Production Support Engineer

At Arete, we are on the forefront of developing innovative solutions, with great minds from all backgrounds, to help solve the nation's most complex security challenges. We strive for an inclusive, collaborative team environment that approaches differences as opportunities for innovation and excellence. As an employee- owned company, we foster an atmosphere that propels diverse career opportunities and professional growth. Discover your future with us. We are seeking a highly skilled Production Support Engineer to design manufacturing processes, procedures, and production layouts for assemblies, equipment installation, processing, and material handling. Develop sequences of operations for assemblies and specified procedures for the fabrication of tools, equipment, and other functions that impact product performance. Support mechanical design, environmental validation, and production sustainment of ruggedized electro-optical and laser-based systems. This role works closely with Senior Mechanical Engineers, Optical Engineers, Production, Quality, and Program Management to ensure mechanical integrity, alignment stability, and environmental robustness of hardware across development and production phases. This position is based at our Niwot, CO office and is a supervisory, exempt, full-time position. PrimaryResponsibilities: - Supports mechanical design improvements and develops fixtures and tooling to improve repeatability and robustness of production hardware. - Works with the Systems Engineering team to make sure all testing requirements are met for prototype and production products. - Supports transition of products from prototype development to full-scale production, with emphasis on mechanical robustness, manufacturability, and repeatability. - Inspects equipment and tools to verify their efficacy and determine their preventative maintenance schedule and calibration requirements. - Serves as the primary operator and driver of shaker table testing, executing sine, random vibration, and shock profiles in accordance with MIL-STD-810 or customer-specific requirements. - Develops vibration test setups and mounting strategies that accurately replicate field boundary conditions. - Collects, analyzes, and documents vibration and shock test data to evaluate mechanical stability, fastener retention, optical alignment integrity, and structural performance. - Assists with scheduling Manufacturing Orders. - Exports, processes and analyze data from ERP software tools. - Creates, documents, and refines standardized work procedures for all assembly processes to ensure consistency and efficiency. Develops and refines mechanical assembly procedures related to torque, staking, bonding, and retention features to ensure hardware reliability. - Participates in assembly operations to gain familiarity with the production process. Provides hands-on production support, troubleshooting mechanical issues on the manufacturing floor and working directly with technicians to resolve hardware concerns. - Leads mechanical root cause investigations for hardware non-conformances, including loose components, alignment shifts, vibration-induced failures, or retention issues, working cross-functionally with the MRB team (Quality, Production, Program Management). - Ensures mechanical designs and assemblies meet environmental, structural, and durability requirements in production hardware. - Works cross-functionally with design, engineering, and quality teams to address production challenges and drive continuous improvement. - Ensure compliance with safety regulations and promotes a culture of workplace safety - Provides feedback to design engineering on mechanical robustness and manufacturability improvements based on test results and production experience. - Analyzes current production processes and implements strategies for continual process improvement, reducing waste and increasing effic ency using methodologies such as Lean tools and Six Sigma. We have an impressive range of benefits, programs, and perks that we offer: Generous PTO and Leave Times - Flextime Scheduling - Bereavement - Paid Time Off (PTO) - Paid Parental Leave Financial Benefits - Company-funded 5% contribution to your 401(k) retirement plan - Company-funded 5% contribution to your Employee Stock Ownership Plan - Continuing Education Assistance Health, Medical, and Wellness Benefits - Medical Insurance - Dental & Vision Insurance - Life Insurance and Long-Term Disability (LTD) - Vision Reimbursement WhatWe Value: - Creativity and innovation in solving challenges - Integrity and responsibility in all actions - Collaboration across teams and specialties - Responsiveness in fast-paced environments - Passion for national security and excellence Experiences and Background We Look For (Required Skills): - Bachelor's degree in engineering, or a related field and 4+ years of experience in a production, manufacturing, or process engineering role - Experience reading drawings and creating process flow based on a product's drawing tree - Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, lean manufacturing principles, and process improvement methodologies - Ability to create and document work instructions, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and training materials - Ability to implement hardware solutions from concept development to delivery - Strong problem-solving skills with a continuous improvement mindset - Proficient use of standard MS Office software (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) including ability to organize and efficiently process data in Excel - Occasional lifting of hardware as required - Ability to obtain security clearance Nice to Have (Preferred Skills): - Experience supporting electro-optical or laser-based systems in defense or aerospace environments. - Experience operating vibration (shaker table) systems and executing environmental test protocols. - Comfortable in adapting to support a wide variety of roles to support various product development and production projects. - Working knowledge of lean manufacturing principles. - Experience transitioning product from prototype to production. - Intellectual curiosity and desire for continuous learning. - Excellent communication and teamwork abilities. - Proficient in CAD software and ERP/MRP systems. - Strong work ethic. - Detail oriented and organized. - 2+ years of experience in the defense industry. - Experience with optical systems. The salary range for this role is $85,000 to $115,000; however, Arete considers several factors when extending an offer of employment, including but not limited to: the position and associated responsibilities, a candidate's work experience, education/training, and key skills**.** Other Considerations Arete is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and nondiscrimination, and we believe every person has the right to be treated with fairness, dignity, and equal consideration. Arete is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. U.S. citizenship is required to meet position eligibility. Successful passage of a criminal background screen is required to meet position eligibility. Selected applicants will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. Arete will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiativ