Senior Manufacturing Engineer / Engineering Project Lead
Work Authorization Requirement
Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship. Visa sponsorship and relocation assistance are not available for this position.
Compensation: $120,000 – $170,000 annually
Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced Senior Manufacturing Engineer who excels at leading products from concept through full-scale production. This role combines manufacturing engineering, technical project leadership, and new product introduction (NPI) responsibilities within a collaborative manufacturing environment.
The ideal candidate will serve as the bridge between product design, engineering development, and manufacturing operations. This individual will lead cross-functional projects, drive process improvements, support production teams, and ensure new products are successfully launched while meeting quality, cost, and performance objectives.
This is a highly visible, hands-on role that requires strong technical leadership, project management expertise, and extensive manufacturing experience.
Key Responsibilities New Product Development & Product Launch
- Lead the transition of new products from concept through manufacturing and production release.
- Coordinate cross-functional NPI activities to ensure products are manufacturable, scalable, and cost-effective.
- Develop manufacturing processes, tooling, fixtures, product structures, and production documentation.
- Participate in product design reviews with a focus on manufacturability, quality, and cost optimization.
- Support engineering change management and product lifecycle activities.
Project Leadership
- Manage complex technical projects involving multiple engineering disciplines.
- Develop project plans, schedules, timelines, and execution strategies to meet business objectives.
- Coordinate resources and priorities across engineering, quality, production, suppliers, and leadership teams.
- Track project milestones and communicate progress to stakeholders.
Manufacturing & Process Improvement
- Evaluate existing manufacturing operations and identify opportunities to improve quality, productivity, safety, and throughput.
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives and implement Lean manufacturing principles.
- Develop and optimize assembly processes, work instructions, inspection procedures, and manufacturing workflows.
- Research and implement new manufacturing technologies, tooling, equipment, and automation opportunities.
Quality & Operational Excellence
- Lead root cause investigations and corrective actions related to product performance, manufacturing issues, and customer concerns.
- Support quality initiatives including FMEA, process validation, compliance activities, and continuous improvement efforts.
- Ensure manufacturing processes meet company, customer, and regulatory requirements.
- Partner with quality teams to improve product reliability and reduce defects.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Collaborate closely with Mechanical, Electrical, Controls, Manufacturing, and Quality Engineering teams.
- Work directly with production personnel to support training, troubleshooting, and operational improvements.
- Serve as a key liaison between engineering development teams and manufacturing operations.
- Support technical communication with customers, suppliers, and internal stakeholders.
Required QualificationsMust Have
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- 10+ years of manufacturing engineering experience.
- Proven experience managing products throughout the entire product development lifecycle, from concept through production.
- Demonstrated success leading New Product Development (NPD) and New Product Introduction (NPI) programs.
- Hands-on manufacturing floor experience supporting assembly operations, training production personnel, and resolving manufacturing issues.
- Experience serving as a Project Manager, Engineering Lead, or Technical Team Leader.
- Experience balancing both new product development and sustaining engineering projects.
- Strong background working with cross-functional engineering teams, including Mechanical, Electrical, Controls, and Manufacturing Engineering.
- Experience interacting directly with OEM customers and managing technical communications.
- Ability to successfully transition projects from concept development into engineering execution and from engineering into production.
Technical Skills
- SolidWorks proficiency.
- ERP/MRP systems experience.
- Knowledge of ISO 9001 quality systems.
- Strong project planning and scheduling experience, including project management software and Gantt chart development.
- Experience with FMEA, root cause analysis, process validation, and manufacturing process development.
- Advanced Microsoft Office skills.
Preferred Experience
- Electro-mechanical products and assemblies.
- Lean Manufacturing, 5S, and Continuous Improvement methodologies.
- Product industrialization and manufacturing scale-up.
- Supplier collaboration and manufacturing process optimization.
- Assembly process development and tooling/fixture design.
What Success Looks Like
- Successfully launches new products into production on time and within budget.
- Serves as the critical link between design engineering and manufacturing operations.
- Drives measurable improvements in quality, efficiency, cost, and throughput.
- Leads cross-functional teams to deliver complex engineering projects.
- Creates scalable manufacturing processes that support long-term business growth.
This opportunity is ideal for an engineering leader who enjoys taking ownership of products from initial concept through manufacturing launch and wants to play a key role in shaping the future of a growing manufacturing organization.
Pay: $140,000.00 - $170,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
