Senior Sustaining Engineer (Vernon Hills, IL) | 08/25/26 Job Description Senior Sustaining 

Engineer Location:

Warwick, Rhode Island or Vernon Hills, Illinois Cost Reduction & Value Engineering

• Identify and evaluate cost-saving opportunities through design optimization, material substitutions, component standardization, and specification rationalization.
• Support development of business cases and prioritize opportunities based on ROI, implementation complexity, risk, and strategic impact.
• Drive value engineering initiatives while preserving product functionality, safety, quality, and customer experience.
• Partner with Procurement and Supplier Quality to identify supplier-driven cost-saving opportunities. Design Changes & Sustaining Engineering
• Lead design changes associated with Productivity projects, including component, material, supplier, and manufacturing process modifications.
• Develop and execute design verification strategies to support product changes.
• Generate and maintain required design control documentation, including risk assessments, design outputs, test protocols, reports, and engineering justifications.
• Support regulatory submissions and product lifecycle management activities as required. Technical Analysis & Problem Solving
• Conduct engineering analyses to evaluate design alternatives, manufacturing methods, and material options.
• Apply structured problem-solving methodologies and data-driven decision-making to identify optimization opportunities.
• Perform risk assessments and define mitigation strategies for proposed cost reduction initiatives.
• Author technical reports, engineering evaluations, and recommendation documents. Manufacturing & Operations Collaboration
• Partner with Manufacturing, Operations, and Process Engineering teams to improve yield, reduce scrap, simplify assembly processes, and improve overall manufacturing efficiency.
• Support equipment upgrades, process improvements, and manufacturing transfers associated with cost reduction initiatives.
• Provide technical support during implementation and validation activities. Supplier Optimization
• Support supplier transitions, dual-sourcing initiatives, and material qualifications to reduce cost.
• Collaborate with Strategic Sourcing and Supplier Quality teams to evaluate alternate suppliers and technologies.
• Lead technical assessments and risk evaluations for supplier-related changes.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• Minimum 5-8 years of engineering experience in a regulated manufacturing environment.
• Experience in sustaining engineering, product development, operations engineering, manufacturing engineering, or value engineering.
• Demonstrated track record of delivering measurable cost savings through engineering solutions.
• Experience supporting design controls and engineering change management processes.
• Medical device industry experience preferred. Technical Skills
• Value Engineering / Design-to-Cost methodologies
• Product cost analysis and cost modeling
• Design Controls and Risk Management
• Root Cause Analysis and Structured Problem Solving
• Statistical Analysis and Experimental Design
• Manufacturing Processes and Process Validation
• Material Selection and Specification Optimization
• Supplier Qualification and Technical Assessment Leadership Competencies
• Strong business acumen and financial mindset
• Ability to translate technical solutions into cost savings
• Excellent project management and prioritization skills
• Effective communication and stakeholder management
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams without direct authority
• Results-oriented with demonstrated bias for execution
• Familiarity with continuous improvement, lean, or design-to-value methodologies used to improve product cost, process efficiency, and portfolio productivity.

Senior Sustaining Engineer1Sustaining ContractUnited States