Manufacturing Engineer
Danaher · San Jose, CA
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Base pay
- $83k–$146k
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 2+ years
- Industry
- Pharma & life sciences
- Posted
- Today
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level manufacturing role at Danaher (pharma & life sciences) in San Jose, CA. Develop, optimize, and sustain product assembly and support secondary manufacturing processes to improve safety, quality, delivery, and cost performance.
- They ask for
- 2+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma, Root cause, SPC, FMEA, Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ)
- Base pay
- $83k–$146k
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 26, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $111k–$165k. This one lists $83k–$146k.
Median of the low and high ends of 130 live postings that list pay, out of 356 manufacturing engineer openings in California, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
California plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 355 other live manufacturing postings in California.
- Base pay
- About 13% below similar roles
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (2+ vs 5+)
Typical $111k–$153k, from 114 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Tooling 53%
- ✓ New product launch 50%
- ✓ Root cause 39%
- ✓ Automation 36%
- CATIA / NX 28%
- Machining 27%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for SPC, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Manufacturing team at Danaher
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
Manufacturing Engineer at Danaher in other locations
Danaher lists this title in 5 places. Pick the plant you can get to.
- Hauppauge, NY · $112k–$140k
- Logan, UT
- Duncan, SC
- Cortland, NY · $80k–$90k
Full description from DanaherAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
In this role, you will have the opportunity to
- ◆Develop, optimize, and sustain product assembly and support secondary manufacturing processes to improve safety, quality, delivery, and cost performance.
- ◆Troubleshoot process, equipment, tooling, material, and automation-related issues using structured problem-solving methodologies, while leveraging manufacturing data and statistical analysis tools to improve process capability, reduce scrap, increase yield, and maximize production resource effectiveness.
- ◆Lead root cause investigations for quality defects, process deviations, equipment-related issues, and customer complaints. Drive corrective and preventive actions, continuous improvement initiatives, and operational excellence efforts focused on cycle time reduction, waste elimination, labor efficiency, capacity expansion, and cost reduction.
- ◆Support the full lifecycle of manufacturing test equipment and production processes, including validation, qualification, installation, commissioning, startup, and operational readiness activities.
- ◆Partner with operations, maintenance, quality, supply chain, equipment suppliers, outside manufacturers, and material vendors to establish process standards, support new product introductions and engineering changes, and ensure long-term manufacturing performance and reliability.
The essential
Requirements
- ✓Ability to lift, move or carry equipment up to 25lb, and any other physical
It would be a plus if you also possess previous experience in
- ✓Experience with Visual Studio Code, Claude Code, or related programming and AI tools.
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, a Danaher operating company, offers a broad array of comprehensive, competitive benefit programs that add value to our lives. Whether it’s a health care program or paid time off, our programs contribute to life beyond the job. Check out our benefits at Danaher Benefits Info .
This job is also eligible for bonus/incentive pay.
We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.
Join our winning team today. Together, we’ll a
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Bring more to life.
Are you ready to accelerate your potential and make a real difference within life sciences, diagnostics and biotechnology?
At Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, one of Danaher’s 15+ operating companies, our work saves lives—and we’re all united by a shared commitment to innovate for tangible impact.
You’ll thrive in a culture of belonging where you and your unique viewpoint matter. And by harnessing Danaher’s system of continuous improvement, you help turn ideas into impact – innovating at the speed of life.
At Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, we know time is the most critical facet in the laboratory today: time to get life-saving therapies to patients faster; reclaiming time by automating tedious manual workflows; and saving time spent addressing erroneous or complex results.
We are partners in time and accelerate answers to critical questions through the power of automation. We develop innovations for scientists by scientists, with many of our 3,300+ global colleagues coming from the laboratory.
It’s all part of our time-tested approach to bringing meaningful innovations at the speed of life since 1935. And we’re just beginning. Working together, let’s put our time and talents together to advance human health for tomorrow.
Learn about the Danaher Business Syste m which makes everything possible.
The Manufacturing Engineer supports the operations, quality, maintenance, and engineering teams by driving process optimization, troubleshooting manufacturing issues, improving equipment and process performance, and leading continuous improvement initiatives across manufacturing operations. This role is intended for individuals with a strong understanding of life science related research equipment manufacturing processes, automation systems, data analysis, and problem-solving methodologies who can effectively lead technical projects in a complex production environment.
This position reports to the Manufacturing Engineering Manager and is part of the Manufacturing Engineering Team located in San Jose, CA and will be an on-site role.
of the job include
- •Bachelor's degree in engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Process, Industrial, or related field) with 2+ years of experience or Master's degree with 0 - 2 year's of experience in complex equipment manufacturing engineering, process engineering
- •Demonstrated success troubleshooting and optimizing manufacturing processes in a low-volume, high-value production environment.
- •Strong understanding of process engineering principles, statistical analysis, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement methodologies, including Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, 5-Why, Fishbone Analysis, SPC, and FMEA, with the ability to analyze complex technical problems and implement practical, data-driven solutions.
- •Experience working with manufacturing automation, process controls, data collection systems, and industrial equipment
- •Strong project management, organizational, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills to effectively manage multiple priorities and drive business results.
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