Job Description
Job Overview:
For over 50 years, E & E has been a leading supplier in the automotive industry specializing in metal stampings and welded assemblies. Our growth and success is a result of the dedication and commitment of our company.
Role Description:
The Manufacturing Engineering Manager is responsible for the reliability and continuous improvement of all production equipment and assembly processes required to manufacture a high-quality product in a repeatable and cost-effective manner. Core areas of focus include maintaining existing production equipment to maximum uptime, leading continuous improvement initiatives across equipment, processes, and ergonomics, ensuring a safe work environment, and managing external assembly equipment integrators engaged to design and build new production equipment.
The Manufacturing Engineering Manager must be a leader, strategic thinker, and problem solver. He/she must combine detailed technical knowledge with business acumen and operations management. He/she should be well organized, disciplined, and self-motivated, with the capability to balance multiple priorities. He/she must communicate effectively with internal personnel, equipment suppliers, and integrators with equal professionalism.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Additional job duties may be assigned. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required:
Production Equipment Maintenance
- Lead and oversee the maintenance program for all production and secondary assembly equipment, tracking uptime, mean time between failure (MTBF), and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
- Manage and direct Weld Technicians and Job Setters responsible for equipment uptime and changeover on secondary and assembly equipment.
- Develop and maintain preventive and predictive maintenance schedules, procedures, and documentation for all production equipment.
- Diagnose root causes of equipment failures; drive corrective and permanent counter-measures to prevent recurrence.
- Maintain die sensor installations and oversee die sensor maintenance in production, including new sensor installs for job launches.
- Establish and track key maintenance metrics; report status and improvement trends to plant management.
- Ensure spare parts inventory is maintained at appropriate levels to minimize unplanned downtime.
Continuous Improvement
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives across manufacturing processes, equipment, cycle times, capacity, and labor efficiency.
- Identify and execute waste reduction projects utilizing Lean, Kaizen, 5S, TPM, Kanban, and other World Class Manufacturing methodologies.
- Lead or support PFMEA development for new and existing processes; ensure process designs align with risk mitigation strategies.
- Analyze system capacity, process capability, and cost data to identify and prioritize improvement opportunities.
- Develop and achieve measurable departmental CI goals; report progress against cost reduction, quality, and productivity targets.
- Champion process documentation including work instructions, control plans, and standard operating procedures.
- Provide technical leadership to engineering staff and technicians to ensure ongoing product and process improvements.
- Support defect reduction initiatives; build quality into processes and monitor quality levels against targets.
Safety and Ergonomics
- Champion a safe work environment by ensuring all equipment, processes, and workstations comply with applicable OSHA regulations, company safety policies, and ISO 14001 requirements.
- Lead ergonomic assessments of assembly workstations and production operations; identify risk factors and implement engineering controls to reduce ergonomic hazards.
- Integrate safety and ergonomic requirements into the design and specification of new equipment from the earliest stages of project development.
- Participate in safety reviews (e.g., machine guarding audits, lockout/tagout compliance, risk assessments) for existing and new production equipment.
- Partner with the EHS function to develop and deliver safety training relevant to manufacturing engineering activities.
Assembly Equipment Integrator Management
- Serve as the primary internal point of contact for external assembly equipment integrators building new production equipment.
- Define equipment design and build standards; communicate requirements clearly to integrators and hold them accountable to specifications.
- Develop project scopes, timelines, and capital budgets for new equipment builds; manage integrators to schedule and budget commitments.
- Review and approve conceptual designs, detailed designs, and build documentation submitted by integrators.
- Coordinate factory acceptance testing (FAT) and site acceptance testing (SAT) for newly built equipment; ensure all quality, safety, and performance criteria are met prior to acceptance.
- Manage integrator relationships including vendor qualification, performance evaluation, and contract compliance.
- Oversee equipment installation, commissioning, and production run-off in collaboration with integrators, production, and quality teams.
- Ensure all required documentation (drawings, manuals, spare parts lists, safety analyses) is delivered and archived upon project completion.
General Leadership and Management
- Develop and execute training plans for Weld Technicians, Job Setters, Engineers, and other Manufacturing Engineering Department personnel.
- Determine capital equipment needs and manage the annual capital budget process for equipment, tooling, and installation projects.
- Support new program launches including process development, PFMEA, packaging design, and production readiness.
- Prepare procedures, engineering reports, project plans, and budget summaries as required.
- Set the example by actively leading the department toward company goals; clarify expectations and seek additional training as needed.
- May be asked to perform other duties at varying levels of proficiency or outside this classification as required.
Expectations
Employees are expected to follow all standards listed below:
- Consistently exhibit appropriate attendance habits, working the hours necessary to perform the job.
- Provide necessary, accurate, and timely feedback of all pertinent information to co-workers and management.
- Effectively communicate with co-workers and management personnel to enhance teamwork and communication initiatives.
- Consistently adhere to and support company policies and procedures, including ISO 14001, IATF 16949, and all safety regulations.
- Accept instructions and duties in a positive manner.
- Treat all co-workers with dignity and respect.
- Actively support E&E values.
Work Environment
Work environment characteristics are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Employees may be subject to certain environments including working near loud moving mechanical parts. The following environments include:
- Fumes or airborne particles
- Extreme heat (non-weather)
- Risk of electrical shock
Noise Level
The noise level in the working environment will be moderate with the sound of presses and machinery. Ear protection may be required.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Physical demands include:
- Standing
- Walking
- Sitting
- Lifting weight up to 25 pounds
Special Vision Requirements
- Close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less).
- Distance vision (clear vision at 20 feet or more).
- Color vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors).
- Depth perception (three-dimensional vision, ability to judge distances and spatial relationships).
- Ability to adjust focus (ability to bring an object into sharp focus).
Education / Experience / Certifications:
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering, or equivalent.
Experience:
- Minimum ten (10) or more years of experience in a manufacturing engineering environment.
- Demonstrated hands-on experience with production equipment maintenance, continuous improvement programs, and capital equipment project management.
- Experience managing or coordinating external equipment integrators or automation vendors is strongly preferred.
- Background in ergonomics program management or ergonomic workstation design is a plus.
Certifications:
- None required; Lean/Six Sigma certification or equivalent is a plus.
Additional Skills Required:
Computer Skills:
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project).
- Experience with CAD software (AutoCAD or equivalent); Aegis preferred.
Communication Skills:
- Speak effectively with fellow employees, customers, and external vendors/integrators.
- Read and interpret documents such as safety rules, engineering specifications, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
- Interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
Mathematical Skills:
- Applicable to engineering calculations, process capability analysis, and capital project financial analysis.
Other Skills:
- Detail oriented with strong organizational skills and ability to meet deadlines while managing multiple priorities.
- Solve practical problems and deal with a variety of variables in situations where limited standardization exists.
- Demonstrate strong time management and leadership skills.
- Apply logic and reasoning to develop solutions to complex manufacturing problems.
- Thorough understanding of quality management systems (IATF 16949, ISO 14001).
- Experience with World Class Manufacturing processes: Lean, Kaizen, Kanban, 5S, TPM, and related methodologies.
- Strong interpersonal skills; ability to mentor others in new processes and procedures.
Benefits
E & E offers a competitive wage, solid opportunity, and a career path to success. We offer comprehensive benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term and long-term disability, 401(k) program, and free membership to a local gym.
