Manufacturing Engineer

U.S. Citizenship Required. Ability to qualify for a US Department of War Top Secret security clearance required. Candidate must be SAP and SCI program eligible.

This is an on-site position.

Toyon Research Corporation develops highly specialized antenna systems for critical and sensitive national security applications. We’re seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to help build next-generation RF sensors for some of the world’s most advanced military platforms.

In this role, you will contribute manufacturing insights that shape design decisions and trade-offs. You’ll evaluate candidate designs for manufacturability and develop sequences of operations for product builds in a low-rate, high-value production environment. Your expertise in manufacturing and quality management will support the application of proven fabrication principles to the creation of unique products.

Responsibilities

• Provide manufacturing guidance to Engineering during early design phases to ensure effective and feasible fabrication approaches
• Participate in product design reviews and offer recommendations that improve producibility, repeatability, and affordability of future builds
• Define clear and repeatable sequences of operations for product builds and ensure that manufacturing activities align with established quality management principles and proven fabrication practices
• Evaluate candidate designs for manufacturability, highlighting risks, opportunities, and potential improvements
• Assess product designs and manufacturing processes to determine when specialized tooling is needed to improve repeatability, reduce cost, or enhance build reliability
• Review proposed tooling concepts for feasibility and provide input during tool design discussions to reduce build time, minimize risk, and support cost-effective production
• Investigate non-conforming material and process issues, identify root causes, and drive corrective actions to enhance manufacturing quality and consistency
• Support Material Review Board (MRB) and nonconformance dispositioning activities.
• Identify process improvement opportunities and lead initiatives focused on producibility, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness
• Assess production processes and work areas for safety risks, ensuring adherence to safe manufacturing practices and contributing to continuous improvement in workplace safety
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams—including Engineering, Quality, and Production—to maintain alignment on build strategies, tooling needs, and manufacturability considerations

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• Minimum of 2 years of experience working in a production environment
• Experience working within ISO9001- or AS9100-based quality management systems
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, fabrication methods, and design-for-manufacturability principles
• Experience contributing to product design reviews from a manufacturing perspective
• Ability to define manufacturing sequences, work instructions, or process flows for complex assemblies
• Experience performing structured root-cause analysis using methods such as Five Whys and Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagrams and implementing effective corrective actions
• Ability to collaborate effectively with Engineering, Quality, Production, and cross-functional teams
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to safe manufacturing practices

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with manufacturing for low-rate, high-value or prototype/specialty production environments
• Hands-on experience with tooling design, fixture development, or specialized assembly processes
• Experience with using lean manufacturing tools