Job Details

Job Title: Lead Manufacturing Systems Engineer – Apparel Product Integrity

Location: Beaverton, OR (PHK/WHQ – Hybrid)

Duration: 12- Month Contract (Potential for Extension/Full-Time Opportunity)

Travel: Up to 20% domestic travel to garment factories across the U.S. including East Coast, California, Wisconsin, and local sites.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Manufacturing Systems Engineer to support apparel product integrity and manufacturing excellence initiatives within a global manufacturing engineering organization. This role will partner closely with U.S. garment factories and cross-functional engineering teams to improve quality systems, manufacturing readiness, process optimization, and continuous improvement initiatives.

The ideal candidate will bring deep experience within the garment/apparel manufacturing industry, strong quality engineering expertise, and hands-on knowledge of industrial engineering and factory operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead implementation of Quality, Lean Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, and Garment Engineering principles across manufacturing partner facilities.
• Collaborate with Product Engineering, Quality Engineering, Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, and leadership teams to support strategic manufacturing initiatives.
• Drive manufacturing process standardization and operational efficiency improvements.
• Support manufacturing readiness activities by leveraging engineering tools, process controls, and best practices to reduce production risks.
• Partner with factory teams to strengthen production capability, quality systems, and first-time-right manufacturing execution.
• Conduct root cause analysis, issue investigation, and resolution for product quality concerns.
• Support inspections, audits, quality verification activities, and product performance standards.
• Assist with factory capacity planning, labor optimization, and process improvement initiatives.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with external manufacturing partners and vendors.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Quality Engineering, Apparel Manufacturing, or related field.
• Strong garment/apparel industry experience.
• Experience managing product quality issues and driving corrective actions.
• Hands-on experience with Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, and process optimization.
• Proficiency with GSD (General Sewing Data) and garment factory operations.
• Experience with factory capacity planning and manufacturing process engineering.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration abilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel.
• Bachelor's degree in industrial engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

• Product Development experience within apparel or garment manufacturing.
• Industrial Engineering, Process Engineering, or Manufacturing Excellence experience.
• Experience working with external vendors or manufacturing partners.
• Prior experience supporting major apparel or footwear brands.
• Experience with Six Sigma or Lean Manufacturing methodologies.
• Advanced degree or industry certifications preferred.

Desired Attributes

• Results-oriented mindset focused on operational excellence and continuous improvement.
• Passion for innovation, quality, and manufacturing optimization.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Commitment to staying current with manufacturing best practices and emerging technologies.