What are the responsibilities and job description for the Manufacturing Engineering Manager position at Virginia Transformer Corp?
Former US Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm said, “With what Virginia Transformer is doing, they are at the center of how we’re going to build out the backbone of our clean energy future.”
Virginia Transformer and Georgia Transformer Corp., is “the engineering firm that makes transformers.”
We are the largest US-owned manufacturer of electric transformers in North America and have been helping to secure the reliability and resilience of our country’s electric grid for more than 50 years. We produce power transformers for any conceivable application – GSU, substations, auto-transformers, grounding transformers, drive duty, rectifier, exciter, voltage regulator, and other.
The company is experiencing steady and sustained growth and serves every part of US industry from its six state-of-the-art North American facilities. We are actively looking for individuals who want to be part of a high-growth company and who want to share in the pride we have in ensuring American manufacturing continues to flourish. Without reliable power, manufacturing cannot operate. That is where we – and you – come in. Join us.
Job Summary:
The Manufacturing Engineering Manager is responsible for leading process engineering, tooling, and production support efforts across transformer manufacturing operations. This role ensures that engineering designs are efficiently translated into manufacturable processes while driving productivity, quality, and cost improvements. The Manager will oversee a team of manufacturing engineers and work closely with design engineering, operations, maintenance, and quality to implement new methods, improve existing workflows, and support the introduction of new products into production.
Key Responsibilities:
- Process Engineering & Optimization
- Lead the design, documentation, and implementation of manufacturing processes for transformer assembly, coil winding, tank fabrication, VPD drying, and final testing.
- Develop and standardize best practices for work instructions, routings, and process flows.
- Identify and implement lean manufacturing initiatives to reduce waste, increase throughput, and improve quality.
- Tooling & Equipment Support
- Oversee development and maintenance of custom tooling, jigs, fixtures, and production aids.
- Support capital equipment installations and upgrades in coordination with maintenance and operations.
- Ensure that manufacturing equipment is utilized effectively, safely, and reliably.
- New Product Introduction (NPI)
- Collaborate with design engineering to ensure manufacturability of new transformer designs.
- Lead process readiness for the launch of new models or product lines.
- Develop and execute validation plans for new or modified processes.
- Team Leadership
- Manage and mentor a team of manufacturing engineers and technicians.
- Foster a hands-on, problem-solving culture with an emphasis on cross-functional collaboration.
- Ensure adequate training, coaching, and professional development for engineering staff.
- Quality & Continuous Improvement
- Partner with Quality to investigate and resolve production issues related to process variability, tooling defects, or engineering changes.
- Lead root cause analysis and corrective action (CAPA) efforts.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Six Sigma, Kaizen, or similar methodologies.
- Documentation & Systems
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation for manufacturing processes, standards, and engineering change orders (ECOs).
- Support ERP integration for BOMs, routings, and production workflows.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Electrical Engineering or related field.
- 8 years of experience in manufacturing or process engineering in a heavy manufacturing or electrical equipment environment.
- 3 years in a leadership or managerial role.
- Experience with transformer manufacturing preferred (core & coil, insulation, oil/dry-type, etc.).
- Proficiency with CAD tools, ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle), and process documentation.
- Strong knowledge of lean manufacturing, root cause analysis, and process improvement tools.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
Travel:
Up to 15% to other Virginia Transformer plants for training, troubleshooting, and implementation support.
