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Manufacturing Engineer, Aerospace Machining and New Product Introduction
Location: West Michigan or Upper Midwest
Company: Third Party International
Schedule: Full time contract and contract to hire options available
Pay: Competitive based on experience
Third Party International is seeking an experienced Manufacturing Engineer with a strong aerospace machining background. We are looking for candidates with a similar experience level and skill set to a senior process engineer in a precision aerospace shop environment. This role supports CNC machining, new product introduction, and supplier qualification for tight tolerance components and assemblies.
About the Role
You will lead and support manufacturing process development for complex machined parts and help qualify new sources of supply. The work includes process planning, CNC programming support, tooling and fixturing strategy, prove outs, supplier capability evaluation, and continuous improvement. You will partner closely with engineering, quality, supply chain, and production to launch new work, stabilize existing processes, reduce cost and cycle time, and build a capable supplier base.
Key Responsibilities

•  Develop and document manufacturing processes for new and existing aerospace components 
•  Create and maintain routings, operation sheets, setup documentation, and standard work for the shop floor 
•  Support CNC programming and prove out activities for milling and turning, including first article readiness 
•  Lead tooling and fixturing development including cutter selection, workholding strategy, and process capability planning 
•  Optimize cycle time and improve part quality through process changes, tooling upgrades, and program improvements 
•  Troubleshoot manufacturing issues on the floor and drive corrective actions to prevent recurrence 
•  Collaborate with quality on inspection planning, GD and T interpretation, and first article documentation support 
•  Support qualifying new sources of supply for machined parts, including supplier capability reviews, process validation, and first article readiness 
•  Partner with supply chain and suppliers to define technical requirements, flowdowns, and inspection expectations 
•  Work cross functionally with engineering and production to ensure smooth transitions from design to manufacturing and from supplier qualification to stable production 
•  Support continuous improvement initiatives using lean methods and structured problem solving 

Qualifications

•  Significant manufacturing engineering experience in aerospace machining or other regulated precision machining environments 
•  Strong knowledge of CNC milling and turning processes, cutting tools, workholding, and process development 
•  Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings with a working knowledge of GD and T 
•  Experience supporting new product introduction including process development, prove out, and transition to production 
•  Experience working with suppliers or supplier qualification activities for machined components 
•  Comfortable working directly on the shop floor with machinists, programmers, inspectors, and supervisors 
•  Proficiency with common manufacturing engineering tools and systems such as ERP, Microsoft Excel, and technical documentation workflows 

Preferred Skills

•  Experience with CAD and CAM tools commonly used in aerospace machining such as Mastercam, Vericut, SolidWorks, NX, or similar 
•  Background in fixture design, tool crib management, and cutter path optimization 
•  Familiarity with AS9100 quality system expectations, supplier controls, and first article practices 
•  Experience driving measurable cycle time reduction, cost down projects, and supplier performance improvements 

About Third Party International
Third Party International thirdparty.biz provides engineering, quality, and supply chain consultants to aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing companies across the United States. We deploy experienced professionals to support urgent manufacturing needs, long term capability building, and high impact improvement projects.
If you are a manufacturing engineer in West Michigan or the Upper Midwest with deep aerospace machining experience and you enjoy hands on process development, supplier qualification, and shop floor problem solving, we invite you to apply.

Flexible work from home options available.