Manufacturing Engineer

Location

Arvada, CO/On-Site (Fully in-person)

Relocation: No relocation assistance provided

Target Start Date: January

Department: Engineering / Production

Employment Type: Full-Time

About us

HOWL Campfires exists to keep the forest AND the campfire alive. We believe sitting around a fire in the woods is good for people, so we developed our patented BarCoal™ Technology to offer the heat of a wood fire in a forest-safe, burn-ban-approved propane system.

We also invented the world's most fuel-efficient flame burner

A-Flame™ Technology. It's a good start, but we're just getting warmed up.

Position Summary

We are seeking a hands-on, mechanically inclined Manufacturing Engineer to join our team. In this role, your primary focus will be optimizing part fabrication workflows, creating custom jigs, and streamlining our assembly operations to ensure our consumer products are manufactured efficiently and safely.

The ideal candidate is a natural problem-solver with a strong willingness to adapt to the changing needs of a growing production floor. While you will not be heavily involved in core product design, you will actively leverage your CAD skills (SolidWorks preferred) to design and physically build custom jigs, fixtures, and tooling that directly support shop floor operations.

Ultimately, you will be a critical hands-on presence—troubleshooting fabrication equipment, solving mechanical issues on the fly, and ensuring our production team has the tools and processes they need to succeed.

Key Responsibilities

• Jig & Fixture Creation: Actively use CAD (SolidWorks preferred) to design, develop, and physically build custom jigs, fixtures, and tooling that enhance assembly speed, accuracy, and safety.
• Hands-on Equipment Troubleshooting: Serve as the go-to technical resource for machinery and equipment issues. Troubleshoot fabrication machinery (laser cutting, press brake, general shop tools) to minimize downtime and keep production moving.
• Dynamic Problem Solving: Identify root causes of mechanical, assembly, or process issues on the production floor and implement practical, creative solutions.
• Process Optimization & Adaptability: Continuously evaluate workflows. Show a high willingness to adapt processes on the fly as production demands shift and new challenges arise, utilizing principles of Lean manufacturing.
• Drawing Review & DFM: Actively review, interpret, and create engineering drawings to ensure parts are optimized for manufacturability (DFM). Collaborate with the design team to evaluate specifications, refine tolerances, and ensure smooth transitions from design to production.
• Forecasting & Data Management: Utilize Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel to track production metrics, forecast manufacturing needs, and manage work order schedules.
• Team Collaboration: Assist in guiding production staff and machine operators, fostering a culture of safety, quality, flexibility, and teamwork.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Experience: 1 to 4 years of engineering experience, ideally within consumer product manufacturing.
• Tooling & Jigs: Proven experience and knowledge in designing and fabricating custom jigs and fixtures for production environments.
• Troubleshooting & Problem-Solving: Highly mechanically inclined with a knack for diagnosing and fixing equipment or mechanical issues. You are comfortable working directly with tools and machinery, not just sitting behind a desk.
• Adaptability: A strong willingness to learn new skills, embrace shifting priorities, and pivot quickly in a fast-paced, startup-style environment.
• Technical Knowledge: Solid understanding of sheet metal fabrication, assembly cells, and machine capabilities (Laser, Press Brake, CNC, and standard shop hand/power tools).
• CAD/CAM Proficiency: Strong CAD/CAM skills with an understanding of DFM principles, GD&T, and machine programming. SolidWorks and CypCut experience is highly preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
• Practical experience implementing Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or Kaizen practices on a shop floor.
• Knowledge of the physics of combustion, heat transfer, and thermal properties of materials.

What We Offer

• Compensation: $75,000 to $90,000 per year, depending on experience.
• Schedule: 4x10 work week (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off).
• Benefits: Fully covered health insurance, including dental and vision.
• Paid Time Off: 3 weeks of PTO, plus an additional paid week off for the Christmas and New Year holiday.

Pay: $75,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person