Manufacturing Engineering Manager

Job Title: Manufacturing Engineering Manager

Location: San Francisco, CA (On-site)

Salary: $120,000 - $155,000

LANTANA LED, Inc.

We are a San Francisco-based lighting design and manufacturing company focused on creating innovative, high-quality niche market solutions. We specialize in data center lighting, with over 35 million square feet under illumination throughout the United States. We design our own products in-house and work closely with trusted manufacturing partners to bring them to life. As we continue to grow, we are looking for a detail-oriented, self-starting, and experienced Manufacturing Engineering Manager to join the Operations team. This position reports to the Vice President of Operations and is expected to be full-time in our manufacturing headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Job Description

Manufacturing Engineering Manager

The Manufacturing Engineering Manager is the technical foundation of LANTANA LED's factory. This individual owns the process — how every product is built, in what sequence, with what tooling, on what equipment, and to what standard. They are the bridge between Product Engineering and the production floor: taking designs and turning them into repeatable, documented, manufacturable build processes. As Lantana moves through factory buildout and into robotic assembly operations, this role is responsible for standing up the manufacturing engineering function from scratch — developing SOPs, programming and commissioning equipment, managing the manufacturing support team, and ensuring the factory is built right before the first unit rolls off the line.

Responsibilities

Product Engineering Liaison & Design for Manufacturability

▪    Serve as the primary interface between Product and the factory floor; translate product designs into manufacturable build processes and feed operational reality back to the design team.

▪    Provide Design for Manufacturability (DFM) feedback early in the product development cycle — before designs are locked — to reduce assembly complexity, tooling cost, and defect risk.

▪    Own the New Product Introduction (NPI) process for manufacturing: coordinate first builds, develop production SOPs, validate cycle times, and sign off on readiness for volume production.

▪    Participate in engineering change order (ECO) reviews; assess manufacturing impact of proposed changes and ensure SOPs and routings are updated before production resumes.

▪    Maintain close alignment with Product Engineering on BOM accuracy, component substitutions, and revision history as they affect the build process.

Production Work Order Flow & Factory Operations Support

▪    Own the Work Order routing and operation structure in Odoo; ensure WO templates reflect current process sequences, standard times, and workstation assignments for every active product.

▪    Manage production WO flow on the factory floor: monitor active orders, identify bottlenecks, and intervene directly when process issues or equipment problems threaten schedule attainment.

▪    Serve as the first technical escalation point for production operators and the manufacturing support team; resolve build process questions, nonconformances, and assembly issues in real time.

▪    Work with the Director of Supply Chain & Operations to align production scheduling with engineering capacity and process readiness.

▪    Track and report production WO attainment, cycle time actuals vs. standards, and first-pass yield by product; use data to drive targeted process improvements.

Robotic Assembly & Equipment Engineering

▪    Lead the commissioning, programming, and integration of robotic assembly equipment as the factory is built out; serve as the primary technical owner of all automated systems on the production line.

▪    Program and optimize robotic cells for assigned assembly operations; own changeover procedures, recipe management, and program revision control.

▪    Partner with the robotics equipment supplier (Kanavu or equivalent) on system integration, acceptance testing, and ongoing technical support.

▪    Develop and execute a preventive maintenance program for all production equipment — robotic and manual — to maximize uptime and eliminate unplanned stoppages.

▪    Troubleshoot equipment faults and process deviations; perform root-cause analysis and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.

▪    Evaluate and recommend automation expansion opportunities as product volume and mix evolve; build the business case and manage implementation.

Tooling, Fixtures & Work Cell Setup

▪    Design or specify all assembly tooling, test fixtures, jigs, and workstation equipment required to support the build process; manage fabrication or procurement.

▪    Provide manufacturing engineering input to factory layout and cell design; ensure physical workspace supports the intended process flow, ergonomics, and safety requirements.

▪    Maintain a tooling and fixture inventory; manage calibration, maintenance, and replacement on a defined schedule.

▪    Evaluate and introduce new tools or methods that improve build quality, reduce operator effort, or increase throughput.

Manufacturing Support Team Management

▪    Build, lead, and develop the manufacturing engineering support team; set priorities, provide technical guidance, and hold the team accountable to deliverables.

▪    Define roles and responsibilities within the team as headcount grows; match team capability to factory needs across buildout and production phases.

▪    Drive a culture of documentation, repeatability, and continuous improvement within the engineering team; model the standard you expect on the floor.

▪    Partner with operations leadership on workforce training programs; ensure operators are trained and certified to current SOPs before working independently.

Requirements

▪    Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a closely related field — or equivalent hands-on experience in a manufacturing engineering role.

▪    5 years of manufacturing engineering experience in an electromechanical, electronics, or light industrial assembly environment.

▪    Demonstrated experience developing and owning manufacturing SOPs, work instructions, and standard work documentation.

▪    Hands-on experience with automated or robotic assembly systems: programming, commissioning, troubleshooting, or process integration.

▪    Experience serving as a liaison between product design and manufacturing; familiarity with DFM principles and NPI processes.

▪    Working knowledge of ERP systems for WO routing and operation setup (Odoo preferred; any modern system considered).

▪    Proven ability to operate independently in a startup or greenfield environment — comfortable making decisions, building from scratch, and adjusting quickly.

▪    Hands-on by nature: this role requires active floor presence and direct technical engagement, not management from a distance.

Nice to have

▪    Experience in commercial lighting, LED driver electronics, or similar electromechanical assembly manufacturing.

▪    Direct experience with collaborative or industrial robotic systems (FANUC, KUKA, Universal Robots, or equivalent).

▪    Familiarity with SMT processes, PCB assembly, or wire harness manufacturing.

▪    Lean manufacturing background: value stream mapping, standard work, 5S, and waste elimination methodologies.

▪    Experience managing a small technical team or leading cross-functional engineering projects.

▪    SolidWorks, AutoCAD, or equivalent CAD proficiency for fixture and tooling design.

About You

•     You think in systems — you understand how leadership decisions ripple into an operations team and that “leaders lead by example” .

•     You are comfortable owning a function end-to-end without a playbook, and you build the playbook as you go.

•     You are a strong leader who will build a strong self-sustainable team.

•     You are hands-on, detail-oriented, proactive, and committed to data integrity.

•     You thrive in environments where what you build today shapes how the company runs tomorrow.

What Success Looks Like - First 90 Days

▪    SOPs exist for all current build processes; every active product has documented, validated work instructions before it goes to volume production.

▪    Work Order routing and operation structures are set up in Odoo and reflect actual process sequences and standard times.

▪    Robotic cell programming and equipment commissioning are on schedule and aligned with the factory buildout timeline.

▪    Product Engineering has a clear, responsive counterpart for DFM reviews and NPI handoffs — no product enters production without manufacturing engineering sign-off.

▪    The manufacturing support team is hired, oriented, and has clear roles and priorities.

▪    A preventive maintenance schedule exists for all production equipment and is being executed.

▪    The first responder to production floor technical problems

Travel

As needed or required

LANTANA LED Benefits

•     Generous healthcare with up to 100% employee coverage and 90% family coverage.

•     401(k) plan available.

•     Responsible PTO

•     A hard-working team that genuinely enjoys what they build.