Plexus Corporation

Director of Manufacturing Engineering

Plexus Corporation$149K — $246K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field; equivalent experience will be considered.
  • 10+ years in manufacturing engineering and automation roles.
  • 7+ years of experience managing technical teams.
  • Proven track record in developing and executing automation and digital manufacturing strategies.
  • Experience leading complex, cross-functional technology projects across multiple sites.
  • Demonstrated ability in capital planning and value realization.
  • Strong executive communication and stakeholder management skills.
  • Ability to implement enterprise strategy on-site within a matrixed organization.

Responsibilities

  • Define and lead the automation strategy across multiple sites, focusing on innovation and execution.
  • Lead the transition to smart, connected factories using data-driven technologies.
  • Manage a portfolio of automation investments, ensuring alignment with business value and feasibility.
  • Standardize architecture and engineering practices to enable scalable manufacturing solutions.
  • Collaborate in new product introductions to integrate automation and digital capabilities.
  • Recruit and develop a skilled team of automation engineers to enhance technical capabilities.
  • Serve as the key leader in automation strategy and investments, influencing executive decisions.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to lead and shape strategy in advanced manufacturing areas.
  • Role with significant impact on automation and digital manufacturing advancements.
  • Chance to work in a dynamic, cross-functional environment.
  • Join a company serving complex industries such as healthcare, aerospace, and defense.
  • Access to a talented team of professionals in engineering and technology.
Full Job Description
Director, Automation & Digital Manufacturing

We're looking for an accomplished engineering leader to transform how manufacturing is designed, automated and digitally connected across our Americas operations.

You'll lead the strategy and deployment of next-generation manufacturing technologies across multiple sites, helping shape the future of high-reliability manufacturing serving some of the world's most complex products in Healthcare, Industrial and Aerospace & Defense.

If you're passionate about robotics, AI, smart factories, digital manufacturing and building scalable manufacturing systems, this is an opportunity to create lasting impact at scale.

Purpose Statement:

As Director of Automation & Digital Manufacturing, you will define and execute the strategy and technology roadmap for manufacturing automation and digital manufacturing across 6 sites in the Americas, providing technical leadership and direction to a highly skilled team of 12+ engineers.

You will partner closely with Operations, Engineering, IT, Quality and Supply Chain to translate business needs into scalable manufacturing solutions that improve safety, quality, productivity, capacity, flexibility and customer success.

You will shape technology and investment priorities, accelerate development and adoption of smart factory and AI-enabled manufacturing capabilities, and build solutions that can scale across the region.

Key Job Accountabilities:
  • Automation strategy, innovation & execution - Define and lead the multi-year roadmap for manufacturing automation across AMER, including robotics, machine vision, cobots, autonomous mobile robotics and emerging manufacturing technologies. Continuously evaluate new technologies, strategic partners and pilots for scalability.
  • Digital manufacturing & Smart Factory - Lead the evolution toward connected, data-driven factories through MES, PLM, shop-floor data platforms and AI-enabled applications; establish the technology roadmap connecting automation investments to real-time operational insights and decision-making.
  • Technology portfolio & value realization - Build and manage a prioritized portfolio of automation and digital investments based on business value, technical feasibility and scalability; establish governance and performance measures to ensure solutions deliver measurable improvements in safety, quality, productivity, capacity and cost.
  • Standardization & scale - Establish common architectures, platforms, engineering standards and design methodologies across the region. Build modular, flexible solutions that accelerate deployment and enable replication across AMER and globally.
  • Advanced manufacturing & NPI - Partner with site engineering, Operations and customer teams to integrate automation and digital capabilities early in new product introductions, capacity expansions and strategic customer opportunities, enabling flexible and scalable manufacturing solutions.
  • Talent & capability building - Recruit, develop and lead a high-performing team of automation and digital manufacturing engineers while building technical bench strength, standards and capabilities across the region.
  • Executive partnership & influence - Serve as the AMER automation and digital manufacturing leader in regional and global engineering strategy, capital planning and executive reviews. Partner across a matrixed organization to align technology investments with business and customer priorities.


Education/Experience Qualifications:

Required:
  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical discipline; equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered
  • 10+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing engineering and automation
  • 7+ years leading technical organizations
  • Demonstrated experience developing and executing automation, advanced manufacturing or digital manufacturing strategies
  • Proven success leading complex, cross-functional technology deployments across multiple sites
  • Demonstrated experience with capital planning, business-case development and value realization
  • Strong executive communication, stakeholder management and influencing skills
  • Ability to translate enterprise strategy into scalable site-level execution within a matrixed organization
  • Ability to travel up to 20% of the time


Preferred Experience
Experience in one or more of:

  • Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) / Contract Manufacturing
  • High-mix / high-complexity production environments
  • Medical devices
  • Aerospace & Defense
  • Industrial automation
  • Multi-site, regional or global manufacturing organizations


This document does not represent a contract of employment and is not intended to capture every possible assignment the incumbent could be asked to perform.

About Plexus Corporation

Plexus Corporation is an American multinational electronics manufacturing services company headquartered in Neenah, Wisconsin. The company provides a range of services to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the aerospace and defense, healthcare, industrial, and semiconductor industries. Plexus' services include design and engineering, supply chain management, assembly and testing, and after-market services. The company operates in North America, Europe, and Asia and has manufacturing facilities in over 20 countries. Plexus was founded in 1979 and went public in 1988.
Learn more about Plexus Corporation
Size
19,200 employees
Market Cap
$2.8 billion
Industry
Net Income
$122.6 million
Founded
2011
5 Year Trend
+8.6%
Revenue
$3.3 billion
NASDAQ

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