Manufacturing Engineering & Maintenance Director

API Heat Transfer Career Center; Town of Columbus (WI); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive executive compensation

Annual incentive bonus

Job summary

General ThermoDynamics, an API Heat Transfer Company, seeks a strategic Director of Manufacturing Engineering & Maintenance to lead engineering, maintenance, facilities, reliability, automation, and capital projects across Wisconsin operations.

This executive role oversees three facilities, drives uptime, productivity, and cost improvements, and builds high-performing technical teams through Lean, Six Sigma, and TPM practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• Master's degree in Engineering, MBA, Ops Management or related discipline preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing engineering and maintenance leadership.

Responsibilities

• Direct engineering activities across Franklin, Iron Ridge, and Germantown facilities.
• Lead Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Drive uptime and productivity via automation and standardization.
• Oversee maintenance, reliability, and capital project management.
• Develop asset management and lifecycle planning strategies.

Skills

Manufacturing Eng

Maintenance Leadership

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma

RCM

TPM

Automation

Capital Projects

Facilities Mgmt

Data-Driven Decisions

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical Eng

Master's in Eng/Business

Tools

CMMS Systems

ERP Systems

Root Cause Analysis

SPC

Job description

Director of Manufacturing Engineering & Maintenance

General ThermoDynamics, An API Heat Transfer Company
Location: Wisconsin Operations (Franklin, Iron Ridge & Germantown, WI)
Reports To: Vice President, Wisconsin Operations

Lead Engineering Excellence Across Multiple Manufacturing Facilities

General ThermoDynamics, an API Heat Transfer Company, is seeking a strategic and results-driven Director of Manufacturing Engineering & Maintenance to lead manufacturing engineering, maintenance, facilities, reliability, automation, continuous improvement, and capital project initiatives across our Wisconsin operations.

This executive-level leadership role provides oversight for three manufacturing facilities and serves as a key member of the Wisconsin Operations Leadership Team. The successful candidate will drive operational excellence, equipment reliability, productivity improvements, capital investment strategy, and the development of high-performing technical teams.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute a multi-site manufacturing engineering and maintenance strategy aligned with business goals.
• Partner with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Safety, Human Resources, Finance, and Executive Leadership to achieve operational objectives.
• Evaluate and recommend manufacturing technologies, automation opportunities, and capital investments.
• Lead organizational development, succession planning, and talent management initiatives for engineering and maintenance teams.

Manufacturing Engineering

• Direct manufacturing engineering activities across Franklin, Iron Ridge, and Germantown facilities.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Drive productivity improvements through process optimization, automation, and standardization.
• Support new product introduction (NPI), scalability initiatives, and manufacturing best practices.
• Ensure manufacturing processes meet quality, safety, and customer requirements.

Maintenance & Reliability

• Lead preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs.
• Establish equipment reliability strategies that maximize uptime and improve OEE.
• Develop asset management and lifecycle planning strategies.
• Optimize maintenance planning, scheduling, CMMS utilization, and spare parts management.
• Implement metrics focused on uptime, MTBF, MTTR, and maintenance cost performance.

Capital Projects & Facilities

• Develop and manage annual capital expenditure budgets.
• Lead facility upgrades, expansions, automation projects, and equipment installations.
• Ensure projects are completed safely, on schedule, and within budget.
• Manage relationships with engineering firms, equipment suppliers, contractors, and service providers.

Operational Excellence

• Champion a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives focused on productivity, safety, quality, waste reduction, and cost savings.
• Utilize data-driven decision-making to identify opportunities and monitor results.
• Standardize best practices across Wisconsin operations.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field required.
• Master's degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related discipline preferred.

Experience

• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing engineering and maintenance leadership experience.
• 5+ years leading multiple facilities, departments, or business units.
• Proven success in manufacturing process improvement, equipment reliability, and capital project management.
• Experience in heavy manufacturing, industrial equipment, metal fabrication, heat exchanger manufacturing, or related industries strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing significant capital budgets and large-scale improvement initiatives.

Technical Expertise

Experience in:

• Lean Manufacturing
• Six Sigma
• Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM)
• Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
• Automation Technologies
• Capital Project Management
• Facilities Management
• CMMS Systems
• ERP Systems
• Root Cause Analysis
• Statistical Process Control (SPC)

What We Offer

• Competitive executive compensation package
• Annual incentive bonus opportunity
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits
• 401(k) with company match
• Company-paid life and disability insurance
• Paid time off and holidays
• Professional development and career growth opportunities
• Opportunity to make a significant impact on the growth and operational performance of a leading heat transfer manufacturer

Why Join General ThermoDynamics?

As the senior technical and reliability leader for Wisconsin Operations, you will play a critical role in shaping the future of our manufacturing footprint. This position offers the opportunity to influence capital strategy, operational excellence, equipment reliability, workforce development, and long-term business growth across multiple facilities.

General ThermoDynamics, an API Heat Transfer Company, is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values a diverse and inclusive workplace.

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