Engineering Manager

Confidential Jobs; Wisconsin; On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential Jobs is seeking an Engineering Manager to launch and scale a new production facility for advanced engine assembly, testing, and manufacturing in Wisconsin. The role starts hands-on and quickly grows to lead Manufacturing/Propulsion Engineers, working closely with Operations, Quality, and leadership.

Ideal candidates bring background in automotive/powertrain or high-volume manufacturing, with expertise in process optimization, Lean methods, and product transfer to production.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, Aerospace, or related field.
• 8+ years in automotive, powertrain, engine manufacturing, aerospace, or advanced manufacturing.
• Strong understanding of high-volume, low-mix production environments.
• Experience with cycle time, takt time, line balancing, and process optimization.
• Experience transferring or launching products into production.
• Ability to lead engineers and projects and communicate with customers.

Responsibilities

• Stand up the engineering function and manufacturing operation from the ground up.
• Lead transfer and onshoring of product designs, data, processes, and IP.
• Develop and improve assembly, testing, tooling, and work instructions.
• Identify process gaps, tolerance issues, and sources of variation.
• Drive yield, cycle-time, takt-time, throughput, and process capability improvements.
• Lead structured problem solving (PFMEA, DFMEA, 8D, RCCA, fault trees, control plans).
• Support early production builds, troubleshooting, and product acceptance.
• Collaborate with Operations and Quality to create stable production-ready processes.
• Support Customer discussions by explaining technical designs and requirements.
• Build and lead a team of Manufacturing and Propulsion Engineers.

Skills

PFMEA

DFMEA

8D

RCCA

control plans

Lean manufacturing

cycle time

takt time

line balancing

first-pass yield

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Manufacturing/Industrial/Aerospace engineering background

Tools

AS9100

IATF 16949

Six Sigma

Job description

Engineering Manager - Advanced Manufacturing

A growing U.S. manufacturer is hiring an Engineering Manager to help launch and scale a new production facility supporting advanced engine assembly, testing, and manufacturing.

This is not a traditional desk-based management role. The Engineering Manager will initially work as a hands-on individual contributor, partnering closely with Operations, Quality, Business Development, and executive leadership to establish the engineering foundation of the facility. As the operation grows, this person will build and lead a team of junior and senior Manufacturing and Propulsion Engineers.

The ideal candidate will bring a strong automotive, powertrain, engine manufacturing, aerospace, or other high-volume, low-mix production background. We are looking for someone who understands cycle time, takt time, first-pass yield, process variation, line balancing, root-cause analysis, and how to turn technical designs into stable, repeatable manufacturing processes.

Key Responsibilities

• Help stand up the engineering function and manufacturing operation from the ground up
• Lead the transfer and onshoring of product designs, technical data, processes, and intellectual property
• Develop and improve assembly, testing, tooling, work instructions, and manufacturing processes
• Identify process gaps, tolerance issues, failure modes, and sources of variation
• Drive first-pass yield, cycle-time, takt-time, throughput, and process capability improvements
• Lead structured problem solving using PFMEA, DFMEA, 8D, RCCA, fault trees, and control plans
• Support early production builds, troubleshooting, testing, balancing, and product acceptance
• Partner closely with Operations and Quality to create stable, production-ready processes
• Support Business Development during customer conversations by explaining technical designs, engine systems, product capabilities, and application requirements
• Build and lead a team of Manufacturing and Propulsion Engineers
• Establish priorities, standards, accountability, and engineering discipline without requiring heavy direction

Ideal Background

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, Aerospace, or a related engineering field
• 8+ years of progressive engineering experience in automotive, powertrain, engine manufacturing, aerospace, or advanced manufacturing
• Strong understanding of high-volume, low-mix manufacturing environments
• Experience with cycle time, takt time, line balancing, first-pass yield, Lean manufacturing, and process optimization
• Experience transferring, industrializing, or launching products into production
• Strong mechanical design, design-for-manufacturing, tolerance analysis, and troubleshooting capabilities
• Comfortable communicating directly with customers and explaining complex technical concepts
• Demonstrated ability to lead engineers, projects, and technical decisions
• Prior management experience is preferred but not required; seasoned Lead, Principal, or Senior Engineers will be considered
• AS9100, IATF 16949, Six Sigma, PFMEA, 8D, and RCCA experience is highly valued
• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Must be willing to work on-site in Wisconsin

This is a unique opportunity for a high-caliber engineering leader who wants to build an engineering organization, help launch a new manufacturing facility, and play a major role in scaling an advanced manufacturing operation.