Manufacturing Technical Engineering Manager – Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS / PCBA)

Manufacturing Technical Engineering Manager – Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS / PCBA)

Location: Seymour, CT

Position Type: Full-Time / Exempt

Department: Technical Documentation & SMT Programming

Reporting Line: Director of Engineering & Technology

Industry: Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) / Contract Manufacturing

Position Overview

The Manufacturing Technical Engineering Manager provides strategic leadership, workflow management, and direct technical oversight across Technical Engineering, production documentation, customer manufacturing data conversion, and Surface Mount Technology (SMT) programming. Operating within a high-mix, advanced electronics contract manufacturing environment, this position bridges incoming client technical design data and floor-ready manufacturing execution.

Reporting to the Director of Engineering & Technology, this leader directs a specialized engineering and programming team to ensure that Bills of Materials (BOMs), CAD/centroid coordinates, Gerber layers, SMT machine recipes, and routing structures are meticulously analyzed, validated, configuration-controlled, and released on time to support flawless production runs.

Leadership & Team Management

• Manage, mentor, and establish operational priorities for Technical Engineering, Document Control, and SMT Programming personnel.
  

• Establish structured workflows, accountability mechanisms, quality metrics, and cross-training programs to eliminate single-person operational dependencies.
  

• Interface cross-functionally with Manufacturing Operations, Process Engineering, Quality Assurance, Program Management, Supply Chain, and Planning to align data readiness with build schedules.
  

• Coordinate technical onboarding, skills assessments, and training in Component Identification and IPC-A-610 standards across technical staff.
  

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Customer Technical Data Analysis & Processing:
  

  • Direct the intake, conversion, validation, and release of complex customer data packages, including Bills of Materials (BOM), Gerber files, CAD layouts, centroid/pick-and-place files, fabrication drawings, and test procedures.
    

  • Oversee thorough technical data reviews to identify missing, ambiguous, or conflicting design information; escalate technical discrepancies to Program Management and customer engineering groups.
    

  • Facilitate technical readiness workflows from initial data receipt through final production traveler release to ensure schedule adherence.
    

• Documentation Control, Routings & ERP/MES Systems:
  

  • Review, release, and maintain shop-floor work instructions, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and quality documentation.
    

  • Cleanse, structure, and enter customer BOMs and technical parameters into the MRP/ERP system (e.g., Infor).
    

  • Build and maintain manufacturing process routings, operation steps, model points, and digital workflows within the Manufacturing Execution System (Aegis MES).
    

  • Execute Engineering Change Orders (ECOs), ensuring drawings, BOM revisions, machine programs, and work instructions are updated and synchronized.
    

  • Disseminate Quality Bulletins (QBs) and enforce rigorous configuration and revision control across all active assemblies.
    

• SMT Placement Programming Leadership:
  

  • Own technical accountability for all SMT machine programming across high-speed placement lines (specifically FUJI NXT III platforms).
    

  • Manage the generation, offline verification, optimization, and maintenance of placement programs from CAD, centroid, and Gerber data.
    

  • Supervise the development and integrity of the central SMT component package library, validating package geometries, land patterns, component dimensions, polarities, rotations, and feeder/nozzle assignments.
    

  • Collaborate with SMT Operations and Process Engineers to optimize placement sequences, line balancing, feeder layouts, and machine cycle times to maximize Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
    

  • Provide hands-on engineering support on the shop floor during First Article Inspections (FAI), New Product Introductions (NPI), and first-article prototype runs.
    

  • Investigate and troubleshoot placement defects, component rotation errors, package mismatches, and machine faults alongside Quality and Process Engineering teams.
    

• Process Automation & Continuous Improvement:
  

  • Identify opportunities to automate repetitive data manipulation tasks within Technical Engineering and programming workflows.
    

  • Develop and maintain custom Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) tools and automated Excel templates for technical review forms, production scheduling, and BOM comparisons.
    

  • Monitor and report on core technical KPIs: program lead-time, programming accuracy, first-pass placement yield, and engineering cycle times.
    

Qualifications & Experience Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Engineering Technology, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical discipline preferred (equivalent direct electronics manufacturing and SMT programming experience will be considered).
  

• Professional Experience:
  

  • Minimum 5 years of progressive engineering experience within electronics contract manufacturing (EMS), technical documentation, SMT programming, or manufacturing engineering.
    

  • Demonstrated supervisory or technical team leadership experience.
    

  • Deep experience operating within high-mix, low-to-medium volume PCBA production environments.
    

• Technical Expertise:
  

  • Advanced understanding of PCBA assembly processes, surface-mount technology, through-hole soldering, and technical documentation lifecycles.
    

  • Hands-on proficiency with SMT machine programming software, with direct experience on FUJI SMT equipment (FUJI NXT III platforms) strongly preferred.
    

  • Advanced knowledge of electronic components: package types (0201/01005 passives, BGAs, QFNs, CSPs, connectors), polarity standards, orientation rules, and reference designators.
    

  • Ability to read, interpret, and validate CAD, Gerber, schematic, centroid, and drawing datasets.
    

  • Successful completion or certification in Component Identification and IPC-A-610 solder inspection standards.
    

• Systems & Software Proficiency:
  

  • Proficiency in Manufacturing Execution Systems (Aegis MES preferred) and MRP/ERP systems (Infor preferred).
    

  • Experience with Gerber viewing/editing tools, CAD/CAM data conversion software, and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems.
    

  • Advanced Microsoft Excel capabilities, including data modeling and VBA macro development for workflow automation.
    

• Core Competencies: Strong analytical troubleshooting ability, root-cause problem solving (8D/A3), disciplined configuration management, and clear technical communication skills across engineering, operations, and executive leadership.
  

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Split between a technical office setting and an active, high-tech SMT manufacturing floor.
  

• Frequently required to sit, stand, walk, reach, and handle sensitive electronic assemblies and tools.
  

• Specific visual acuity required: close vision, color discernment, depth perception, and focus adjustment for fine-pitch microelectronics.
  

• Ability to lift and carry up to 10 lbs frequently, and up to 25 lbs occasionally.
  

• Environment includes proximity to automated moving machinery and moderate-to-loud equipment noise levels.
  

• Strict adherence to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) safety protocols (including ESD coats, grounding footwear, and wrist straps) per OSHA and facility guidelines.