Ceramics Manufacturing Engineering Lead

Jobtailor; Chandler (AZ); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor seeks a seasoned Manufacturing Engineering leader to guide a team across process development, scale-up, and technology transfer for ceramic materials. You will drive KPI-based performance, partner with R&D and Quality, and lead CAPEX-enabled equipment initiatives in a fast-moving production environment.

Ideal candidates bring 5–10 years in manufacturing engineering with leadership experience in advanced ceramics or semiconductor materials, plus strong statistical and Lean Six Sigma

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Materials Science, or related technical discipline required; Master's preferred.
• 5–10 years of manufacturing engineering experience.
• At least 3–5 years in a formal engineering leadership role within advanced ceramics, semiconductor materials, or related environments.
• Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary engineering teams and driving organizational performance.
• Experience with process development, manufacturing scale-up, qualification, and technology transfer.
• Proficiency with statistical analysis and manufacturing improvement tools such as Minitab, JMP, or equivalent.
• Experience applying Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, DMAIC, or equivalent continuous improvement methodologies.
• Strong project management experience, including CAPEX planning, equipment procurement, installation, and startup.
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams and stakeholders without direct authority.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to present complex technical information to customers, leadership, and non-technical audiences.
• Strong knowledge of safety, environmental, quality, and regulatory requirements within a manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of process, manufacturing, and project engineers.
• Develop, implement, and optimize ceramic manufacturing processes including powder preparation, sintering, grinding, CNC, and polishing.
• Oversee manufacturing readiness, process validation, and scale-up of new designs from R&D to production.
• Establish and monitor KPIs for safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity.
• Lead technical evaluations and process development projects with R&D, Quality, and Operations teams.
• Drive continuous improvement focused on yield enhancement, scrap reduction, throughput improvement, cycle time reduction, and cost optimization.
• Manage departmental operating budgets and CAPEX planning, justification, and execution for new equipment and infrastructure.
• Drive equipment reliability and asset utilization through preventive maintenance strategies, OEE improvement, and root cause analysis.
• Identify and implement automation, digitalization, and Industry 4.0 technologies.
• Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, quality, and regulatory requirements while fostering operational excellence.

Skills

Engineering Leadership

Mentoring

Excellent communication

Influencing cross-functional teams

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Materials Science, or related technical discipline

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Minitab

JMP

CNC

OEE Improvement Tools

Job description

Jobtailor seeks a seasoned Manufacturing Engineering leader to guide a team across process development, scale-up, and technology transfer for ceramic materials. You will drive KPI-based performance, partner with R&D and Quality, and lead CAPEX-enabled equipment initiatives in a fast-moving production environment.

Ideal candidates bring 5–10 years in manufacturing engineering with leadership experience in advanced ceramics or semiconductor materials, plus strong statistical and Lean Six Sigma