Manufacturing Engineer

Salary
Rockford, IL
Posted on September 21, 2026
$80,000.00 - $100,000.00

Manufacturing Engineer: Rockford, IL

We are seeking an experienced Manufacturing Engineer to join our client’s fastener manufacturing operation. This position is ideal for someone who understands fastener manufacturing from both a technical and practical perspective and enjoys solving problems that connect customers, engineering, quality, and the production floor. You’ll work closely with production and quality teams to troubleshoot manufacturing challenges, support customer needs, improve processes, and determine the best path forward for new and existing fastener products.

Key Responsibilities:

Develop, evaluate, and improve cold heading, forming, and manufacturing processes to increase efficiency, quality, and consistency
Partner with customers, sales, quality, and production to address technical questions, review prints, troubleshoot product issues, and recommend modifications
Troubleshoot process, tooling, and production challenges while working directly with team members on the shop floor
Support tooling specifications, ordering, machine setup procedures, process documentation, and manufacturing improvements
Review customer prints and requirements to determine the best manufacturing approach for new or modified fastener products
Analyze production data and help reduce scrap, downtime, and process-related quality issues
Support new product introduction, process validation, and project-based initiatives
Ensure processes align with applicable safety, quality, and ISO 9001:2015 standards

Skills & Experience:

Education: Associate’s degree in Engineering or related, preferred; Relevant fastener manufacturing experience will be strongly considered in place of formal education
Experience: 2-5 years of fastener engineering experience, REQUIRED
Knowledge: Cold heading & metal forming processes, REQUIRED
Software: CAD experience, required; AutoCAD Light, preferred

What We Offer:

Health, Dental, & Vision Insurance
401(k) w/ company match
PTO
Paid Holidays
And More!

Please Note:

This role does not offer visa sponsorship or relocation assistance. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future sponsorship.

Pay: $80,000 – $100,000/year, based on relevant experience

Type: Full-time, 1st Shift, On-site

Schedule: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Apply today to take the next step in your fastener manufacturing career!

Hughes Recruiting & Consulting is a full-service human resources agency headquartered in Freeport, IL, and has 11 locations across Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. We are a growing company that embodies professionalism, pursues excellence, embraces challenges, and has fun! We find valuable placements for employees looking for work and employers looking for staff. Put us to work, finding you work. Visit us online to complete an application today.

{“@context”:”http://schema.org”,”@type”:”JobPosting”,”baseSalary”:null,”datePosted”:”2026-09-21″,”validThrough”:”2027-09-21″,”description”:”<div fr-original-style="font-size:16px;" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">Manufacturing Engineer: Rockford, IL</div><div fr-original-style="font-size:16px;" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">We are seeking an experienced Manufacturing Engineer to join our client’s fastener manufacturing operation. This position is ideal for someone who understands fastener manufacturing from both a technical and practical perspective and enjoys solving problems that connect customers, engineering, quality, and the production floor. You’ll work closely with production and quality teams to troubleshoot manufacturing challenges, support customer needs, improve processes, and determine the best path forward for new and existing fastener products.</div><div fr-original-style="font-size:16px;" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;"> </div><div fr-original-style="font-size:16px;" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">Key Responsibilities:</div><ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;" type="disc"><li fr-original-style="font-family:serif;font-size:16px;" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box;">Develop, evaluate, and improve cold heading, forming, and manufacturing processes to increase efficiency, quality, and consistency</li><li fr-original-style="font-family:serif;font-size:16px;" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box;">Partner with customers, sales, quality, and production to address technical questions, review prints, troubleshoot product issues, and recommend modifications</li><li fr-original-style="font-family:serif;font-size:16px;" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box;">Troubleshoot process, tooling, and production challenges while working directly with team members on the shop floor</li><li fr-original-style="font-family:serif;font-size:16px;" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box;">Support tooling specifications, ordering, machine setup procedures, process documentation, and manufacturing improvements</li><li fr-original-style="font-family:serif;font-size:16px;" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box;">Review customer prints and requirements to determine the best manufacturing approach for new or modified fastener products</li><li fr-original-style="font-family:serif;font-size:16px;" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box;">Analyze production data and help reduce scrap, downtime, and process-related quality issues</li><li fr-original-style="font-family:serif;font-size:16px;" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box;">Support new product introduction, process validation, and project-based initiatives</li><li fr-original-style="font-family:serif;font-size:16px;" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box;">Ensure processes align with applicable safety, quality, and ISO 9001:2015 standards</li></ul><div fr-original-style="font-size:16px;" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">Skills & Experience:</div><ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;" type="disc"><li fr-original-style="font-family:serif;font-size:13px;" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 13px; box-sizing: border-box;">Education: Associate’s degree in Engineering or related, preferred; Relevant fastener manufacturing experience will be strongly considered in place of formal education</li><li fr-original-style="font-family:serif;font-size:13px;" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 13px; box-sizing: border-box;">Experience: 2-5 years of fastener engineering experience, REQUIRED</li><li fr-original-style="font-family:serif;font-size:13px;" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 13px; box-sizing: border-box;">Knowledge: Cold heading & metal forming processes, REQUIRED</li><li fr-original-style="font-family:serif;font-size:13px;" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 13px; box-sizing: border-box;">Software: CAD experience, required; AutoCAD Light, preferred</li></ul><div fr-original-style="font-size:16px;" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">What We Offer: </div><ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;" type="disc"><li fr-original-style="font-family:serif;font-size:16px;" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box;">Health, Dental, & Vision Insurance</li><li fr-original-style="font-family:serif;font-size:16px;" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box;">401(k) w/ company match</li><li fr-original-style="font-family:serif;font-size:16px;" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box;">PTO</li><li fr-original-style="font-family:serif;font-size:16px;" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box;">Paid Holidays</li><li fr-original-style="font-family:serif;font-size:16px;" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box;">And More!      </li></ul><div fr-original-style="font-size:16px;" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">Please Note:</div><div fr-original-style="font-size:16px;" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">This role does not offer visa sponsorship or relocation assistance. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future sponsorship.</div><div fr-original-style="font-size:16px;" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;"> </div><div fr-original-style="font-size:16px;" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">Pay: $80,000 – $100,000/year, based on relevant experience</div><div fr-original-style="font-size:16px;" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;"> </div><div fr-original-style="font-size:16px;" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">Type: Full-time, 1st Shift, On-site</div><div fr-original-style="font-size:16px;" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;"> </div><div fr-original-style="font-size:16px;" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">Schedule: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.   </div><div fr-original-style="font-size:16px;" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;"> </div><div fr-original-style="font-size:16px;" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">Apply today to take the next step in your fastener manufacturing career!</div><div fr-original-style="font-size:15px;" style="font-size: 15px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;"> </div><div fr-original-style="font-size:15px;" style="font-size: 15px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">Hughes Recruiting & Consulting is a full-service human resources agency headquartered in Freeport, IL, and has 11 locations across Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. We are a growing company that embodies professionalism, pursues excellence, embraces challenges, and has fun! We find valuable placements for employees looking for work and employers looking for staff. Put us to work, finding you work. Visit us online to complete an application today.</div><div fr-original-style="font-size:16px;" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;"> </div>”,”employmentType”:”FULL_TIME”,”hiringOrganization”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Hughes Resources”},”jobLocation”:{“@type”:”Place”,”address”:{“@type”:”PostalAddress”,”streetAddress”:null,”addressLocality”:”Rockford”,”addressRegion”:”IL”,”postalCode”:null,”addressCountry”:null}},”title”:”Manufacturing Engineer”,”url”:”https://hughesrecruiting.com/jobs/?cjobid=KJ697896918&rpid=1719419&postid=LkhMGAs4IuU”,”identifier”:{“@type”:”PropertyValue”,”name”:”Hughes Resources”,”value”:null}}