Position: Manager of Manufacturing Engineering

Reporting to: Sr. Director of Manufacturing and Manufacturing Engineering

Location: Attica, IN

Date: October 2021

The job in a nutshell:

Our  Manager of Manufacturing Engineering is accountable for ensuring optimization of manufacturing capabilities and the efficiency of capital equipment, direct labor, cost-effectiveness, processes, and quality. You assume ownership of new and existing plant processes projects, especially equipment development and fabrication, to automate existing processes or replace them with the latest technology. Your responsibilities include managing equipment design engineers, overseeing outside contractors for equipment fabrication, working with plant personnel to install equipment, and coordinating with process engineers to facilitate development and final plant acceptance of the equipment and new process. Your task is to improve safety, process, cost, quality, and production methods by directing all ME projects and guiding engineers to resolve problems from root cause analysis to implementation of adequate process controls.

Your Day to Day

• Apply lean manufacturing principles in operations, including process layouts, assembly equipment, and process flows
• Work with operations, maintenance, and quality to identify continuous improvement and cost reduction activities.
• Manage all activities related to the design, modification, and maintenance of tooling, jigs, fixtures for the production machinery
• Work with design engineers during the tooling aspect of the new product introduction phase to ensure products are transitioned quickly into production.
• Recommend design changes or alternatives to assist with manufacturing
• Select and manage suppliers for tools, design services, and build services; act as liaisons between suppliers and the end process.
• Direct activities associated with industrial engineering
• Optimize plant layout through lean methodology and keep process documentation current
• Continuously improve all critical ME documentation
• Own the development of world-class manufacturing workstations
• Evaluate, select, implement, and optimize all equipment
• Implement an operational manufacturing process for all products, with  recommendations  and documentation
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements for emissions and other environmental concerns
• Troubleshoot productivity, quality, and parts issues in manufacturing, determining root cause, correcting problems, and instituting processes to prevent the problems from recurring
• Implement process improvement initiatives for  plant layout, work methods, and equipment
• Document and teach proper routing within the manufacturing process
• Own Capital Projects including requests for equipment, budget, and timeline management
• Drive the “make versus buy” decision-making process during new production projects
• Evaluate  all designs and techniques for manufacturability; recommend improvements
• Analyze equipment/product to determine procedures that leverage existing manufacturing or processing methods/facilities
• Support ME projects which require developing specifications, supplier management, purchasing, installation, and qualification of equipment
• Direct the work of designers, technicians, operators, and others on assignments; wear the hat of “local expert” for specific projects/products
• Take part in developing and executing equipment installation and operational qualifications
• Help create and initiate process validations
• Independently evaluate opportunities, initiate related activities, identify solutions, and apply standard engineering analysis tools to assess and select the most suitable.

You,  

• Have a demonstratable track record of successfully working within and across the span of the organization, with cross-functional teams, driving change, and implementing new processes to improve process efficiencies in manufacturing significantly
• Embrace the opportunity to lead, mentor, and train  2 – 5 process engineers
• Exemplify strong collaboration and facilitation skills
• Have excellent verbal, and written, communication skills with the ability to present
• Provide technical expertise and leadership while drawing on sound engineering concepts in the resolution of problems
• Are proactive, results-oriented, and have strong attention to detail.
• Can call upon your unmatched organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with the ability to make structured decisions.
• Use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

You have,

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Manufacturing Engineering or another technical field
• 10+ years of manufacturing experience
• Lean manufacturing/Six Sigma experience
• Proficiency with MS Office Tools (e.g., Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio)
• Relocate if necessary (we cover that)

We’d love it if you had:

• Master’s Degree in Manufacturing Engineering or a technical field
• 12 – 15 years manufacturing experience
• Battery Industry experience
• Black Belt/Six Sigma Certification

The perks:

• We’ve got you covered: Medical, Dental, and Vision. Pick from a variety of plans!
• We’ve all got to plan and save, so use the 401(k), we can teach you how
• We’re all about your growth, so we’ll reimburse your tuition up to $5k/year
• There’s a bunch of time off - here’s the breakdown - 15 PTO, 12 holidays
• You’ll get access to a Credit Union Membership, Legal Services, and a bunch of Employee Discounts also, Employee Assistance Program