Manufacturing Engineering Manager

Our client, a growing, high-mix, low-volume contract manufacturer, seeks a hands-on engineering leader to build and develop a world-class manufacturing engineering organization while driving the next generation of manufacturing systems and technologies. The Manufacturing Engineering Manager will be responsible for leading all manufacturing engineering activities with a primary focus on owning the development, qualification, deployment, documentation, and continuous improvement of manufacturing processes, including cable assemblies, wiring harnesses, printed circuit board assemblies, box builds, industrial control panels, frame-level assemblies, and systems integration. This individual will lead a team of engineers and technicians responsible for process development, manufacturing documentation, tooling and fixtures, process qualification, work instructions, quality planning, and production support. In addition, the position will serve as the business owner for engineering automation. The successful candidate will be an exceptional leader, coach, problem solver, and change agent who thrives in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and brings a passion for continuous improvement, innovation, and people development.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering Leadership

• Build and maintain a high-performance engineering organization focused on accountability, collaboration, innovation, and customer satisfaction.
• Establish performance goals, training programs, succession plans, and employee development initiatives.

Manufacturing Process Ownership

• Lead root cause investigations and corrective actions for manufacturing and quality issues.
• Provide technical leadership and support to Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Program Management.

New Product Introduction & Customer Support

• Lead engineering involvement from quotation through production release.
• Support DFM reviews, manufacturing planning, tooling development, process validation, and production readiness reviews.
• Partner directly with customers to resolve technical issues and improve manufacturability.
• Support quoting activities through labor estimates, process planning, risk assessment, and technical review.

Quality Systems & Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure compliance with AS9100, ISO 9001, ISO 13485, IPC standards, customer requirements, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Participate in customer audits, internal audits, certification audits, and quality system reviews.
• Partner with Quality to develop and maintain control plans, PFMEAs, risk assessments, validations, and corrective action systems.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in: Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• Minimum 7 years of manufacturing engineering experience.
• Minimum 3 years of engineering leadership experience with direct supervisory responsibility.
• Proven experience leading technical teams and developing engineering talent.
• Demonstrated success driving process improvement, operational excellence, and organizational change.
• Experience supporting regulated manufacturing environments such as AS9100, ISO 9001, ISO 13485, aerospace, defense, medical device, or similar industries.
• Experience implementing manufacturing systems, engineering automation, digital transformation initiatives, or emerging technologies is highly desirable.