Become Part of Our Team

We’re seeking a full-time Shipping and Receiving Clerk for our automotive manufacturing facility in Des Moines, Iowa.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Receive incoming shipments, verify contents against purchase orders/invoices, and inspect for damage or discrepancies.
• Accurately document and log received items into inventory or tracking systems.
• Prepare and package outgoing shipments according to company and carrier standards.
• Generate shipping labels, bills of lading, and other related documentation.
• Coordinate pickups and deliveries with carriers and logistics providers.
• Maintain a clean and organized shipping/receiving area.
• Operate forklifts, pallet jacks, and other warehouse equipment safely.
• Communicate with internal departments (procurement, inventory, production) regarding incoming materials and outgoing orders.

Job Requirements

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Previous experience in shipping/receiving or warehouse operations preferred; two years of warehouse experience preferred.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and stand for extended periods.
• Basic computer skills.
• Forklift certification is a plus.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• United States work authorization required.
• Ability to commute to Des Moines, IA 50313.

Benefits

• 401(k) and 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Position Details

Job type: Full-time  ·  Pay: Up to $23.00 per hour  ·  Hours: No less than 40 per week  ·  Schedule: Monday to Friday  ·  Pay frequency: Bi-weekly.

Location: Des Moines, Iowa 50313. This is an on-site position; remote work is not available.

We’re seeking a Lead Engineer to lead four engineers supporting both our OEM and aftermarket businesses. This role combines people leadership, project management, product development, and hands-on manufacturing experience.

This is not simply a senior engineering position. Success means developing the team, creating accountability, managing customer commitments, and building engineering processes that help projects advance without depending on one person.

Lead and Develop the Engineering Team

• Manage, mentor, and develop a team of four engineers.
• Establish clear priorities, ownership, schedules, and accountability across the department.
• Hold regular one-on-one meetings and provide meaningful coaching and feedback.
• Teach engineers how to manage an entire product-development program—not just complete individual design assignments.
• Delegate effectively and develop engineers who can independently make sound technical and project decisions.
• Participate in recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and performance management while maintaining a high standard for engineering talent.
• Build a culture where engineers communicate risks early, take ownership of problems, and follow projects through completion.

Manage OEM Programs and Customer Requirements

Putco works directly with automotive OEM customers, where strong project management and disciplined execution are critical.

• Work directly with OEM customers on new-product development programs.
• Translate customer specifications into clear engineering, quality, manufacturing, and sourcing requirements.
• Manage project schedules, milestones, design reviews, open issues, validation, and launch timing.
• Ensure customer requirements are fully understood and met, including fit, function, materials, tolerances, appearance, surfacing, finish, durability, validation, and other customer-specific requirements.
• Identify schedule, technical, supplier, and manufacturing risks early and drive them to resolution.
• Maintain clear communication with customers and company leadership regarding project status and potential issues.
• Support applicable automotive processes including APQP, PPAP, DFMEA, DVP&R, and engineering change control.

Strong project-management discipline is essential: the Lead Engineer must manage multiple programs simultaneously and ensure commitments to customers are met.

Own the Full Product Development Cycle

Guide the team through the full product lifecycle: Concept → Design → Prototype → Testing & Validation → Tooling & Sourcing → Manufacturing → Production Launch.

• Guide product concepts and technical feasibility.
• Review designs for performance, manufacturability, quality, cost, and customer requirements.
• Conduct effective design reviews.
• Develop and manage validation plans.
• Ensure engineering changes are properly controlled and communicated.
• Support tooling, prototypes, first articles, and production trials.
• Stay involved through launch until the product can be consistently produced at the required quality and performance level.

Engineers must see a product all the way through—not simply hand it off when the design work is done.

Work Directly With Manufacturing

Putco manufactures products internally, giving engineering direct exposure to how designs perform in production.

• Work closely with operations, quality, purchasing, and production.
• Spend time on the plant floor during prototype builds, production trials, troubleshooting, and launches.
• Make sure manufacturing input is incorporated early in the design process.
• Teach engineers how design decisions affect tooling, fixtures, labor, scrap, cycle time, quality, and throughput.
• Drive root-cause analysis and permanent corrective actions when problems occur.
• Reduce recurring firefighting by solving systemic engineering and manufacturing problems.

A successful design must work on both the computer and the plant floor.

Develop Products With Domestic and Overseas Suppliers

Our products are developed through a combination of in-house manufacturing and outside suppliers.

• Work with domestic and overseas suppliers on new products, components, tooling, and processes.
• Create and communicate clear technical requirements, drawings, and specifications.
• Review supplier designs, prototypes, tooling, samples, and first-production parts.
• Manage supplier technical issues and development timelines.
• Identify quality, timing, and technical risks early.
• Partner with purchasing and quality to ensure suppliers meet Putco’s expectations for cost, quality, delivery, and engineering execution.

Build Strong Engineering Processes

• Project schedules and program gates
• Design reviews
• DVP&R and validation
• Engineering change control
• Drawing and specification discipline
• Issue tracking and corrective action
• Supplier-development tracking
• Production-launch readiness
• Engineering workload and resource planning

The goal is not bureaucracy. It is a department where projects have owners, deadlines are visible, problems surface early, and commitments are consistently met.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Product Design Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience managing or leading engineers and developing technical talent.
• Strong project-management skills with experience managing multiple programs and deadlines.
• Demonstrated experience taking physical products from concept through production.
• Experience working directly with OEM customers, preferably in automotive.
• Strong understanding of mechanical design and design for manufacturability.
• Experience working with domestic and/or overseas suppliers.
• Ability to review engineering drawings, GD&T, tolerances, materials, specifications, and technical requirements.
• Strong problem-solving and root-cause-analysis skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Willingness to be hands-on in both engineering and manufacturing environments.
• Five years of engineering experience preferred.
• Ability to commute to Des Moines, IA 50313.

Preferred Experience

• Automotive OEM product development
• APQP / PPAP
• DFMEA / DVP&R
• CAD and complex surfacing
• GD&T
• Metal fabrication, forming, machining, welding, or extrusion
• Plastics
• Coatings and surface finishing
• Automotive appearance requirements
• LED lighting or automotive electrical products
• Tooling and fixture development
• Overseas product development
• New Product Introduction and production launch

What Success Looks Like

• OEM customers trust our commitments and schedules.
• Engineers own their projects and can make decisions independently.
• Design reviews, validation, and engineering changes happen consistently.
• Risks are surfaced early instead of becoming last-minute emergencies.
• Suppliers receive clear technical direction and are held accountable.
• Engineering stays connected to manufacturing through successful production launch.
• Recurring problems are permanently solved instead of repeatedly firefought.
• The engineering team becomes stronger and more capable over time.

We want someone who can solve difficult engineering problems—and build and lead a team capable of successfully developing and launching products from concept through production.

Benefits

• 401(k) and 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Disability insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Location

Des Moines, Iowa 50313. In-person work required.