Manufacturing Engineering Leader: Scalable Production

Vulcan Elements Inc.; Benson (NC); On-site; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Vulcan Elements Inc. is seeking a Manufacturing Engineering Manager to lead a team of Manufacturing Engineers responsible for developing and industrializing processes and equipment as production scales.

You will own the full lifecycle from evaluation to ramp to full-scale manufacturing, managing risks, schedules, and documentation on a rapidly growing program. This role requires hands-on leadership, strong technical judgment, and collaboration with R&D, Operations, Quality, EHS, and suppliers.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of manufacturing engineering, equipment engineering, industrialization, or related experience.
• Demonstrated experience specifying, purchasing, installing, commissioning, and launching complex manufacturing equipment or production systems.
• Strong experience evaluating manufacturing technologies and translating production requirements into equipment and process specifications.
• Experience managing equipment suppliers, technical schedules, equipment design reviews, FATs, installation, commissioning, and production qualification.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing engineering fundamentals including process capability, cycle time, throughput, yield, OEE, PFMEA, Control Plans, process flows, and structured problem-solving.
• Ability to manage multiple technically complex projects simultaneously while balancing schedule, cost, quality, safety, and production requirements.
• Strong technical judgment with the ability to make equipment and process decisions using incomplete information and rapidly changing requirements.
• Strong communication and cross-functional leadership skills with the ability to work effectively with engineering, operations, suppliers, and senior leadership.
• Willingness to work hands-on with the engineering team and equipment suppliers during installation, commissioning, troubleshooting, and production ramp.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Manufacturing Engineers. Establish priorities, assign ownership, remove roadblocks, and meet milestones.
• Lead the evaluation and selection of manufacturing technologies to scale production. Evaluate based on capability, throughput, quality, automation, cost, and scalability.
• Lead equipment specifications, RFQs, evaluations, quotes, vendor assessments, and equipment selection to meet production requirements.
• Provide technical leadership throughout the equipment lifecycle: requirements, design reviews, FAT, SAT, commissioning, and production qualification.
• Lead installation/startup activities; coordinate with vendors, facilities, operations, controls, maintenance, EHS, and quality.
• Lead manufacturing engineering support during startup and ramp; resolve issues, eliminate bottlenecks, establish repeatable processes.
• Establish and improve processes to increase throughput, yield, quality, reliability, and OEE using data and PFMEA.
• Manage schedules, capital milestones, risks, budgets, vendor deliverables, and resources across projects.
• Ensure robust documentation: process flows, BOPs, line layouts, PFMEAs, Control Plans, work instructions, and specs.
• Partner with R&D, Operations, Quality, EHS, Supply Chain, Facilities, Controls, Maintenance, and other teams to scale processes.
• Work with R&D to identify new technologies, automation strategies, and equipment concepts for future lines.
• Support recruiting, onboarding, mentoring, and capability building in Manufacturing Engineering.
• Travel to equipment suppliers for reviews, FATs, and development activities as required.

Skills

Manufacturing engineering

Equipment engineering

Project management

Cross-functional leadership

Data-driven problem solving

Hands-on leadership

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical/Manufacturing/Automation Engineering or related

Tools

MES

Job description

Vulcan Elements Inc. is seeking a Manufacturing Engineering Manager to lead a team of Manufacturing Engineers responsible for developing and industrializing processes and equipment as production scales.

You will own the full lifecycle from evaluation to ramp to full-scale manufacturing, managing risks, schedules, and documentation on a rapidly growing program. This role requires hands-on leadership, strong technical judgment, and collaboration with R&D, Operations, Quality, EHS, and suppliers.