Manufacturing Engineer Pflugerville, TX 78660 $70,000
- $100,000 a year
- Full-time $70,000
- $100,000 a year
- Full-time The Role The Manufacturing Engineer is responsible for determining how parts get manufactured — the means, methods, and sequence — and then driving that work through the shop to delivery.
This is a production-facing role. You will spend the majority of your time planning manufacturing processes, building work packages for the shop floor, and working alongside fabricators and machinists to keep jobs moving and solve problems in real time. Every job at APE is different — different geometries, materials, and customer requirements — but they all get executed using standard design and fabrication practices, and they all have to get done on schedule. This is not a research position. You are expected to apply proven manufacturing knowledge to plan work efficiently, package clear instructions for the shop, and manage your projects through to delivery. What You'll Be Responsible For Process Engineering & Production Planning Determine and plan how parts will be manufactured — means, methods, and sequence. This is the core of the role. You decide what operations are required, in what order, on what equipment, and you document it in a shop traveler that production can execute without ambiguity Process jobs for shop execution by packaging all required information: shop drawings, flat patterns, nested laser files, material callouts, tooling requirements, and inspection criteria into a complete work package Develop shop travelers that clearly define the manufacturing sequence, hold points, and quality requirements for each project Develop and own QC plans for your projects — define what gets inspected, when, how, and to what standard Shop Floor Execution Work daily alongside machinists and fabricators to keep production moving and solve problems as they arise — you are on the floor, not behind a desk Manage your projects through to delivery — schedule, vendors, material procurement, and quality are your responsibility from job release through shipment Ensure shop drawings are adequate for production; make required changes so fabricators can work from them without calling you over Source material and hardware; select appropriate tooling for each job Technical Execution Use SolidWorks to create flat patterns for sheetmetal components, develop fixture designs, and produce shop drawings to a standard that fabricators can work from independently Program laser cutting nests for sheetmetal components Program CNC machines as required using MasterCAM; develop STEP models for machined parts Design fixtures and tooling to support production — this is where your design skills are applied most directly Process Improvement & Standards Develop and implement standard processes for project execution that improve efficiency, repeatability, and quality across the shop Work with shop personnel to optimize tooling, equipment utilization, and manufacturing methods Follow and improve company SOPs in accordance with AS9100 requirements Analyze job costing data to identify where time and material are being lost and drive corrective action What We're Looking For Required Direct experience in a manufacturing environment — you understand how parts are actually made, not just how they're drawn Proficiency in SolidWorks, including sheetmetal flat patterns, assemblies, and shop drawing creation CAM programming experience (MasterCAM preferred) for CNC mills, lathes, or laser cutting equipment Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, and customer specifications Experience developing manufacturing process plans, shop travelers, or work instructions Familiarity with common fabrication processes: laser cutting, bending, welding, machining, and assembly Strong project management instincts — you track your jobs, manage your vendors, and meet your deadlines without being chased Clear communication skills; your work packages, travelers, and drawings speak for themselves U.S. Person status under ITAR (U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or protected individual) Preferred Experience in aerospace or defense manufacturing Working knowledge of AS9100 quality management system requirements Fixture and tooling design experience Experience with cost estimating and job costing analysis Background in process improvement or lean manufacturing methodologies Who Succeeds in This Role You think in terms of manufacturing sequence, not just geometry. When you look at a part, you see the operations, the order, the fixturing, the risks — and you can translate that into a plan the shop can execute. You're methodical and organized, but you move with urgency because you understand that production doesn't wait. You're comfortable on the shop floor. You'd rather walk over to a machine and work through a problem with the operator than send an email about it. You produce work packages that are complete and clear the first time, because you know that ambiguity on the floor costs time and quality. You don't need novelty to stay engaged. You find satisfaction in executing well — in building a process that works, documenting it so others can follow it, and delivering parts on time to spec. Every job is different, but the discipline is the same. About APE American Precision Engineering specializes in manufacturing precision components for aerospace, defense, and robotics. We bring customer designs to physical reality through in-house fabrication, machining, laser cutting, and assembly — a complete manufacturing capability under one roof. We're an ITAR-registered, AS9100-compliant facility built around a small team of skilled people doing work that matters.
Job Type:
Full-time Pay:
$70,000.00
00 per year
Benefits:
401(k) 401(k) matching Dental insurance Health insurance Life insurance Paid time off Professional development assistance Vision insurance
Education:
Bachelor's (Required)
Experience:
Solidworks:
5 years (Required)
Manufacturing:
5 years (Preferred)
Work Location:
In person
