Manufacturing Engineering Lead

Cst Industries, Inc.; DeKalb (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

CST Industries, Inc. in Illinois is seeking an Engineering Operations Lead to drive execution and technical leadership across the Manufacturing Engineering organization.

You will provide day-to-day leadership for plant engineers, support capital and CI projects, and ensure projects are executed with urgency and discipline. You will partner with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and Production to improve plant performance, mentor engineers, and develop standard tools and templates for project

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical/ Manufacturing/ Industrial Engineering or related field.
• 7–10 years of manufacturing engineering experience.
• Experience leading capital equipment projects ($1M+).
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, equipment, automation, maintenance, and CI.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day technical leadership for plant Manufacturing Engineers.
• Develop engineers’ problem-solving, project management, and decision-making skills.
• Hold engineers accountable for project commitments and timelines.
• Foster a culture of ownership, urgency, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure capital and CI projects stay on schedule and within budget.
• Review project scopes, timelines, risks, and resources.
• Drive timely resolution of project issues and escalation when needed.
• Standardize project management practices across facilities.
• Support engineering resources across four manufacturing plants.
• Mentor early-career engineers and lead post-project reviews.

Skills

Leadership

Project Management

Coaching

Mentoring

Cross-functional Collaboration

Continuous Improvement

Problem Solving

Manufacturing Engineering

Execution Excellence

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related engineering discipline

Tools

ERP/CMMS

Job description

Position Summary

The Engineering Operations Lead is responsible for driving execution, accountability, and technical leadership across the Manufacturing Engineering organization. This role provides day-to-day leadership for plant engineers, supports capital and continuous improvement projects, develops engineering talent, and ensures projects are executed with urgency, discipline, and technical excellence.

This position serves as the Director’s primary technical and operational partner, allowing the Director to focus on strategic initiatives, organizational growth, and long-term planning while ensuring consistent execution across all engineering activities.

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day technical leadership and coaching for plant ManufacturingEngineers.
• Develop engineers’ problem-solving, project management, and manufacturing decision-making skills.
• Hold engineers accountable for project commitments, timelines, and communication.
• Foster a culture of ownership, urgency, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure capital and CI projects remain on schedule and within budget.
• Review project scopes, timelines, risks, and resource requirements.
• Drive timely resolution of project issues and escalation when needed.
• Standardize project management practices across all facilities.
• Support engineering resources across four manufacturing plants.
• Assist with complex manufacturing issues requiring cross-functional coordination.
• Provide technical leadership during equipment failures, production disruptions, and major quality issues.
• Work closely with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and Production to improve plant performance.
• Mentor engineers in identifying, scoping, and executing CI projects.
• Drive projects that improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity.
• Develop standard project planning tools, engineering templates, and technical documentation.
• Lead post-project reviews and capture lessons learned.
• Mentor early-career engineers through regular coaching.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering,Industrial Engineering, or related engineering discipline.
• 7–10 years of manufacturing engineering experience.
• Experience leading capital equipment projects ($1M+), from concept through startup.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, equipment, automation,maintenance, and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to influence without relying solely on formal authority.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills.

Preferred

• Multi-site manufacturing experience.
• Experience mentoring engineers.
• Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma experience.
• Experience supporting maintenance and manufacturing operations.
• ERP/CMMS experience.