Engineering Manager

Ethos; Waterloo (IA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plan

Retirement plan

Life insurance

Paid time off

Disability

Training

Job summary

Ethos is seeking an Engineering Manager (Industrial Manufacturing) to lead a design engineering team focused on sustaining engineering, product standardization, and cost reduction. You will collaborate with Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain and other leaders to ensure reliable, manufacturable products that meet industry standards.

The role demands hands-on leadership and a strong background in mechanical design and CAD tools.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• Experience leading engineering teams in manufacturing or production environments.
• Strong background in mechanical design and manufacturing processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of product design engineers responsible for existing product platforms and production support.
• Establish engineering priorities and allocate resources based on production requirements, product improvements, and cost-reduction opportunities.
• Collaborate with other engineering managers to maintain consistent engineering standards, processes, and design practices across the product portfolio.
• Provide hands-on technical guidance and engineering oversight while remaining actively engaged in day-to-day operations.
• Own ongoing engineering support, maintenance, and evolution of existing heavy-haul trailer product platforms.
• Lead design improvements and product changes to enhance manufacturability, durability, reliability, safety, and cost efficiency.
• Investigate and resolve design-related production issues, quality concerns, warranty claims, and field performance problems.
• Apply root-cause analysis, DFMEA, warranty data, lessons learned, and customer feedback to identify improvement opportunities.
• Lead design reviews and evaluate proposed engineering changes to ensure technical accuracy, product integrity, and alignment with established design standards.
• Partner with Manufacturing Engineering and Production to improve fabrication, weldment design, assembly methods, and overall production efficiency.
• Improve drawings, BOMs, engineering documentation, and design release processes to support accurate and efficient manufacturing.
• Drive design-for-manufacturability, design-to-cost, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Provide timely engineering support to resolve manufacturing challenges and minimize production delays.
• Work with Supply Chain and other cross-functional teams to evaluate material, component, and design alternatives that improve cost and availability without compromising quality or performance.
• Oversee engineering change notices and engineering change orders (ECNs/ECOs), ensuring changes are evaluated, approved, documented, and implemented accurately.
• Maintain product architectures, design standards, and engineering documentation throughout the product lifecycle.
• Support the development and implementation of standardized, pre-engineered product offerings to reduce custom engineering requirements and improve production scheduling.
• Identify opportunities to simplify product configurations, improve design consistency, and increase repeatability across product platforms.
• Maintain and improve engineering databases, CAD tools, and technical documentation systems.
• Ensure product designs and engineering changes comply with applicable FMVSS, DOT, and internal engineering and quality requirements.
• Collaborate with Quality, Warranty, Customer Service, Sales, and Operations to address technical questions, resolve product concerns, and support customer needs.
• Communicate engineering decisions, product changes, and technical recommendations clearly to both technical and nontechnical stakeholders.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Team management

Design for manufacturability

Root-cause analysis

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

CAD software

Microsoft Excel

Engineering data management systems

Job description

Engineering Manager (Industrial Manufacturing)

(Excellent Full Benefits Package, Relocation Assistance, Lucrative Compensation/Bonus Structure and more!)

This hands-on leadership role focuses on sustaining engineering, product standardization, design optimization, cost reduction, and continuous improvement.

The Engineering Manager will work closely with Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Warranty, Customer Service, and other engineering leaders to ensure products are reliable, cost-effective, manufacturable, and compliant with applicable industry standards.

Position Responsibilities:

Engineering Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of product design engineers responsible for existing product platforms and production support.
• Establish engineering priorities and allocate resources based on production requirements, product improvements, cost-reduction opportunities, and field performance.
• Collaborate with other engineering managers to maintain consistent engineering standards, processes, and design practices across the product portfolio.
• Provide hands-on technical guidance and engineering oversight while remaining actively engaged in day-to-day operations.

Sustaining Engineering & Product Improvement

• Own the ongoing engineering support, maintenance, and evolution of existing heavy-haul trailer product platforms.
• Lead design improvements and product changes that enhance manufacturability, durability, reliability, safety, and cost efficiency.
• Investigate and resolve design-related production issues, quality concerns, warranty claims, and field performance problems.
• Apply root-cause analysis, DFMEA, warranty data, lessons learned, and customer feedback to identify improvement opportunities and prevent recurring issues.
• Lead design reviews and evaluate proposed engineering changes to ensure technical accuracy, product integrity, and alignment with established design standards.

Manufacturing Support & Design Optimization

• Partner with Manufacturing Engineering and Production to improve fabrication, weldment design, assembly methods, and overall production efficiency.
• Improve drawings, bills of materials (BOMs), engineering documentation, and design release processes to support accurate and efficient manufacturing.
• Drive design-for-manufacturability, design-to-cost, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Provide timely engineering support to resolve manufacturing challenges and minimize production delays.
• Work with Supply Chain and other cross-functional teams to evaluate material, component, and design alternatives that improve cost and availability without compromising quality or performance.

Engineering Change & Product Standardization

• Oversee engineering change notices and engineering change orders (ECNs/ECOs), ensuring changes are evaluated, approved, documented, and implemented accurately.
• Maintain product architectures, design standards, and engineering documentation throughout the product lifecycle.
• Support the development and implementation of standardized, pre-engineered product offerings to reduce custom engineering requirements and improve production scheduling.
• Identify opportunities to simplify product configurations, improve design consistency, and increase repeatability across product platforms.
• Maintain and improve engineering databases, CAD tools, and technical documentation systems.

Compliance & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Ensure product designs and engineering changes comply with applicable FMVSS, DOT, and internal engineering and quality requirements.
• Collaborate with Quality, Warranty, Customer Service, Sales, and Operations to address technical questions, resolve product concerns, and support customer needs.
• Communicate engineering decisions, product changes, and technical recommendations clearly to both technical and nontechnical stakeholders.

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline required.
• Experience in heavy-haul trailers, heavy equipment, or fabricated mobile equipment strongly preferred.
• Previous engineering leadership or team management experience, including the ability to develop employees and coordinate technical priorities.
• Strong background in mechanical design, structural applications, hydraulics, and manufacturing processes.
• Demonstrated experience supporting existing products in a manufacturing or production environment.
• Proficiency with CAD software, Microsoft Excel, and engineering data management systems.
• Experience with engineering change management, design reviews, BOMs, and technical drawing documentation.
• Familiarity with design-for-manufacturability, cost-reduction initiatives, root-cause analysis, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Working knowledge of applicable vehicle safety and regulatory requirements, including FMVSS and DOT standards.

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Training & Development