Manufacturing Engineer; Charlotte, NC

Overview

About Ruggable:
Ruggable is a leading direct-to-consumer e-commerce brand based in Los Angeles, California with a track record of growth. We are venture-backed, own a patented washable rug design, and aim to empower customers with beautiful products that don’t compromise on function.

Job Summary:

Ruggable is seeking a hands-on Manufacturing Engineer to support and advance manufacturing operations at our Charlotte, NC facility. This role is deeply embedded on the production floor and requires someone who is comfortable designing, building, modifying, and Troubleshooting equipment and processes—not just documenting improvements or facilitating workshops. The position sits at the intersection of continuous improvement, manufacturing engineering, and equipment reliability.

The ideal candidate has experience turning tools, diagnosing mechanical and electrical issues, implementing physical fixes, and driving improvements in safety, quality, throughput, and uptime. As the Charlotte operation scales, this role strengthens technical depth within the plant, partnering with Production, Maintenance, Quality, and Engineering to design repeatable systems, eliminate chronic issues, reduce defects, and improve equipment performance across Print, Production, and Fulfillment.

This role involves significant time on the floor, testing solutions, validating results, and coaching teams through change.

What You’ll Do:

• Equipment & Technical Improvement (Hands-On Focus)
• Lead hands-on equipment improvements to drive Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), uptime, throughput, and defect reduction
• Design, prototype, and implement mechanical and electrical modifications, fixtures, guards, tooling, and poka-yokes
• Troubleshoot equipment issues involving mechanical systems, sensors, motors, drives, basic controls, pneumatics, and electrical components
• Partner with Maintenance and Engineering to identify and permanently eliminate chronic equipment failures
• Support equipment commissioning, retrofits, and process changes through testing, validation, and standardization

• Continuous Improvement & Lean Execution
• Apply Lean Manufacturing and CI tools (OEE, 5S, SMED, VSM, Kaizen, Standard Work, Line Balancing, One-Piece Flow) with a bias for physical, measurable change
• Lead CI projects from concept through implementation, verification, and sustainment
• Conduct time studies, motion studies, and capacity analyses to establish steady-state processes
• Develop and deploy standard work that reflects real operating conditions, not theoretical models

• Cross-Functional Leadership
• Lead and facilitate cross-functional teams focused on quality, delivery, cost, and safety improvements
• Train and coach operators, leads, and supervisors on new equipment changes, standards, and best practices
• Act as a technical bridge between Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and Engineering

• Data & Metrics
• Use data to identify problems, validate root cause, and confirm improvement sustainability
• Build and maintain simple, effective tracking using tools such as Looker and Google Sheets
• Support annual operating targets through structured CI roadmaps and execution plans

What You’ll Need to Have:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a closely related field
• 1–3 years of hands-on experience in a manufacturing or plant environment, with direct involvement in equipment or process improvement
• Demonstrated experience physically designing, modifying, or troubleshooting equipment (not just coordinating projects)
• Working knowledge of:
• Mechanical systems (drives, bearings, fixtures, guarding, pneumatics)
• Electrical fundamentals (sensors, motors, wiring, basic controls)
• Strong working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing principles including OEE, 5S, SMED, VSM, KPIs, and Kaizen
• Ability to collect, analyze, and interpret manufacturing data to drive decisions
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Local to Charlotte, NC

• Experience supporting print, production, fulfillment, or automated/semi-automated manufacturing environments
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (or equivalent demonstrated experience)
• Conversational Spanish (spoken and written)

• $85,000 - $110,000 per year base salary
• An annual bonus percentage that varies based on level of role
• Employer matching (up to 3% of base salary) for company sponsored 401K plan

Ruggable is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We proudly recruit and hire a diverse workforce and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

If you are based in California, we encourage you to read information for California residents.