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E-Verify. Please click here for additional information. (For Illinois E-Verify information click here, aquí, or tu).