Job Description

JOB TITLE: Equipment & Tooling Engineer

DATE PREPARED: 05/2026

EXEMPT (Y/N): Yes

DEPARTMENT: e-VAC Magnetics LLC – Engineering

REPORTS TO: Engineering Manager

LOCATION: Sumter, SC

JOB SUMMARY: The Equipment & Tooling Engineer will play a critical role in supporting manufacturing equipment reliability, production performance, and continuous improvement activities for the permanent magnet manufacturing facility in Sumter, South Carolina. This position serves as the technical owner for equipment-related engineering activities and supports the full equipment lifecycle, including specification, procurement, installation, commissioning, optimization, and handover to production. The Equipment & Tooling Engineer will work closely with Operations, Maintenance, Automation Engineering, Quality, and external suppliers to ensure manufacturing equipment performs safely, reliably, and efficiently while supporting business growth objectives.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES include but are not limited to the following.

Equipment Reliability & Manufacturing Support

Troubleshoot complex equipment-related issues and implement sustainable corrective actions
Improve equipment reliability, uptime, throughput, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)
Support root cause investigations related to equipment failures and production losses
Identify and implement equipment improvements to increase manufacturing performance
Support development of preventive and predictive maintenance strategies

Equipment Engineering & Continuous Improvement

Design, develop, and implement equipment modifications and upgrades
Optimize manufacturing equipment to improve safety, quality, yield, throughput, and cost performance
Evaluate equipment performance and identify opportunities for continuous improvement
Support machine and process capability studies
Develop technical solutions to improve manufacturing efficiency and reduce operating costs

Capital Projects & Equipment Introduction

Develop equipment specifications, scopes of work, and technical requirements
Support equipment selection, procurement, and supplier evaluations
Lead or support capital projects from concept through production release
Coordinate equipment installation, startup, commissioning, qualification, and acceptance activities (FAT/SAT)
Support layout planning, manufacturing capacity planning, and equipment expansion initiatives
Ensure successful handover of new equipment and technologies to production

Tooling Engineering

Develop and maintain tooling standards for manufacturing operations
Coordinate tooling design, procurement, modifications, and life-cycle management
Support spare parts strategies and critical tooling inventories
Ensure tooling supports process capability and product quality requirements

Supplier & Contractor Management

Coordinate equipment suppliers, contractors, integrators, and service providers
Review technical proposals and equipment quotations
Participate in technical risk assessments and mitigation planning
Ensure supplier deliverables meet technical, quality, safety, and schedule requirements

Documentation & Compliance

Maintain equipment-related engineering documentation, standards, and records
Ensure OEM documentation, drawings, manuals, and technical data are properly controlled
Develop and maintain operating, maintenance, and engineering procedures
Support equipment safety reviews and regulatory compliance activities

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Collaborate closely with Operations, Maintenance, Automation Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and EHS
Support training and knowledge transfer for production and maintenance personnel
Participate in cross-functional problem-solving and continuous improvement initiatives
Serve as a technical resource for manufacturing equipment and tooling systems

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Recognized as degreed or holding an accredited certification in a relevant technical or engineering discipline
Minimum 3–7 years of experience in manufacturing analytics, SPC, process engineering, or industrial data analysis
Experience working within high-volume manufacturing environments
Experience implementing SPC methodologies and process capability studies
Demonstrates flexibility and a team-oriented mindset by supporting additional tasks and cross-functional needs as required

PREFERRED

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Data Analytics, Statistics, Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
Automotive manufacturing experience
Experience with MES systems and manufacturing databases
Experience with Power BI, Tableau, SQL, or similar reporting tools
Experience with Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies

REQUIREMENTS:

Travel Requirements: 10% (as needed, domestic or international travel)

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

English, German beneficial

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITES

No formal direct reports

EMPLOYMENT AT WILL

This job description is intended as an outline of the duties of the position at VACUUMSCHMELZE and is subject to change by VAC from time to time. It is NOT a contract of employment. Employment at VAC is voluntarily entered into and is subject to termination by you or VAC AT WILL, with or without cause at any time, either party believes such action to be appropriate.

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