Manufacturing Engineer Manager

gpac; Elm Grove (WI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

gpac is seeking an experienced Manufacturing Engineering Manager to lead Manufacturing Engineering, Maintenance, and Tooling, driving improvements in safety, quality, delivery and cost. You will work with Production, Quality, Supply Chain and Engineering to develop processes, equipment, and a strong technical team.

The role requires hands-on leadership on the factory floor, with a focus on Lean manufacturing, problem solving, and continuous improvement to deliver long-term reliability and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field and 5+ years of manufacturing experience.
• Experience leading technical teams and cross-functional projects.
• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement.
• Experience with plastics, silicone, rubber molding, or medical device manufacturing is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop teams across Manufacturing Engineering, Maintenance, and Tooling.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives, including 5S, Kaizen, SMED, Kanban, Value Stream Mapping, and standard work.
• Lead New Product Introduction activities, including process development, equipment selection, validation, and production readiness.
• Develop robust, repeatable manufacturing processes that meet quality, safety, and production requirements.
• Improve equipment reliability, uptime, throughput, labor efficiency, and overall process capability.
• Establish and maintain preventive and predictive maintenance programs.
• Oversee tooling readiness, troubleshooting, maintenance, and improvement to support production and new product launches.
• Lead structured problem solving and root-cause analysis to address recurring safety, quality, equipment, and production issues.
• Partner with Production and Quality to identify improvement opportunities and prioritize projects based on data and business impact.
• Support capital projects, equipment installations, automation, and process improvements.
• Establish clear expectations and accountability while developing technical and leadership capabilities within the team.
• Promote a culture focused on ownership, continuous improvement, teamwork, and solving problems rather than people.
• Maintain manufacturing, maintenance, and tooling information within IQMS/ERP systems.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Continuous Improvement

Problem Solving

Cross-functional leadership

CAD

ERP systems

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field

Tools

CAD

ERP systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

Manufacturing Engineering Manager

We are seeking an experienced Manufacturing Engineering Manager to lead our Manufacturing Engineering, Maintenance, and Tooling functions. This position will play a key role in improving manufacturing performance, developing processes and equipment, supporting new product launches, and building a strong technical team.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader who enjoys solving problems, developing people, and creating sustainable improvements. This role works closely with Production, Quality, Supply Chain, and Engineering to improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and overall manufacturing efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop teams across Manufacturing Engineering, Maintenance, and Tooling.

• Drive Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives, including 5S, Kaizen, SMED, Kanban, Value Stream Mapping, and standard work.

• Lead New Product Introduction (NPI) activities, including process development, equipment selection, validation, and production readiness.

• Develop robust, repeatable manufacturing processes that meet quality, safety, and production requirements.

• Improve equipment reliability, uptime, throughput, labor efficiency, and overall process capability.

• Establish and maintain effective preventive and predictive maintenance programs.

• Oversee tooling readiness, troubleshooting, maintenance, and improvement to support production and new product launches.

• Lead structured problem solving and root-cause analysis to address recurring safety, quality, equipment, and production issues.

• Partner with Production and Quality to identify improvement opportunities and prioritize projects based on data and business impact.

• Support capital projects, equipment installations, automation, and process improvements.

• Establish clear expectations and accountability while developing technical and leadership capabilities within the team.

• Promote a culture focused on ownership, continuous improvement, teamwork, and solving problems rather than people.

• Maintain manufacturing, maintenance, and tooling information within IQMS/ERP systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related field with 5+ years of relevant manufacturing experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Experience leading technical teams and cross-functional projects.

• Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, Value Stream Mapping, and root-cause problem solving.

• Experience with manufacturing equipment, automation, tooling, and process development.

• Experience with plastics, silicone, rubber molding, or medical device manufacturing is strongly preferred.

• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and drive projects to completion in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

• Proficiency with CAD, ERP systems, and Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for a leader who can balance technical expertise with people leadership. The successful candidate will be comfortable working on the manufacturing g floor, solving problems with the team, developing engineers and technicians, and building systems that create long-term improvements in safety, quality, efficiency, and reliability.