Engineering Manager, Metals

Preco, LLC; Town of Somerset (WI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

401(k) matching

Health insurance

Paid time off

Employee assistance program

Referral program

Flexible spending account

Life insurance

Health savings account

9 paid holidays per year

Job summary

A leading manufacturing company in Somerset, WI is seeking an Engineering Manager to lead a team providing engineering support for 24/7 operations. The successful candidate will possess a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, 8+ years of experience, and strong skills in Lean Manufacturing. Responsibilities include managing production support, driving continuous improvement initiatives, and ensuring effective communication across teams. You will work in a collaborative environment focused on safety and quality, with opportunities for career advancement and additional benefits.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in a manufacturing environment with increasing responsibility.
• Demonstrated success leading production support engineering.
• Strong working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Production Support Engineers.
• Own the engineering system that supports 24/7 operations.
• Serve as the Lean/CI leader for production support workstreams.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Problem Solving

Team Leadership

Communication Skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical or Industrial preferred)

Tools

Kaizen

ISO 9001 standards

Job description

Department:Contract Manufacturing Services (CMS) Engineering - Metals
Reports to:Engineering Manager - Metals

Position Summary

The Engineering Manager is a high-energy, hands-on leader responsible for building and leading a team of engineers and technicians who provide world-class engineering support to 24/7 production operations within Preco’s Contract Manufacturing Services (CMS) division.

This role is intentionally focused on production engineering support, sustaining engineering, and continuous improvement, while a separate team owns NPI/new process development. TheEngineering Manager ensures engineering resources are effectively deployed to improve Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Throughput through rapid problem solving, robust process control, error-proofing, and Lean execution.

This leader is expected to be the direct, hands-on Lean leader for the operation—planning and facilitating Kaizen events, coaching standard work, and driving measurable improvements in OEE,uptime, scrap, changeover performance, flow, and labor efficiency

Job Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Production Support Engineers and technicians focused on sustaining engineering and production support.
• Establish clear team expectations, engineering standard work, priorities, and response models for production support across multiple shifts.
• Build a motivated, team-oriented culture that strengthens collaboration between Engineering, Production, Maintenance, Quality, and Materials.
• Provide daily direction and support to engineers working on active constraints,downtime issues, yield losses, safety risks, and quality escapes.
• Participate in hiring, onboarding, performance reviews, training plans, and career development for production support engineering staff.
• Escalate and remove barriers when production performance is at risk; ensure fast containment and permanent corrective action discipline.

Deliver Production Engineering Support (24/7 Manufacturing)

• Own the engineering “system” that supports 24/7 operations—ensuring engineering response, prioritization, and accountability across shifts.
• Lead technical problem solving for repeat downtime, chronic defects, process instability, and capacity constraints.
• Partner with Production and Maintenance to improve equipment effectiveness, reliability, uptime, and changeover execution.
• Drive process control discipline: critical parameter identification, controls, poka-yoke, operator methods, and sustaining documentation.
• Ensure production processes are stable, capable, and supported by the correct work instructions, training, and tooling/fixtures.
• Support troubleshooting efforts on the floor as needed—this role is expected to be visible and engaged in production.

Lead Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement (Hands-On)

• Serve as the site’s primary Lean / CI leader for production support workstreams.
• Plan, facilitate, and execute Kaizen events focused on flow, labor efficiency, scrap reduction, lead-time reduction, and equipment uptime.
• Establish CI operating rhythm: opportunity pipeline, prioritization, charters, before/after metrics, sustainment checks, and standard work.
• Coach leaders and team members in Lean fundamentals (waste identification, root cause, standard work, visual management, 5S, SMED, value stream thinking).
• Drive measurable improvements tied to SQDC: Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and People

Documentation, Process Discipline & Cross-Functional Alignment

• Ensure accuracy and control of engineering and shop-floor documents that support stable production (work instructions, routings, process specs, inspection/test methods).
• Ensure lessons learned and improvements are standardized and sustained (training, audits, documentation updates).
• Support Quality and Operations with effective problem-solving systems: containment, root cause, corrective action, verification, and recurrence prevention.
• Collaborate with the NPI team to ensure smooth handoffs from development into stable production (process readiness, tooling readiness, training readiness).

Business, Planning and Administrative Responsibilities

• Support the Operations leadership team with resource planning, priority setting, and execution against operational objectives.
• Manage projects and initiatives within agreed scope, schedule, and budget.
• Support cost improvement initiatives and productivity improvements with measurable results.
• Coordinate cross-functional communication on engineering priorities, progress, and risks.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical or Industrial preferred) or equivalent manufacturing experience.
• 8+ years of experience in a manufacturing environment with increasing responsibility.
• Demonstrated success leading production support engineering: sustaining, troubleshooting, defect reduction, process control, and uptime improvements.
• Strong working knowledge and hands-on application of Lean Manufacturing tools (Kaizen facilitation, standard work, 5S, visual management, waste elimination, SMED/changeover improvement, root cause).
• Lean certification (or formal training) preferred, but proof of execution is more important than credentials.
• Experience working in an ISO-controlled environment (ISO 9001)
• Strong communication skills with the ability to align across Production, Maintenance, Quality, Materials, and leadership.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, customer-driven CMS environment with shifting priorities.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to travel up to 10%.

Preferred Qualifications

• 3+ years leading engineers/technical teams in a production environment.
• Ability to meet role-specific visual and color-acuity standards annually.

Physical Demands

• Repetitive back, wrists, arm, shoulder, elbow, and finger movements occur continuously.
• Extended hours of sitting, viewing a computer screen, keyboard/mouse operation.
• Direct communications with company personnel and external customers.

Why work at Preco?

At Preco you will find a collaborative culture and a team united by a passion to provide solutions to our customers. Preco is a premier provider of laser, flat bed and rotary die cutting equipment solutions for advanced material processing needs. In addition, Preco is a skilled laser integrator offering cutting, perforating, welding, and other specialized industrial processing applications.

Preco's working environment is climate-controlled year-round and there are opportunities for career advancement.

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Referral program
• 9 paid holidays per year

All Preco, LLC employees are empowered to stop production and notify their supervisor/manager if an unsafe act or product quality concern is occurring. Also, each member of the Preco – Somerset team is responsible for identifying continuous improvement opportunities and participating in problem-solving teams as necessary

This position is located in Somerset, WI