Job Descriptions:

Essential Function:

Lead and develop a manufacturing engineering team responsible for driving product quality improvement, reducing defects, and eliminating waste across manufacturing processes. This role focuses on applying engineering principles, data-driven analysis, and Lean methodologies to optimize process capability, improve first-pass yield, and enhance overall operational performance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of manufacturing engineers to proactively identify and eliminate sources of variation, defects, and inefficiencies.

• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and data-driven decision-making.

• Own the integrity of manufacturing routers, operations sequence, and cycle times.

Quality & Continuous Improvement

• Drive structured problem-solving initiatives (e.g., root cause analysis, corrective/preventive actions) to reduce defects and improve product quality.

• Implement and sustain robust engineering controls, including control plans, SPC, and process monitoring systems to ensure ongoing process stability.

• Lead cross-functional efforts to improve first-pass yield and reduce rework and scrap.

Lean Manufacturing & Waste Elimination

• Champion Lean principles (e.g., value stream mapping, standard work, 5S, flow optimization) to identify and remove non-value-added activities in manufacturing processes.

• Analyze workflows, layouts, and material movement to eliminate bottlenecks, reduce cycle times, and improve throughput

Data-Driven Process Optimization

• Partner with manufacturing teams to collect, analyze, and interpret process data to identify trends, variation, and improvement opportunities.

• Establish performance metrics and use statistical tools to drive continuous process improvement and sustain gains

• Use cycle time and routing data as inputs for capacity models, bottleneck analysis, and improvement prioritization

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with operations, quality, and supply chain teams to prioritize and execute improvement initiatives that impact product quality and cost.

• Support new product introductions by ensuring manufacturing processes are capable, repeatable, and aligned with quality standards

Equipment & Process Capability

• Evaluate equipment and process capability to ensure alignment with quality requirements and production goals.

• Lead teams through installation and validation of equipment with a focus on improving process robustness and reducing part variability.

Project & Strategy Execution

• Develop and manage improvement roadmaps focused on defect reduction, cost savings, and process capability enhancement.

• Report on key performance indicators and project progress to leadership, ensuring alignment with business objectives

• Carries out special projects and all other additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Preferred is a Bachelor's Degree in an Engineering discipline or equivalent; minimum of six years related experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Demonstrated experience leading engineering teams focused on quality improvement and defect reduction in manufacturing environments

• Strong expertise in:

• Root cause analysis and corrective/preventive action systems

• Statistical Process Control (SPC) and data analysis tools (e.g., JMP, Minitab)

• Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies

• Proven ability to use data and engineering tools to drive measurable improvements in yield, scrap, and process variation.

• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence both shop-floor teams and senior leadership

Physical Demands:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to stand and use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to walk; sit; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and; talk or hear.

The employee is occasionally required to lift up to 50 pounds. The employee regularly is required to lift up to 10 pounds. The vision requirements include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

While performing the duties of this job the employee is frequently exposed to work near moving mechanical parts and fumes or airborne particles. The employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions. The noise level in the environment is moderate.