Senior Manufacturing Engineering Technician
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories · Lake Zurich, IL
- Level
- Senior
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 6+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- Recently
The role in 30 seconds
A senior manufacturing role at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (industrial) in Lake Zurich, IL.
- They ask for
- 6+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Value stream mapping, SMED, Kanban, Root cause, SPC, FMEA
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in Illinois: typical posted base $98k–$146k.
Median of the low and high ends of 22 live postings that list pay, out of 48 manufacturing engineer openings in Illinois, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Illinois plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 47 other live manufacturing postings in Illinois.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- More than usual (6+ vs 5+)
Typical $96k–$145k, from 19 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Root cause 46%
- ✓ Automation 44%
- ✓ Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 38%
- Lean 35%
- New product launch 27%
- Tooling 27%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Value stream mapping, SMED, Kanban, MSA / Gage R&R, 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 Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories
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 does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
- 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.
Full description from Schweitzer Engineering LaboratoriesAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Responsibilities
Support new product/highly complex ECOs by developing reliable project timelines, managing prototype and pilot builds, ensuring materials and resource availability, assessing risks, planning contingencies, managing cross-functional execution, removing roadblocks, and applying lessons learned to meet deliverables.
Influence designs through data and feedback in accordance with DFM guidelines. Support solutions with analysis of alternatives. Coordinate process planning, risk assessment, and/or process capability analysis activities.
Autonomously manage parts, products, BOMs, route steps, specifications, and work instructions in multiple business systems. Peer review change orders for release.
Create and maintain technical evidence of product and process validations and issue resolutions related to prototypes, pilots, and other experiments.
Support manufacturing operations, specific technologies and/or production lines. Ensure manufacturing processes and equipment are functioning optimally within assigned area(s) of responsibility. Resolve highly complex issues, and lead root cause analysis efforts through structured problem solving methods.
Apply World Class Manufacturing principles, work measurement, flow analysis, and quality assessment to prepare process improvement and workflow/workcell design recommendations, including automation, for Production consideration. Support Production implementation efforts.
Contribute to the development of highly complex solutions and/or independently manage and develop basic to moderately complex solutions in accordance with defined engineering procedures and with engineering supervision.
Help ensure product quality through the application of engineering requirements, specifications, IPC workmanship, IEC compliance, and other standards.
Support internal quality action requests, external customer feedback resolutions, and statistical process control (SPC) implementations to drive continuous improvement.
Seek input, specify, drive and implement new system developments or enhancements to improve communications and optimize work processes.
Follow and apply SEL Values, Principles of Operation, and World Class Manufacturing. Understand. Create. Simplify. Other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
Two-year technical degree, or the combination of equivalent training and relevant work experience. Demonstrated technical competence for ALL “core curriculum”:
- ✓Drawing & schematic interpretation, Technical Writing, Problem Solving (such as DOE and 8D), Safety Risk Assessments, World Class Manufacturing, Mathematics (Geometry, Trigonometry, College algebra), Statistics, Applied Physics
Demonstrated technical competence in 4+ of the following 7 pathways, or recognized expertise beyond own peer group in 2+ of the following areas:
1. Continuous improvement methodologies, such as
o JIT (Kanban, takt time alignment, continuous flow, SMED/QCO)
o Process analysis (FMEA, PFD, Spaghetti diagram, VSM)
o Process control (Metrology, MSA, process capability analysis, SPC)
2. Electronic circuits and components
3. Machine operation, instrumentation, and control
4. Mechanical design, Statics, CAD, tolerance analysis, and rapid prototyping
5. Metal forming, cutting/machining, finishing, and joining processes
6. Programming, scripting, data structures, data mining, and analysis tools
7. Project Management
Typically, 6+ years in a technical role supporting manufacturing processes and using MES/ERP (manufacturing execution/enterprise resource planning) systems to create and/or update BOMs, change orders, process documentation, routes, work instructions, etc.
Ability to work cooperatively in a team environment
Strong written & verbal communication skills
Background check results satisfactory to SEL
Negative drug test results
Preferred Qualifications
Mechanical aptitude
Requirements
Lift, push, pull and maneuver up to 20 pounds frequently, and up to 35 pounds occasionally
Reach, bend, twist
Sit and stand for at least 8 hours
Vision correctable to 20/30 or better and ability to differentiate colors
Proficient in the use of computer keyboard devices
Competitive pay. Superior benefits. Inspiring work.
People are at the core of our company and we hire employee-owners. We welcome you to learn more about how we support employees.
- ✓We’re 100% employee owned. Retirement benefits include an employer funded stock ownership plan (ESOP) and personal 401(k) options.
- ✓We offer top tier medical, prescription, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.
- ✓We recognize the importance of a healthy life balance and offer: 10 paid holidays, annual vacation accrual starting at 12 days, 9 paid sick days, and paid family and medical leave that covers 90% of your pay.
- ✓We foster growth and development of our employees through avenues such as STEM courses, apprenticeships, tuition assistance, and engineering development programs.
- ✓Ask our team about other benefits including wellness, fertility, adoption, and flexible spending benefits.
Communication with Applicants
We communicate with all applicants. If you do not receive a response about your application, please check your SPAM filter or reach out to us at careers@selinc.com .
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Expert use of
- •MS Dynamics AX and MS Office apps
- •SEL applications, such as BluePrint, FDWeb, FactoryCore, FactoryVision, etc.
- •Project Management tools, such as Confluence and JIRA
Physical
