Manager, NPI Operations Engineering

In this highly collaborative leadership role, you'll drive manufacturing readiness for new products and engineering changes, ensuring smooth launches and scalable production processes. Working across multiple teams, you'll help deliver industry-leading cutting solutions with a focus on safety, quality, delivery, and operational excellence.

As the Manager, NPI Operations Engineering, you will:

• Lead manufacturing readiness for new products, engineering changes, and product lifecycle transitions.

• Ensure accurate manufacturing systems, documentation, materials, tooling, and supplier readiness to support successful launches.

• Partner with engineering and quality teams to develop scalable, manufacturable processes that optimize safety, quality, delivery, and cost.

• Lead production validation activities, including APQP, PPAP, process capability, and launch quality planning.

• Lead and develop a small team responsible for new product introductions and engineering change implementation.

• Drive cross-functional launch execution, issue resolution, training, and transition to stable production with a "non-event launch" mindset.

Who you are and the experience you bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, manufacturing, industrial engineering, or a related technical field with 6+ years of experience in high-mix, low-volume manufacturing supporting NPI, production launch, process development, and engineering changes

• Strong knowledge of NPI, manufacturing readiness, engineering change management, BOMs, process flows, standard work, and work instructions

• Working knowledge of APQP, PPAP, DFMEA, PFMEA, control plans, process validation, PLM, ERP, MRP, and MES systems

• Ability to lead cross-functional work across engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, and production teams

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills using A3, 8D, root cause analysis, MSA, Gage R&R, SPC, and capability analysis

Preferred experience that differentiates you:

• Experience with pilot, pre-production, and launch builds

• Experience qualifying tooling, fixtures, equipment, and supplier readiness

• Hands-on experience supporting launch ramp, Lean manufacturing, and APQP/PPAP execution

• Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification preferred

• Strong Exposure to PLM environments like ARAS or similar

Location: Onsite, Kent, WA (Relocation assistance available)

Besides our incredible culture, some of the benefits you can expect with a career at Hypertherm:

• Global, 100% employee-owned company for over 50 years

• Profit-Sharing

• Employee Stock Ownership

• Five days/year Community Service Time

• Strong commitment to Environmental Stewardship

• Stable, growing organization with a no-layoff philosophy

Sponsorship of new applicants for employment authorization, or any other immigration-related support, is not available for this position at this time.

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