Manufacturing Lead, R&D Engineer

Summary 
The Manufacturing Lead, R&D Engineer plays a dual role in overseeing assembly operations and helping to drive manufacturing innovation. This individual has strong mechanical and electrical engineering fundamentals, prototyping skills, product development experience, and the ability to read/interpret engineering diagrams. This individual has a hands-on approach to improving assembly and production processes, integrating Lean Manufacturing principles, and ensuring quality in Sterlitech’s assembled products and skid mounted filtration systems. In addition to managing daily production of the Subassemblies and Systems Department, this role helps to lead process improvement initiatives, evaluates new manufacturing technologies, and supports R&D efforts. The position requires strong leadership, problem-solving, and a proactive approach to enhancing operational efficiency.  

Scope of Responsibilities: 

Leadership, Management, and Accountability

• Lead and support a small team of production assemblers, assigning daily tasks and monitoring performance. 

• Guide team members and provide coaching and on-the-job training. 

• Perform assembly, troubleshooting, and basic equipment maintenance as a working technician. 

• Monitor team adherence to safety protocols and address process issues and safety concerns quickly. 

• Develop and execute production goals, action plans, and strategies to meet demand and deadlines. 

• Establish priorities and sequences for assembled products and skid fabrication. 

• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency and reduce waste.
  

R&D Engineer

• Works closely with Engineering to test and integrate new product designs into production. 

• Participates in prototyping, pilot runs, and validation of new products. 

• Provides feedback to the engineering team on design improvements for manufacturability and scalability. 

• Identifies new components, tools, and techniques that can enhance product performance and ease of production. 

• Create, update, and manage Bills of Materials, Work Instructions, and SOPs 

Quality & Compliance

• Monitor and improve KPIs for quality, efficiency, and safety. 

• Support root cause analysis and corrective actions for assembly issues. 

Communication & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Act as a liaison between production, engineering, and leadership to align goals. 

• Act as technical support for customers when needed, with the potential opportunity to travel for service visits 

• Provide regular updates on production status, challenges, and improvements. 

Job Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree Mechanical or Manufacturing Engineering Preferred 

• 2+ years of experience in manufacturing leadership 

• Expertise in process optimization, Lean, and Six Sigma 

• Ability to troubleshoot technical and operational issues 

• Strong communication, problem-solving, and leadership skills 

• Proficiency in ERP/MRP systems, Excel, and CAD  

• Willingness to travel if needed  

About Sterlitech: 

Sterlitech Corporation provides superior laboratory products, specializing in flat sheet filter membranes and bench scale testing equipment for a variety of industries, including life science, environmental, occupational health and safety, petrochemical, fossil fuels and biotech. For precision and accuracy, Sterlitech’s membrane disc filters, filter holders, silt density index test kits, and syringe-and-capsule filters are consistently relied upon to assure exceptional results. 

We have a great team environment—we are proud of the culture that we’ve cultivated here at Sterlitech. To learn more about us, please check out this video where we were featured on "World's Greatest! TV": https://www.sterlitech.com/about-us#asfeatured. With 40 employees, we’re a smaller company, and you’ll find that people enjoy working here. Our office and production facility are located in Auburn, Washington. This is an office-based position. 

We are offering a pay rate of $33-45 per hour, dependent on experience and qualifications. In addition to a competitive compensation plan, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes Medical, Dental, Life and Disability insurance, FSA, a 401(k) plan, PTO, holidays and more. 

Sterlitech Corporation is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. 

If you are hired at Sterlitech, your final hourly rate will be determined
based on factors such as geographic location, skills, education and/or experience. In addition to those factors, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity of our current team members as a part of any final offer. Please keep in mind that hiring at the maximum of the range would not be typical in order to allow for future and continued compensation growth. We also offer a generous benefits package, including company paid health insurance, 401(K) retirement savings plan with employer match, 3 weeks PTO per year, and more.