Engineering Manager - Systems & Operations Integration

HNI Corporation; Muscatine (IA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits starting Day 1

Job summary

HNI Corporation in Muscatine, IA is seeking an Engineering Manager to lead the Engineering Center of Excellence at the Highway 61 facility. You will direct cross-functional teams focused on continuous improvement, process optimization, and operational performance across the plant.

Ideal candidates bring a manufacturing engineering background, proven people leadership, and experience partnering with IT, automation, and technical support to drive measurable improvements in labor efficiency,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field.
• Proven engineering leadership in a manufacturing setting.
• Experience with continuous improvement and KPI-driven outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic technical leadership by creating plans, prioritizing work, and managing engineering activities across the facility.
• Lead and develop engineering teams across improvement, integration, and systems-support workstreams.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on labor efficiency, throughput, quality, and waste reduction.
• Improve material flow, engineering workflows, and plant systems to support daily operations.
• Partner with IT and corporate support teams on system enhancements and technology adoption.
• Support improvements related to MES, IoT, and plant data visibility tools for better decision-making.
• Identify and implement improvements across SQDC metrics.
• Lead process evaluations, audits, root cause problem solving, and Gemba walks.
• Support plant-level technical escalations and cross-functional issue resolution.
• Communicate technical concepts clearly to operations leaders and non-technical stakeholders.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Continuous improvement

Systems thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Plant KPIs

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

MES

IoT

Dashboards

Job description

Position at HNI Workplace Furnishings

HNI Corporation is a global family of brands for the workplace and home dedicated to enhancing the spaces where we live, work, and gather. We pride ourselves on fostering an environment where we make a positive impact on others, upholding our beliefs in integrity, inclusion and belonging.

What We Need

We are seeking an Engineering Manager to lead the Engineering Center of Excellence at our Highway 61 facility. This role is responsible for leading cross‑functional engineering teams focused on continuous improvement, process optimization, and operational performance across the plant.

This leader will help improve how engineering processes, material flow, and plant systems work together to support efficiency, labor performance, and business results. The ideal candidate brings a strong manufacturing engineering background, proven people leadership, and experience partnering across operations, engineering, and technical support teams to drive measurable improvements.

What You Will Do

• Provide strategic technical leadership by creating plans, prioritizing work, and managing engineering activities across the facility
• Lead and develop engineering teams across improvement, integration, and systems‑support workstreams
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on labor efficiency, throughput, quality, and waste reduction
• Improve how material flow, engineering workflows, and plant systems support daily operations
• Partner with IT and corporate support teams on system enhancements, process improvements, and plant technology adoption
• Support ongoing improvements related to MES, IoT, and plant data visibility tools to improve operational decision‑making
• Identify and implement improvements across Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost (SQDC) metrics
• Lead process evaluations, audits, root cause problem solving, and Gemba walks to identify operational opportunities
• Support plant‑level technical escalations and collaborate cross‑functionally to resolve issues quickly
• Communicate technical concepts and process changes clearly to operations leaders and non‑technical stakeholders

What You Have

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field
• 5+ years of engineering leadership experience in a manufacturing environment
• Proven success leading continuous improvement and operational performance initiatives
• Experience improving labor efficiency, process flow, throughput, and plant KPIs
• Strong leadership skills with experience developing engineering or technical teams
• Experience partnering with IT, automation, or systems teams on plant process improvements preferred
• Exposure to MES, IoT, dashboards, or plant visibility systems preferred
• Strong systems mindset with the ability to connect engineering decisions to plant outcomes

HNI Corporation (NYSE: HNI) is a manufacturer of workplace furnishings and building products, operating under two segments. The workplace furnishings segment is a leading global designer and provider of commercial furnishings, going to market under multiple unique brands. The residential building products segment is the nation's leading manufacturer and marketer of hearth products.

We offer benefits starting from Day 1. To learn more, visit www.HNIbenefits.com.

Our company endeavors to make www.hnicareers.com accessible to any and all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact us at 563-272-7400 or via email at [emailprotected]

Company is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.