Job Title: Manufacturing Engineer (Soft Goods)
Job Description
The Manufacturing Engineer (Soft Goods) is responsible for designing, optimizing, maintaining, and facilitating manufacturing processes for soft goods components, tools, and equipment. This role focuses on developing and improving manufacturing instructions and procedures, overseeing inspection and disposition of soft goods, tools, and equipment, and incorporating Engineering Changes (ECs). The engineer collaborates closely with technicians, design and materials engineers, logistics, and production coordination personnel to ensure reliable, repeatable, and compliant soft goods assemblies.
Responsibilities
-
Design, optimize, and maintain manufacturing processes for soft goods components, tools, and equipment to ensure repeatable and high-quality production.
-
Draft, review, and provide input on detailed manufacturing instructions and procedures for soft goods assemblies and related tooling.
-
Inspect soft goods, tools, and equipment, evaluate their condition, and make disposition decisions in accordance with design intent, requirements, regulations, guidelines, and procedures.
-
Apply root cause and corrective action (RCCA) methodologies to investigate soft-structure failure modes and implement effective corrective actions.
-
Define and write procedures to operate and maintain equipment, including fixtures and tooling developed to support repeatable soft goods assembly.
-
Review plans and fabrication documentation, conduct investigations into non-conformances, and provide recommendations to assure compliance with engineering and quality standards.
-
Lead configuration management and documentation maturity efforts for soft goods build packages, including bills of materials (BOMs) and travelers.
-
Work closely with a multi-disciplinary team, including design engineering, materials engineering, human factors, quality, and logistics, to ensure smooth build processes and complete traceability.
-
Ensure lot traceability of fabric, adhesives, and consumable materials used in soft goods manufacturing.
-
Support hardware through formal reviews, including Preliminary Design Review (PDR), Critical Design Review (CDR), First Article Inspection, and qualification testing activities.
-
Maintain awareness of and adhere to all safety policies and procedures, including chemical and adhesive handling protocols and use of required personal protective equipment.
-
Specify and coordinate required online and classroom training to maintain certifications necessary to perform job functions.
-
Guide and support lower-level Manufacturing Engineers, providing mentorship on soft-structure design and fabrication principles.
Essential Skills
-
Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related field.
-
4–9 years of experience in soft goods manufacturing.
-
Hands-on experience with textile and coated-fabric behavior under mechanical load, vacuum, thermal cycling, and abrasion.
-
Experience working with materials such as urethane-coated fabrics, Kapton, Mylar, Nomex, Kevlar, or Vectran composites.
-
Proficiency in Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) and Design for Manufacturability and Inspectability (DFMI) principles.
-
Experience applying Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA) to manufacturing processes and soft goods structures.
-
Practical sewing and soft goods fabrication experience for engineered textile components.
-
Experience performing preventive maintenance on manufacturing equipment, fixtures, and tooling.
-
Strong experience in root cause and corrective action (RCCA) methodologies for addressing non-conformances and failures.
-
Ability to create and refine clear, detailed work instructions and manufacturing procedures.
-
Experience with manufacturing engineering and manufacturing process development, including continuous improvement initiatives.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
-
Experience with Product Data Management (PDM) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) tools such as SOLIDWORKS PDM, Windchill, Teamcenter, or similar systems.
-
Familiarity with configuration management practices for build packages, BOMs, and travelers.
-
Understanding of human factors, quality assurance, and logistics considerations in manufacturing environments.
-
Ability to collaborate effectively within multi-disciplinary teams and communicate clearly with technicians and engineers.
-
Strong attention to detail and commitment to documentation accuracy and traceability.
-
Mentorship experience or demonstrated ability to guide and support junior engineers in soft-structure design and fabrication.
Work Environment
The role is primarily based in a lab environment that supports soft goods manufacturing, testing, and inspection. Work may involve both indoor and occasional outdoor tasks depending on project needs and specific assignments. The environment includes use of manufacturing equipment, fixtures, tooling, and materials such as coated fabrics, composites, and adhesives, with established protocols for chemical and adhesive handling. Team members follow defined safety policies and procedures and use appropriate personal protective equipment as required for the tasks performed.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract position based out of Houston, TX.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $60.00 - $70.00/hr.
Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Houston,TX.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Sep 11, 2026.
About Actalent
Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.
The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.
If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.
San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.
