What are the responsibilities and job description for the Engineering Manager position at Guardian Bikes?
About Syscend / Guardian Bikes
Syscend (the platform behind Guardian Bikes) is a vertically integrated manufacturing and commerce company. We design, manufacture, fulfill, and sell our kids bikes directly from our U.S. factory floor to the customer's door. We are proud of what we build and even prouder of who we build it for — kids. Quality is not just a department; it is a promise we make to every family who buys one of our bikes.
Job Summary
Guardian Bikes is seeking an experienced Engineering Manager to lead our engineering organization and drive execution across manufacturing, automation, new product introduction, and continuous improvement initiatives. This role is responsible for building and developing a high-performing engineering team while ensuring engineering resources are aligned with business priorities.
The Engineering Manager will provide technical leadership, coach engineers, establish engineering processes, and partner closely with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Product Development, and Maintenance to improve manufacturing performance and support company growth.
This is a leadership role for someone who enjoys developing people, solving complex operational challenges, and creating systems that enable engineering excellence.
Key Responsibilities
Engineering Leadership
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of manufacturing, process, automation, and industrial engineers.
- Establish team goals, priorities, and performance expectations.
- Conduct performance reviews, career development planning, and regular coaching.
- Recruit, hire, and onboard engineering talent.
- Build a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Engineering Management
- Prioritize engineering resources to support production, capital projects, new product introductions, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Establish engineering standards, documentation, and best practices.
- Monitor engineering KPIs and drive improvements in execution, responsiveness, and project delivery.
- Ensure engineering projects are completed on time and within budget.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Partner with Operations to improve production efficiency and equipment reliability.
- Collaborate with Product Development to ensure manufacturable product designs and successful product launches.
- Work closely with Quality to reduce defects, improve process capability, and implement corrective actions.
- Support Supply Chain by improving supplier quality and manufacturing readiness.
Operational Excellence
- Champion Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement throughout the engineering organization.
- Remove bottlenecks, improve manufacturing capacity, and increase productivity.
- Lead engineering support for automation and capital investment projects.
- Drive standardization across manufacturing processes and equipment.
Project Leadership
- Oversee multiple engineering projects simultaneously.
- Manage project scope, budgets, timelines, risks, and resource allocation.
- Present project updates and engineering metrics to senior leadership.
- Coordinate with equipment vendors, contractors, and external partners when required.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
- 6 years of engineering experience in a manufacturing environment.
- At least 3 years of engineering leadership experience, including direct management of engineers.
- Demonstrated success building, leading, and developing engineering teams.
- Experience managing capital projects, manufacturing improvements, and engineering budgets.
- Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, and project management principles.
- Excellent communication, organizational, and leadership skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in high-volume manufacturing or automated production environments.
- Experience supporting new product introduction (NPI).
- Knowledge of robotics, automation, and industrial control systems.
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
- PMP certification is a plus.