Senior Manufacturing Engineer

Our client is one of the largest privately held dental technology and laboratory companies in the United States, headquartered in Orange County, California. With over 50 years of operating history, this organization has grown from a regional dental lab into a vertically integrated powerhouse that designs, manufactures, and distributes a broad portfolio of restorative dental products and clinical solutions to practitioners nationwide and globally.

What makes this company truly distinctive is its scope: it operates its own world class research and development division, manufactures proprietary branded product lines, runs a global continuing education platform, and serves tens of thousands of dental practices from a single, highly scaled campus operation. The workforce spans thousands of employees across production, engineering, technology, clinical science, and corporate functions. This is a company where engineering innovation directly shapes patient outcomes at scale

Engineers who join this organization find themselves at the intersection of precision manufacturing and meaningful mission. The work is not abstract: every process improvement, every yield gain, and every quality advancement translates into better, more accessible dental care for patients across the country.

This company invests heavily in its people. Employees have access to robust benefits, an on-site fitness facility, and a culture that values internal growth and promotion. The scale of the operation means engineers work with sophisticated equipment and cross functional teams, gaining exposure to process development, automation, materials science, and lean manufacturing in a single role. The organization has a strong track record of stability and continued expansion, offering genuine long term career runway. For engineers who want their work to matter beyond the factory floor, this is a rare opportunity.

As a Senior Manufacturing Engineer, you will own and drive continuous improvement across production processes in a high volume precision manufacturing environment. You will work closely with operations, quality, R&D, and supply chain teams to optimize throughput, reduce defect rates, and bring new processes and products to the manufacturing floor.

Core responsibilities include:
Designing, validating, and implementing new manufacturing processes and process modifications, with full documentation in accordance with quality management standards.
Leading root cause analysis and corrective action initiatives for production issues, using structured problem solving methodologies such as 8D, DMAIC, or A3.
Developing and maintaining process controls, work instructions, and standard operating procedures to ensure repeatability and compliance.
Driving capital equipment evaluation, justification, installation, and qualification.
Collaborating with product development teams during the new product introduction process to ensure manufacturability and scalability.
Applying lean manufacturing and Six Sigma principles to eliminate waste, reduce cycle times, and improve overall equipment effectiveness.
Mentoring junior engineers and technicians on process engineering best practices.
Supporting regulatory and quality system requirements, including ISO and FDA related documentation as applicable.

What You Bring
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Science, or a related discipline. Master's degree a plus.
5 or more years of manufacturing engineering experience in a high volume, precision production environment. Experience in medical device, dental, aerospace, or similarly regulated manufacturing strongly preferred.
Demonstrated expertise with process validation methodologies (IQ, OQ, PQ) and quality management systems.
Proficiency with CAD software and familiarity with CNC machining, milling, sintering, or similar subtractive and additive manufacturing processes.
Strong statistical analysis skills; experience with DOE, SPC, and Minitab or equivalent tools.
Proven track record of leading cross functional projects from concept through implementation.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present technical findings to both engineering and non engineering audiences.
Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification a plus.