Please Note - Preferred location: Irvine, California. Remote candidates may be considered if they are out of the area
About the RoleThe Manager, Production Engineering, ensures efficient, high quality, and cost-effective production of TPS products. While the contract manufacturer is responsible for optimizing manufacturing processes and production equipment, this role closely monitors and supports the contract manufacturer to ensure optimal manufacturing cost, quality, and delivery performance. This role also identifies and leads value engineering and upgrade initiatives to meet business targets for pricing and scale. This role manages a QA and QC Engineer to ensure production quality controls are defined, executed, and continuously improved.
Contract manufacturer monitoring and production support- Serve as the primary production engineering interface to contract manufacturers for readiness, build execution, and continuous improvement
- Closely monitor contract manufacturer process performance, staffing, tooling readiness, and equipment utilization to ensure target cost, quality, and throughput
- Establish production readiness gates, build plans, and staffing assumptions with the contract manufacturer
- Support first article builds and ramp builds, including onsite troubleshooting and rapid closure of production issues
- Ensure contract manufacturer processes align with TPS requirements for quality, safety, documentation, and traceability
Manufacturing process governance and optimization- Define required manufacturing process standards, workstation design expectations, and standard work that the contract manufacturer must follow for TPS products
- Review and approve process changes that impact product quality, safety, or cost
- Track key process metrics and drive corrective actions to reduce variation and rework
Value engineering and scaling upgrades- Identify and lead value engineering initiatives to reduce manufacturing cost while maintaining quality and safety
- Develop and implement upgrade plans with contract manufacturer for production scale, including tooling, test automation, line layout, and process improvements aligned with volume targets
- Partner with Product Architecture, System Integration, and Supply Chain teams to execute cost down roadmaps tied to pricing and margin targets
Design for manufacturing feedback- Partner with Product Engineering and System Integration to drive DFM and DFA improvements that reduce cost and improve build quality
- Provide production driven feedback on drawings, BOM structure, tolerances, assembly methods, and serviceability
- Participate in ECO review and ensure manufacturing impacts are understood and incorporated into build plans
Quality and yield improvement- Monitor yield, scrap, rework drivers, and downtime, and lead corrective actions with the contract manufacturer
- Monitor and inspect the contract manufacturer's critical process controls, inspection points, and test steps to ensure quality and reduce rework
- Implement root cause and corrective action processes for recurring production issues
QA/AC leadership- Lead the QA and QC Engineer and define clear expectations for incoming inspection, in process checks, final inspection, and evidence capture
- Ensure QA and QC processes align with TPS product requirements, safety expectations, and contract manufacturer execution
- Drive closure of quality escapes, non-conformances, and corrective actions with clear ownership and verification of effectiveness
Cost and productivity- Track manufacturing metrics tied to cost, throughput, and quality and provide clear performance reporting to leadership
- Identify and execute productivity improvements through labor reduction, tooling ROI, and test automation
Documentation, training, and scalability- Develop and maintain production documentation including work instructions, and training materials
- Train contract manufacturer teams on TPS processes and standards and ensure consistent adoption
- Build scalable production systems that support multi-site manufacturing as TPS volume grows
Qualifications, Functional Experience & SkillsRequired - 7+ years in manufacturing process engineering and design for large utility scale BESS products
- Extensive experience supporting contract manufacturers through production ramp and ongoing operations
- Demonstrated ability to drive cost down and value engineering initiatives in a manufacturing environment
- Strong working knowledge of production metrics, process controls, and quality systems within manufacturing execution
- Experience driving DFM and ECO impacts with engineering teams and translating design intent into buildable processes
- Strong problem-solving skills and experience running root cause and corrective action in production environments
- Strong communication skills and ability to lead cross functional alignment and Contract manufacturing execution
Preferred - Experience with stationary BESS manufacturing or power electronics production
- PCS manufacturing experience, including cabinet assembly, power electronics integration, and production test workflows
- Experience with low to mid volume production ramps transitioning to higher volume
- Six Sigma certification or equivalent demonstrated practice
At TAE Power Solutions, we consider a wide range of factors when making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and job-related knowledge, training; licenses and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements depending on the position offered (non-Sr., Sr., Lead or Manager).
The range for this role is $150,000 to $180,000k + Benefits. 
