Geared toward candidates with hands-on manufacturing experience comfortable with leading equipment improvements and cross-functional collaboration.
Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.
Original posting from Ruggable via Greenhouse
About Ruggable:
Ruggable is a leading direct-to-consumer e-commerce brand based in Los Angeles, California with an extraordinary track record of high, profitable growth. We pride ourselves on having an extremely loyal customer base and a talented team made up of genuinely caring people who take action and deliver results. We are venture-backed and own a patented washable rug design that's disrupting the home décor industry. Our mission is to empower our customers to live vibrantly with beautiful products that don't compromise on function. If you're passionate about consumer products, e-commerce, and high-growth start-ups, keep reading!
Job Summary:
Ruggable is seeking a hands-on Manufacturing Engineer to improve and expand our manufacturing operations at our Bedford Park, IL facility. This role has two equal halves: continuously improving the equipment and processes we run today, and bringing new equipment and automation into the plant, from installation and commissioning through handoff to production.
You will design, build, modify, and troubleshoot equipment, and drive measurable gains in safety, quality, throughput, and uptime.
As our Chicago operation scales and we add automation, this role is critical to building technical depth in the plant. You will partner with Production, Maintenance, Quality, and Engineering across Print, Production, and Fulfillment.
This is not a desk-only role. Expect to spend significant time on the floor, at machines, testing solutions, validating results, and coaching teams through change.
What You’ll Do:
Continuous Improvement & Equipment Reliability
Lead hands-on equipment improvements to drive Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), uptime, throughput, and defect reduction
Design, prototype, and implement mechanical and electrical modifications, fixtures, guards, tooling, and poka-yokes
Troubleshoot equipment issues involving mechanical systems, sensors, motors, drives, basic controls, pneumatics, and electrical components
Partner with Maintenance and Engineering to identify and permanently eliminate chronic equipment failures
Partner with Print and Quality teams to reduce print-related defects and improve the repeatability of print equipment and processes
Apply Lean Manufacturing and CI tools (OEE, 5S, SMED, VSM, Kaizen, Standard Work, Line Balancing, One-Piece Flow) with a bias for physical, measurable change
Lead CI projects from concept through implementation, verification, and sustainment
Conduct time studies, motion studies, and capacity analyses to establish steady-state processes
Develop and deploy standard work that reflects real operating conditions, not theoretical models
New Equipment Installation & Commissioning
Own the technical side of new equipment and automation projects: layout and site readiness, utilities (electrical, compressed air, etc.), installation oversight, and vendor coordination
Lead commissioning activities: FAT/SAT support, startup, debugging, process validation, and acceptance testing against agreed performance criteria
Develop SOPs, standard work, preventive maintenance plans, and spare parts lists for new equipment before handoff
Train operators, leads, and maintenance on new equipment and support ramp-up until performance is stable
Support retrofits and process changes, including equipment evaluation and specification and input on capital project justification (cost, ROI, throughput impact)
Ensure installations meet safety requirements, including guarding, lockout/tagout, and risk assessments
Cross-Functional Leadership
Lead and facilitate cross-functional teams focused on quality, delivery, cost, and safety improvements, and work with engineers and CI and maintenance teams at our other plants to compare practices, learn what each site does differently, and share what has and hasn't worked
Train and coach operators, leads, and supervisors on new equipment changes, standards, and best practices
Act as a technical bridge between Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and Engineering
Data & Metrics
Use data to identify problems, validate root causes, and confirm improvement sustainability
Build and maintain simple, effective tracking using tools such as Sigma and Google Sheets
Support annual operating targets through structured CI roadmaps and project plans
What You’ll Need to Have:
Required:
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a closely related field
2–5 years of hands-on experience in a manufacturing or plant environment, with direct involvement in equipment or process improvement
Demonstrated experience physically designing, modifying, or troubleshooting equipment (not just coordinating projects)
Experience with equipment installation, commissioning, or startup, or with capital equipment projects
Working knowledge of:
Mechanical systems (drives, bearings, fixtures, guarding, pneumatics)
Electrical fundamentals (sensors, motors, wiring, basic controls)
Ability to read mechanical and electrical drawings and schematics
Strong working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing principles including OEE, 5S, SMED, VSM, KPIs, and Kaizen
Project management fundamentals (scope, schedule, vendor coordination)
Ability to collect, analyze, and interpret manufacturing data to drive decisions
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Preferred:
Experience with digital or industrial printing equipment and processes (print quality, color consistency, ink and substrate handling, print defect reduction)
Experience supporting production, fulfillment, or automated/semi-automated manufacturing environments
Experience with PLCs or industrial automation, such as sewing, rolling, or bagging automation
Familiarity with machine guarding and LOTO safety standards
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (or equivalent demonstrated experience)
Conversational Spanish (spoken and written)
Compensation:
$90,000 - $100,000 per year base salary
An annual bonus percentage that varies based on level of role
Employer matching (up to 3% of base salary) for company sponsored 401K plan
At Ruggable, we offer competitive compensation and benefits packages. Ruggable is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We proudly recruit and hire a diverse workforce and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
If you are based in California, we encourage you to read this important information for California residents linked here.
To all recruitment agencies: Ruggable does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Ruggable employees or any other company destination. Ruggable is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.
Source: Ruggable careers (Greenhouse)