Principal Advanced Manufacturing Engineer

Job Description

Under the direction of the Sr. Manager, Global Advanced Manufacturing Technology, the Principal Advanced Manufacturing Engineer will serve as the global SME for laser welding activities across the company's global manufacturing footprint. This role involves leading and driving project management, technical strategy, innovation, and the implementation of best practices for laser welding processes. The Principal Engineer will leverage the GAME Lab for testing, prototyping, and supporting diverse initiatives, including New Product Development (NPD), Continuous Improvement (CI), and Root Cause Analysis (RCA). The role also supports production operations, design collaboration, and welding process qualification for optimized manufacturing.

This position works in a team environment and uses engineering expertise and abilities to contribute to the development and manufacturing of industry leading brushless motors, battery packs, battery cells, and other power tool applications.

Specific Duties Include

Manufacturing Process Expertise:

• Serve as the global SME for laser welding, leading technical strategy and execution for all laser welding-related projects.
• Develop, optimize, and qualify laser welding processes and parameters, while exploring opportunities for emerging technologies such as electron beam welding and other advanced welding techniques.
• Drive process innovation and implement sustainable, robust, and scalable manufacturing solutions across global operations.
• Work with design engineers to ensure manufacturability, improve welded designs, and optimize components for laser welding and other advanced joining methods.
• Evaluate, implement, and enhance automated welding solutions to drive consistency, quality, and efficiency in production.
• Support welding qualification test campaigns, including interpretation of mechanical testing and non-destructive evaluation (NDE) results.
• Collaborate with NDE personnel to interpret weld quality on development and production hardware and develop state-of-the-art NDE techniques.
• Provide multiple what-if scenarios to find best total cost solution with financial impacts with emphasis on delivery timelines
  
  

Project And Technical Leadership

• Lead cross-functional teams in laser welding equipment and process development projects, providing technical leadership and consultation to manufacturing engineers and welders.
• Drive root cause analysis (RCA) for welding-related issues, including those affecting high-profile projects or business-critical operations, and implement corrective actions in collaboration with design, manufacturing, and materials engineers.
• Provide technical guidance for tooling, automation, and development engineers to enhance welded designs and manufacturing processes.
• Scope out and assess new welding technologies that can improve production rate, quality, and efficiency.
• Report regularly to senior leadership on laser welding activities, including project status, identified risks, and progress on high-profile projects. Provide RCA updates and mitigation
  
  

Innovation And Continuous Improvement

• Develop and implement improved process controls, leveraging feedback from testing and NDE results to enhance production consistency and quality.
• Lead research initiatives for advanced welding methods and breakthrough technologies to maintain a competitive manufacturing advantage.
• Drive global strategy for laser welding technologies, ensuring alignment with corporate goals and manufacturing site capabilities.
  
  

Global Strategy Development

• Establish and implement global standards, guidelines, and best practices for laser welding.
• Act as a mentor to engineers across global sites, building technical capabilities and ensuring alignment with global laser welding strategies.
  
  

Education And Experience Requirements

• Master’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering, or relevant field.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in advanced manufacturing or manufacturing engineering, with a strong focus on laser welding and other welding processes. Battery welding a strong plus.
• Expertise in laser welding process development, in-process controls, quality inspection, and advanced NDE techniques.
• Proven ability to lead global initiatives, manage cross-functional teams, and drive technical innovation.
• Strong analytical skills with experience in statistical analysis, DOE, PFMEA, DFMEA, and simulation tools.
• Hands-on experience setting up automated welding solutions and driving process improvements.
• Excellent project management, communication, and interpersonal skills, including experience presenting to senior leadership.
• 3D modeling skills in NX, Solidworks, or equivalent.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally (10%-25% annually).
  
  

Competencies And Personal Attributes

• Agility-- Embraces change, domestic and international travel
• Passionate and Energetic-- Driven to be the best
• Entrepreneurial-- Take ownership and appropriate risk, seek breakthroughs
• Drive for Results-- Set plans, track progress and deliver commitments
• Team Oriented-- embrace teams for overall business success
• Delivery -- put theories into action
  
  

Milwaukee Tool is an equal opportunity employer.