Company Overview
Springs Window Fashions is a leader in the custom window treatment industry since 1939. Headquartered in Middleton WI, we have 7,000 associates with locations in North America, Europe, and Asia. Our custom window treatments are available under the Bali, Graber, SunSetter and Mecho brands in nearly every major retailer, in thousands of designer showrooms, and showcased in large commercial buildings.
Our company has made significant investments to become a leader in product innovation. As North America’s premier window covering company, we’re committed to creating a “Best Experience” for our consumers, channel partners and associates. We are bringing new innovations to the market at an accelerated pace and have a variety of offerings to consumers who want to improve their home décor.
Manufacturing Process Engineer - Hialeah, FL (Cesta)
Job Purpose
Responsible for creating, supporting, and developing new and existing process designs related to manufacturing and fabrication processes. This is successfully accomplished by understanding, accurately specifying, and adhering to customer requirements, utilizing and applying quality tools and methods and pursuing continuous improvement in all aspects of product and process design. These efforts will have a direct impact on reducing labor and material costs, while improving value, reliability, and performance. The associate will plan and manage process and product related design and validation activities. This position reports to the Plant Manager.
Develop your Best Experience Career
As part of the Manufacturing Engineering team, you’ll support activities that both grow and run the business. From simple changes and updates to complex development projects, you’ll design, develop, and validate the products and processes that provide quality components in a safe manner at a low cost. Utilization of Lean Manufacturing Tools and Principles will be critical to the success of this role.
Your efforts will have a direct impact on reducing labor and material costs, while improving quality, value, reliability, and performance.
Your Best Career Experience Accountabilities
As a Manufacturing Process Engineer, you’ll use and apply quality tools and methods along with pursuing continuous improvement in all aspects of product and process design including:
- Conduct work measurement studies to determine overall equipment effectiveness using Industrial Engineering techniques such as stopwatch studies, work sampling, ratio-delay, predetermined times, and video recording, in conducting studies for work measurement.
- Work with manufacturing engineers and product development engineers to create/develop manufacturing and fabrication methods for new or revised products. Evaluate all possible methods and determine optimal method that provides least cost, most efficient and safe methods to be used.
- Document methods with clear, well-written methods descriptions including photographs where applicable.
- Maintain departmental records on work measurement activity including standard numbers, department assigned, operation numbers, standard description, effective data, and quantity per year, net increase/decrease.
- Review work methods to assure that operations are being performed in a safe, efficient manner. Work with supervisors and group leaders to improve methods as necessary.
- Design new fixtures and equipment to facility process improvements.
- Manage multiple capital projects from selection through implementation.Problem Solving and Quality Improvement
- Maintain an effective audit program for feedback to production managers, engineering, and quality assurance. Communicate how well process specifications are being followed, the capability of controlling process variables, and the maintenance condition of the equipment.
- Provide technical service to all departments to resolve quality related problems.
- Assist in the training and education of hourly, supervisory and management associates as required.
- Work with current suppliers to develop and improve existing products and processes, striving to reduce cost and minimize waste.
- Develop and maintain process control testing procedures for work-in-process to eliminate any off-quality performance.
- Develop and maintain process specifications to produce the highest level of quality throughout the entire component manufacturing / fabrication / assembly process. Product and Process Specifications
- Determine the optimum process routing for components and products, producing the highest quality levels at the lowest cost and minimizing waste.
- Develop written procedures in the form of Standard Practice Instructions to specifically describe how to perform a required task and steps and tools necessary to complete that task.
- Establish procedures and systems to prevent the production of off-quality products
- Establish approval systems as a means of controlling process conditions, fabric routings, standard practices, and documentation of completed work assignments.
- Provide the cost accounting department and the industrial engineering department with necessary information to determine product costs and departmental cost standards.New Product Introduction
- Work with product development engineers to determine the optimum process routing and conditions for new products.
- Assist product development engineers in monitoring the quality and manufacturability of components and finished product in each production department.
- Work with facilities planning to define plant space needs concerning equipment and its functionality.
- Conduct plant evaluations of new equipment to determine performance levels in the areas of safety, quality, maintenance and cost.
- Prior to starting up a newly installed piece of equipment, work with manufacturing engineering, provide a safety inspection, and provide preliminary operating conditions to the production area.
- Work with suppliers in developing and improving new products and processes while reducing costs.
- Coordinate trials and evaluations of new products to ensure manufacturability, quality, and performance. Document results.
Production Layout
- Develop layouts utilizing the following lean manufacturing principles:
- Set-up time reduction
- Visual management
- Kanban/pull systems
- One-piece flow
- Value stream mapping
- Optimum Manufacturing layout (ie cellular, linear where applies)
- Investigate activity-machine-relationship as a basis for machine, operations, department, or plant-wide layout.
- Using activity relationship information provide layouts of work areas, departments, facilities, and plants.
- Provide electronic copies of layouts to management personnel and others as required.
- Maintain layout up to date and share with leadership.
- Conduct discussions, engages production associates, departmental manager, and other engineering members for all layout changes.
Administration and Other
- Document in writing all projects, studies, and work assignments and outcomes to provide accurate and complete information for future reference.
- Stay abreast of all current and new technology in industry. Review trade magazines and periodicals, attend technical conferences, and meet with supplier technical reps.
- Continuously work toward automating manufacturing processes and monitoring results through automation.
- As required, maintain records in an orderly fashion and analyze production and/or quality data as appropriate. Provide regular reports to stakeholders as appropriate.
What Springs’ Best Experience Means for You
Setting the bar so high means our work is never done. Springs Window Fashions offers incredible opportunities to develop the skills you’ll need to be successful in a fast-paced consumer products company. You’ll also be provided with several perks and benefits as a member of the Springs team:
- Regular interaction with multiple functional areas and with others at all levels within the organization, from production to senior leadership
- Great career growth opportunities - Springs is an organization with a commitment to professional development
- Corporate Bonus Program
- Competitive, employee-focused benefit programs including a generous 401(k) match, tuition reimbursement, comprehensive medical plans, employee discount program covering a variety of goods and services