Manufacturing Engineering Manager

Position Summary

The Manufacturing Engineering Manager is responsible for leading the manufacturing engineering function supporting the fabrication, machining, welding, and final assembly of stainless-steel wastewater treatment equipment. This role owns manufacturing process development, production support, tooling, Lean manufacturing implementation, and quality-focused process control to ensure safe, efficient, compliant, and cost-effective operations. The position serves as a key technical and leadership interface between engineering, quality, and operations management. Reports directly to Vice President of Operations and Manages up to 4 direct reports within Manufacturing Engineering.

Key Responsibilities

Manufacturing Engineering Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of manufacturing engineers and technicians.
• Establish priorities, allocate resources, and manage workloads to support production schedules and operational objectives.
• Drive accountability for engineering deliverables, timelines, manufacturing performance, and quality outcomes.
• Serve as the primary manufacturing engineering liaison to the VP of Operations.

Process Development & Optimization

• Develop, document, and continuously improve manufacturing processes for:
• Stainless steel fabrication (cutting, forming, fitting)
• Machining operations (CNC and manual)
• Welding operations (primarily stainless steel, including TIG/MIG)
• Mechanical and electromechanical final assembly
• Create and maintain standard work, routings, labor standards, and work instructions with a focus on repeatability, quality, and waste reduction.
• Identify and implement process improvements to reduce cycle time, labor content, scrap, variation, and rework.
• Support facility layout planning, cellular manufacturing, and material flow optimization.

Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement

• Lead and champion Lean manufacturing initiatives, including 5S, value stream mapping, standard work, visual management, and Kaizen events.
• Drive elimination of waste across fabrication, machining, welding, and assembly operations.
• Establish performance metrics and dashboards to track efficiency, throughput, and continuous improvement progress.
• Train and mentor engineering and production teams on Lean principles and problem-solving methodologies.

Production Support

• Provide day-to-day technical support to production teams to resolve manufacturing, assembly, or quality issues.
• Lead structured root cause analysis (e.g., 5 Whys, Fishbone, A3) and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Collaborate with production supervisors to ensure manufacturability, quality, throughput, and schedule adherence.
• Support new product introductions (NPI) and engineering changes from design through production release.

Quality & Process Control

• Partner closely with the Quality function to ensure manufacturing processes meet internal quality standards and customer requirements.
• Support development and implementation of process controls, inspection plans, and quality checkpoints throughout fabrication and assembly.
• Drive reduction of defects, rework, and customer returns through data-driven process improvement.
• Participate in internal and external audits and support corrective action closure.
• Promote a culture of quality ownership and continuous improvement within manufacturing.

Welding & Fabrication Oversight

• Ensure welding processes, procedures, and qualifications comply with applicable codes, standards, and customer requirements.
• Support development and maintenance of WPS, welder qualifications, and fabrication standards.
• Improve consistency and repeatability of stainless steel welding and fabrication processes through standardization and training.
• Collaborate with Quality to ensure inspection, testing, and documentation requirements are met.

Tooling, Equipment & Capital Projects

• Specify, design, or support tooling, fixtures, jigs, and gauges to improve safety, quality, and productivity.
• Support equipment selection, justification, and commissioning for new or upgraded manufacturing equipment.
• Lead or support capital projects focused on Lean flow, quality improvement, capacity expansion, and cost reduction.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with design engineering to ensure products are designed for manufacturability, assembly, and quality (DFM/DFA/DFQ).
• Collaborate with quality, supply chain, and operations teams to improve supplier quality, manufacturability, and overall plant performance.
• Support purchasing and supplier development efforts related to cost, quality, and manufacturability.

Competencies & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
• 7+ years of manufacturing engineering experience in an industrial or equipment manufacturing environment.
• 2+ years of people management or technical leadership experience.
• Hands-on experience with stainless steel fabrication, machining, welding, and mechanical assembly.
• Demonstrated experience implementing Lean manufacturing and driving measurable operational improvements.
• Working knowledge of quality systems, inspection methods, and corrective action processes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in wastewater, water treatment, or similar industrial equipment manufacturing.
• Familiarity with welding and fabrication standards (AWS, ASME where applicable).
• Experience in high-mix, low-volume or engineer-to-order manufacturing environments.
• Lean Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or Black Belt).
• Experience working within a formal quality management system (ISO 9001 or similar).
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems and manufacturing performance analytics.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strong leadership and coaching skills with a continuous improvement mindset.
• Data-driven problem-solving and root cause analysis expertise.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing quality, process control, and defect prevention.
• Ability to influence across functions and levels of the organization.
• Excellent communication, organization, and prioritization skills.

Work Environment

Manufacturing-floor–centric role with significant time spent in fabrication, machining, welding, and assembly areas.

Office-based engineering and planning activities as required.

Occasional travel for supplier visits, audits, equipment commissioning, or customer support.