Manufacturing Engineer
Steelcase · Kentwood, MI
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Degree
- Required (or equivalent experience)
- Experience asked
- 4+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- Today
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level manufacturing role at Steelcase (industrial) in Kentwood, MI.
- They ask for
- 4+ years · degree required (or equivalent experience)
- Tools it names
- Lean, Value stream mapping, Root cause, Automation, SAP
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in Michigan: typical posted base $78k–$162k.
Median of the low and high ends of 25 live postings that list pay, out of 72 manufacturing engineer openings in Michigan, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Michigan plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 71 other live manufacturing postings in Michigan.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (4+ vs 5+)
Typical $78k–$162k, from 25 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- New product launch 63%
- Tooling 53%
- ✓ Lean 42%
- ✓ Root cause 35%
- FMEA 31%
- ✓ Automation 29%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Value stream mapping, SAP, 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 Steelcase
We found 3 people at this company and state: 2 in this kind of role, 1 leaders. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See 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.
Write to Jacob → (free) - 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.
This plant: Steelcase in Kentwood
1 other open role at this site · 3 people we found in manufacturing roles at Steelcase.
- Manufacturing Engineer - Product Development and Launch · Manufacturing
Full description from SteelcaseAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
What You Will Be Doing
With limited direction, will lead the introduction of new products into the facility, improve productivity and profitability of existing production procedures, and provide ongoing support through the manufacturing life cycle. Acts as a technical expert in process technology
Improvements: Independently, with innovation and creativity, evaluates manufacturing processes to ensure optimal labor and material costs to increase productivity and profitability. Through justifications and evaluations, identifies prime areas for improvement. Tracks expenditures to ensure outlays are within budgeted amounts. Identifies, reduces, and eliminates worker exposure(s) to ergonomic stress(es) in the work place.
Floor Support: Provides timely product and process support for any manufacturing area to diagnose problems, identify and implement solutions to minimize interruptions to production.
Special Projects: Leads the implementation of significant product, process, Cost reduction or other corporate change initiatives being introduced into the plant.
Strategic/Manufacturing Planning: Provides advanced research to introduce/integrate new processes, equipment, and technologies into the company
Required Skills and Competencies
- ✓4 year technical degree or equivalent experience in Mechanical, Industrial, Mechatronic, Electrical or similar engineering fields.
- ✓Experience in root cause analysis, corrective actions and familiarity with ERP (SAP and Windchill)
- ✓Must be willing to be hands on with production floor support
- ✓Must be willing to work flexible hours
- ✓Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Steelcase will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization and/or visas for this role.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
We are hiring a Manufacturing Engineer to lead and provide ongoing support through our manufacturing life cycle!
Your future team
You will be part of large and collaborative operations network at Steelcase.
Preferred Skills and Competencies
- +2+ years of hands on manufacturing experience
- +Very strong analysis skills: process, capacity, cost/benefit, waste stream, and quality tools.
- +Internal and external quality support/management
- +Knowledge in lean manufacturing techniques: flow, PQ, equipment reliability, and set up reduction.
- +Knowledge of material handling
- +Productivity improvement techniques: CRI’s
- +Economics and financial analysis
- +Ability to document process, functional specifications, etc.
- +Wood working experience
- +Desirable experience in working or applying automation, visual systems, IIOT, etc.
- +Experience in design, specification, purchase, and installation of new equipment
- +Knowledge of simulation, process modeling, and value stream mapping
- +Occupational Bio Mechanics/Human Factors Engineering
- +Desirable experience in applying solving methods Techniques (Lean Essential, 8 step, TQM etc.)