Manufacturing Process Engineer – Stainless Steel Carbody Manufacturing
Job Description
SEGULA Technologies is seeking a Manufacturing Process Engineer with deep expertise in stainless-steel carbody shell manufacturing to support and improve production operations in a high-complexity rail/transportation manufacturing environment.
This role is heavily focused on stainless-steel fabrication, welding process optimization, deformation control, tooling effectiveness, and industrialization of engineering changes on the shopfloor. The ideal candidate will bring hands-on experience in stainless-steel structural assembly, particularly in environments involving carbody shells, welded assemblies, fixtures, and dimensional control.
This is a shopfloor-driven manufacturing engineering role focused on process improvement and production support. It is not a design engineering or procurement role.
Key Responsibilities
Stainless-Steel Manufacturing Process Optimization
• Lead and implement process improvements specifically related to stainless-steel carbody shell manufacturing, including fabrication, fit-up, welding, and structural assembly.
• Analyze and improve stainless-steel production flow, with a focus on reducing cycle time, improving repeatability, and increasing throughput.
• Apply industrial engineering methodologies to improve efficiency, consistency, and quality in stainless-steel fabrication processes.
Welding & Deformation Control
• Support and optimize MIG/TIG welding processes for stainless-steel assemblies, ensuring robust process control and high-quality weld outcomes.
• Drive initiatives to reduce and control heat distortion, warpage, shrinkage, and deformation in stainless-steel welded structures.
• Develop and implement best practices for weld sequencing, clamping strategy, fixture usage, and dimensional stabilization.
• Collaborate with production teams to resolve weld-related quality issues, fit-up challenges, and structural dimensional concerns.
Tooling, Fixtures & Jig Optimization
• Evaluate and improve tooling, jigs, fixtures, and clamping systems used in stainless-steel carbody assembly and welding.
• Conduct detailed assessments of tooling performance to ensure proper alignment, repeatability, and deformation control during manufacturing.
• Recommend and implement fixture or tooling modifications to support improved part accuracy, process capability, and operator efficiency.
ECO / Change Industrialization
• Lead the industrialization of Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) into the manufacturing environment for stainless-steel structures and assemblies.
• Assess manufacturing impact of engineering changes, including effects on weld sequence, tooling, work instructions, cycle time, and quality controls.
• Ensure all engineering changes are successfully translated into shopfloor execution with minimal disruption to production.
Work Instructions & Manufacturing Documentation
• Create, update, and maintain detailed Work Instructions (WIs) and manufacturing process documentation for stainless-steel fabrication and welding operations.
• Ensure documentation reflects best practices for fit-up, weld preparation, sequence, deformation control, inspection points, and tooling usage.
• Maintain digital traceability of all process changes, updates, improvements, and measurable outputs.
Shopfloor Production Support
• Provide direct, hands-on shopfloor support to manufacturing teams for stainless-steel carbody operations.
• Troubleshoot production issues related to fit-up, welding quality, dimensional variation, process flow, and assembly repeatability.
• Partner closely with production, quality, and manufacturing leadership to ensure stable execution of stainless-steel manufacturing processes.
Qualifications
Required
• Minimum 5+ years of experience specifically in stainless-steel carbody shell manufacturing or equivalent heavy stainless-steel welded structural manufacturing.
• Strong hands-on experience in stainless-steel fabrication, welding, structural assembly, and shopfloor manufacturing process improvement.
• In-depth knowledge of MIG/TIG welding processes for stainless steel, including weld behavior, heat input effects, and distortion/deformation control.
• Strong experience with:
• Deformation control / dimensional stability in stainless-steel welded assemblies
• MTM, time studies, and line balancing
• PFMEA and process risk assessment
• Root Cause Analysis and structured problem-solving tools (8D / PDCA)
• Proven ability to write and maintain:
• Work Instructions
• Manufacturing process documentation
• Digital records for traceability and change control
• Strong shopfloor presence with the ability to support operators, supervisors, and production teams in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
Preferred
• Experience in railcar / rail transportation / stainless-steel carbody shell manufacturing highly preferred.
• Lean Manufacturing certification.
• Green Belt or equivalent continuous improvement / problem-solving certification.
• Prior experience supporting welded structural stainless-steel assemblies with tight dimensional and cosmetic
