Manufacturing Engineering Manager

Eaton Group; Asheville (NC); On-site; USD 113,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Eaton’s ES AMER ARS PDCAD division in Arden, NC seeks a Manufacturing Engineering Manager to lead the manufacturing engineering function, drive continuous improvement, and ensure safe, efficient, and cost-effective operations.

The role collaborates with Operations, Quality, Materials, EHS, Facilities, Product Management, Sales, and Supply Chain to enable operational excellence and sustainable growth. Salary range is $113,000–$165,000 with a strong focus on leadership and strategic execution.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering required.
• Minimum five years in Manufacturing/Industrial Engineering or related leadership role.
• Resident within 75 miles of Arden, NC; no immigration sponsorship offered.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy and daily execution of the Manufacturing Engineering function.
• Develop, coach, and evaluate Manufacturing Engineers and Technicians.
• Improve processes, tooling, equipment, and production methods for safety and cost efficiency.
• Oversee capacity planning, workflow optimization, and capital investments.
• Drive continuous improvement using EBS, Lean, Six Sigma and PFMEA.
• Support NPI, product transfers, and PROLaunch activities.

Skills

Leadership

Manufacturing engineering

Continuous improvement

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Master's degree in Engineering (preferred)

Tools

MAPICS

Ignition

ERP systems

MES

Job description

Eaton’s ES AMER ARS PDCAD division is currently seeking a Manufacturing Engineering Manager at the Arden, NC facility.

The expected annual salary range for this role is $113000 - $165000 a year.

Please note the salary information shown above is a general guideline only. Salaries are based upon candidate skills, experience, and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.

What you’ll do

The Manufacturing Engineering Manager is responsible for developing, maintaining, and continuously improving manufacturing systems, processes, equipment, and engineering capabilities necessary to support the organization's safety, quality, delivery, cost, and growth objectives. This position provides leadership for Manufacturing Engineers, Manufacturing Engineering Technicians, and Business Process Improvement resources while ensuring the successful integration of engineering, operational excellence, and digital business systems into plant operations.

The Manufacturing Engineering Manager translates strategic business objectives into tactical execution plans and drives implementation through a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and employee development. The role partners closely with Operations, Quality, Materials, EHS, Facilities, Product Management, Sales, Custom Order Engineering, and Supply Chain teams to enable operational excellence and sustainable business growth.

Guided by Eaton Business System (EBS) principles, functional standards, professional practices, and organizational priorities, the Manufacturing Engineering Manager utilizes advanced problem-solving methodologies and engineering expertise to improve operational performance and customer satisfaction.

Essential Functions

• Lead the strategic direction and daily execution of the Manufacturing Engineering function to support safety, quality, delivery, cost, and growth objectives while aligning engineering activities to business strategy.


• Lead, develop, coach, and evaluate Manufacturing Engineers, Manufacturing Engineering Technicians, and Business Process Improvement resources to achieve departmental goals, build technical competency, and support succession planning.


• Develop, implement, standardize, and continuously improve manufacturing processes, labor standards, tooling, equipment, and production methods to ensure safe, efficient, and cost-effective operations.


• Serve as the manufacturing engineering owner for process capability, capacity planning, productivity improvement, and operational readiness, ensuring manufacturing processes meet current and future business requirements.


• Lead continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Eaton Business System (EBS) methodologies to improve safety, quality, delivery, inventory, productivity, and cost performance.


• Provide engineering leadership for capital investments, automation projects, equipment acquisitions, facility modifications, and other strategic initiatives, including development and execution of Capital Appropriation Requests (CARs).


• Participate in and support new product introductions, product transfers, and engineering change initiatives through Eaton's PROLaunch process to ensure successful implementation into manufacturing operations.


• Ensure effective integration, governance, and continuous improvement of manufacturing business systems including MAPICS, Ignition, bills of material, routings, work instructions, product costing, and related manufacturing data.


• Lead cross-functional problem-solving activities, root cause investigations, risk reduction efforts, and corrective action implementation utilizing structured methodologies such as A3, DMAIC, 8D, and PFMEA.


• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, knowledge sharing, and transferable practices across Operations, Quality, Materials, Product Engineering, Supply Chain, and other functional teams.


• Establish and maintain engineering governance processes including PFMEA reviews, Management of Change (MOC), process audits, standard work compliance, lessons learned deployment, and manufacturing risk mitigation activities.


• Support the development of manufacturing analytics, digital manufacturing capabilities, and data-driven solutions by leveraging ERP, MES, machine connectivity, and operational systems. Direct resources to identify improvement opportunities, support root cause analysis, develop actionable insights, and accelerate continuous improvement through data driven decision making.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution required.


• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Process Engineering, or related technical leadership roles within a manufacturing environment.


• No relocation is offered. Candidates must currently reside within a 75-mile radius of Arden, NC to be considered. Active-Duty Military are exempt from this geographical limitation.


• Eaton will not consider applicants for employment immigration sponsorship or support for this position. This means that Eaton will not support any CPT, OPT, or STEM OPT plans, F-1 to H-1B, H-1B cap registration, O-1, E-3, TN status, I-485 job portability, etc.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Engineering, Engineering Management, Business Administration, or related field.


• Bachelor's degree Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline


• Experience supporting assembly, fabrication, and low-volume/high-mix manufacturing operations.


• Minimum of three (3) years leading engineering, technical, or continuous improvement personnel.


• Experience leading automation, digital transformation, or advanced manufacturing initiatives.

Skills

• Demonstrated leadership experience managing Manufacturing Engineers, Engineering Technicians, Continuous Improvement personnel, or other technical professionals.


• Strong technical knowledge of manufacturing processes, industrial engineering principles, quality systems, production systems, and operational excellence methodologies.


• Proven ability to develop and execute strategic plans, capital investment projects, and operational improvement initiatives.


• Working knowledge of Eaton Business System (EBS), Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, problem-solving methodologies, and change management principles.


• Demonstrated experience with capacity planning, labor optimization, facility layout, manufacturing process design, and process validation.


• Experience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI), product transfers, and phased-gate project management systems such as PROLaunch.


• Strong knowledge of ERP systems, manufacturing execution systems, product configuration systems, bills of material, routings, standard work, and manufacturing data governance.


• Experience utilizing data analytics and visualization tools to drive operational decision-making and performance improvement.


• Excellent communication, coaching, collaboration, and leadership skills with the ability to influence across all levels of the organization.


• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive sustainable improvements in safety, quality, delivery, inventory, productivity, and cost performance.

Additional Information

All positions may require participation in video and in-person interviews as part of the hiring process. All candidates will be evaluated based on job-related competencies, and all candidates’ privacy rights and data security will be protected in accordance with applicable laws.

We are committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all job applicants and employees. Employment decisions are based upon job-related reasons regardless of an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, marital status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by law.

Eaton believes in second chance employment. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction history will be considered regardless of their arrest or conviction history, consistent with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the California Fair Chance Act and other local laws.

You do not need to disclose your conviction history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Eaton is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report.

To request a disability-related reasonable accommodation to assist you in your job search, application, or interview process, please call us at 1-800-836-6345 to discuss your specific need. Only accommodation requests will be accepted by this phone number.

We know that good benefit programs are important to employees and their families. Eaton provides various Health and Welfare benefits as well as Retirement benefits, and several programs that provide for paid and unpaid time away from work.