Product Engineer

PURPOSE:

The Product Engineer is responsible for the successful development, introduction, and ongoing technical support of aerospace investment castings at PCC Structurals Carson City. This position translates customer drawings, specifications, and product requirements into robust manufacturing processes capable of consistently producing conforming castings.

Working closely with Manufacturing, Quality, Process Engineering, Tooling, and other cross-functional teams, the Product Engineer supports products throughout the manufacturing lifecycle. From new product development and process definition through production release, dimensional improvement, cost reduction, and ongoing manufacturing support.

The Product Engineer serves as a technical resource for assigned products and customers, with responsibility for understanding product requirements, developing manufacturing methods and tooling, resolving technical and dimensional issues, and driving improvements in quality, manufacturability, cost, and process performance.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

New Product Introduction & Development

• Lead engineering activities associated with the development and introduction of new investment cast products.
• Review customer drawings, specifications, models, purchase order requirements, and other technical documentation to establish manufacturing requirements.
• Evaluate product designs for manufacturability and identify potential technical, dimensional, tooling, or process risks.
• Develop manufacturing plans and engineering requirements necessary to successfully produce new products.
• Establish and maintain development schedules and technical milestones for assigned products.
• Coordinate engineering activities through development, qualification, and production release.
• Partner cross-functionally to resolve development issues and ensure new products progress through required manufacturing and qualification activities.
• Support first article, development, and qualification requirements as applicable.
• Ensure engineering documentation and manufacturing requirements are complete and accurate prior to production release.

Investment Casting & Manufacturing Engineering

• Develop and maintain manufacturing methods, tooling requirements, and engineering procedures necessary to produce conforming investment castings.
• Develop and support gating concepts and designs based on casting geometry, alloy characteristics, process requirements, and manufacturing capability.
• Apply knowledge of investment casting processes when evaluating product designs and resolving manufacturing issues.
• Understand the interaction between casting geometry, tooling, wax, shell, foundry, heat treatment, finishing, dimensional processing, and other downstream manufacturing operations.
• Evaluate casting and manufacturing conditions that may contribute to defects, dimensional variation, scrap, rework, or inconsistent process performance.
• Partner with Process Engineering and Operations to improve manufacturing capability and product performance.
• Support tooling development, modification, maintenance, and improvement activities for assigned products.
• Evaluate opportunities to improve manufacturability, yield, process capability, and product flow.

Drawings, Specifications & Technical Requirements

• Interpret complex engineering drawings, customer specifications, models, and technical requirements.
• Apply Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) principles when evaluating product and dimensional requirements.
• Review drawing revisions and specification changes and determine potential impact to tooling, manufacturing processes, inspection requirements, cost, and product configuration.
• Translate customer engineering requirements into clear and accurate manufacturing instructions.
• Prepare, maintain, and revise engineering work instructions and other technical manufacturing documentation.
• Ensure engineering documentation accurately reflects approved manufacturing processes and customer requirements.
• Maintain appropriate engineering configuration and revision control for assigned products.

Dimensional Engineering & Product Conformance

• Analyze dimensional inspection results and manufacturing data to identify trends, variation, and opportunities for improvement.
• Lead or support dimensional corrective actions for existing and developmental products.
• Determine appropriate tooling or process adjustments necessary to achieve dimensional requirements.
• Partner with Quality, Manufacturing, and other Engineering functions to investigate dimensional nonconformances.
• Support root cause analysis and implementation of effective corrective actions.
• Monitor dimensional performance following corrective action to verify effectiveness.
• Support product and process changes necessary to improve dimensional capability and consistency.

Production & Technical Support

• Provide ongoing engineering support for assigned production products.
• Monitor product performance and respond to engineering-related manufacturing issues.
• Investigate recurring product, process, dimensional, or manufacturing problems and drive issues toward resolution.
• Provide technical guidance to Manufacturing and Quality when product requirements or engineering intent require clarification.
• Support disposition and investigation of nonconforming product as appropriate within assigned engineering authority.
• Maintain regular interaction with the manufacturing floor to understand product performance and manufacturing challenges.
• Support production recovery activities when technical issues impact product flow or customer delivery.
• Partner with appropriate technical functions to ensure corrective actions address root causes and are effectively sustained.

Cost Reduction & Continuous Improvement

• Identify and execute engineering projects that improve product cost, yield, quality, manufacturability, and process performance.
• Analyze scrap, rework, dimensional performance, and other product data to identify improvement opportunities.
• Support initiatives to reduce manufacturing variation and improve process capability.
• Evaluate tooling, manufacturing methods, and process changes for potential cost and performance improvements.
• Participate in Lean, continuous improvement, and operational excellence initiatives.
• Develop technically sound solutions that balance customer requirements, product quality, manufacturing capability, and business objectives.

Customer & Cross-Functional Support

• Serve as an engineering resource for assigned products and customer technical requirements.
• Support technical communication with customers regarding product requirements, drawings, specifications, engineering changes, and development activities.
• Coordinate with Quality, Manufacturing, Process Engineering, Sales/Contracts, Supply Chain, and other departments to address product-related requirements and concerns.
• Clearly communicate technical risks, development status, manufacturing concerns, and recommended actions to appropriate stakeholders.
• Participate in customer, product, development, and manufacturing meetings as required.
• Build effective working relationships across Engineering and plant functions to support timely technical decision-making.

General

• Maintain accurate and organized engineering records and documentation.
• Protect company and customer intellectual property, proprietary information, and technical data.
• Follow applicable company, customer, quality system, safety, and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain awareness of assigned product priorities and proactively communicate technical risks or concerns.
• Demonstrate strong ownership, technical judgment, problem-solving, and follow-through.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support department and business objectives.

PREFERRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science/Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline required.
• Previous experience in product, manufacturing, process, or applications engineering within a manufacturing environment preferred.
• Experience with investment castings, metal castings, foundry operations, or other metal manufacturing processes strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of metals, alloys, metallurgy, and material behavior in manufacturing environments strongly preferred.
• Aerospace or other highly regulated manufacturing experience preferred.
• Understanding of investment casting processes, including tooling, wax, shell, foundry, heat treatment, finishing, and dimensional processing, highly desirable.
• Experience with new product introduction, manufacturing process development, or production product support preferred.
• Strong ability to read and interpret complex engineering drawings, specifications, and technical requirements.
• Working knowledge of GD&T required.
• Experience with CAD software such as SolidWorks preferred.
• Experience with tooling design, gating design, or casting process development highly desirable.
• Experience performing root cause analysis and implementing corrective actions.
• Ability to analyze dimensional, quality, manufacturing, and process data and translate findings into effective engineering actions.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and understanding of manufacturing processes.
• Strong analytical, technical problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to manage multiple products, development activities, technical issues, and priorities simultaneously.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with manufacturing employees, technical professionals, leadership, and customers.
• Demonstrates a high level of ownership, urgency, follow-through, and accountability.
• Ability and willingness to spend significant time in the manufacturing environment supporting products and production teams.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to work in both office and manufacturing environments with regular presence throughout production areas.
• Ability to sit, stand, walk, and move throughout a manufacturing facility.
• Frequent computer use, engineering drawing review, data analysis, and technical documentation.
• Ability to bend, stoop, reach, climb stairs, and access manufacturing areas as necessary.
• Ability to occasionally lift and carry up to 35 pounds independently.
• Comfortable working in a manufacturing environment with exposure to heat, noise, dust, moving equipment, chemicals, and varying temperatures.
• Ability to safely wear required personal protective equipment (PPE).

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:
This position requires access to export-controlled technical data and technology. Under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR), applicants must be a U.S. Person as defined by 22 C.F.R. §120.15.

With more than 120 operations and approximately 20,000 employees worldwide, Precision Castparts Corp. is the market leader in manufacturing large, complex structural investment castings, airfoil castings, forged components, aerostructures and highly engineered, critical fasteners for aerospace applications. In addition, we are the leading producer of airfoil castings for the industrial gas turbine market. We also manufacture extruded seamless pipe, fittings, and forgings for power generation and oil & gas applications; commercial and military airframe aerostructures; and metal alloys and other materials for the casting and forging industries. With such critical applications, we insist on quality and dependability – not just in the materials and products we make, but in the people we recruit.

PCC is relentless in its dedication to being a high-quality, low-cost and on-time producer; delivering the highest value to its customers while continually pursuing strategic, profitable growth.

In 2016, Berkshire Hathaway, led by Chairman and CEO Warren E. Buffett, acquired Precision Castparts Corp.