Manufacturing Engineering Manager

Socket.dev; Greenville (MI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) participation

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Company-paid life insurance and short-

long-term disability insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Ten paid holidays annually

Casual, jeans-friendly work environ...

Job summary

Composition Brands, home to U-Line, Marvel, and Viking Refrigeration, seeks an experienced Manufacturing Engineering Manager to lead engineering activities at the Greenville, Michigan facility.

You will oversee strategy, process development, continuous improvement, and production support across premium refrigeration lines, partnering with Operations and Product Development to enhance safety, quality, productivity, cost, and delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, industrial, manufacturing engineering, or related field.
• Seven+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering or related production environment.
• Leadership, supervision, or project-management experience.
• Experience in high-volume assembly, fabrication, or appliance/manufacturing environments.
• Strong knowledge of lean principles, process controls, and production efficiency.
• Ability to lead projects from concept through implementation.
• Hands-on approach to work in a production setting.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Proficiency with Excel/Office and ability to read engineering docs.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Manufacturing Engineering function with direction, coaching, and team support.
• Set priorities and align projects with plant goals and business objectives.
• Develop, implement, and maintain standardized work instructions and production standards.
• Lead NPI, engineering changes, pilot builds, and product launches.
• Evaluate processes, layouts, labor requirements, and plant efficiencies for improvements.
• Drive continuous improvement to boost productivity, quality, safety, and cost.
• Conduct time studies, capacity reviews, and staffing analyses.
• Oversee fabrication and assembly support, equipment transitions, and process validation.
• Develop project plans, timelines, and budgets for engineering initiatives.
• Collaborate with Operations and Production leadership to resolve issues.
• Coordinate ECNs and ensure implementation across manufacturing.
• Support manufacturability validation and pilot builds for new products.
• Plan capital equipment, justify costs, and manage procurement and commissioning.
• Work with Maintenance to improve equipment reliability and uptime.
• Identify opportunities for automation and lean enhancements.
• Ensure training and documentation are current for all processes.
• Serve as a liaison among Production, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Maintenance, and Product Management.

Skills

Leadership

Lean manufacturing

Problem-solving

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Hands-on

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical/industrial/manufacturing engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Job description

Description

Manufacturing Engineering Manager

Location: Greenville, Michigan

Reports to: General Manager

Status: Salary Exempt | Permanent | Full-Time

Position Overview

Composition Brands, home to U-Line, Marvel, and Viking Refrigeration, is seeking an experienced and hands-on Manufacturing Engineering Manager to lead manufacturing engineering activities at our Greenville, Michigan facility.

This position will oversee manufacturing engineering strategy, process development, continuous improvement, equipment implementation, and production support across our premium refrigeration product lines. The Manufacturing Engineering Manager will serve as a key member of the plant leadership team and work closely with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Product Development to improve safety, quality, productivity, cost, and delivery performance.

The ideal candidate is a project-oriented leader who enjoys working in both the office and production environment and has the technical expertise and leadership skills to turn manufacturing challenges into practical, sustainable solutions.

What Composition Brands Offers

• Competitive benefits package, including 401(k) participation
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Company-paid life insurance and short- and long-term disability insurance
• Additional voluntary life insurance options
• Tuition reimbursement
• Ten paid holidays annually
• Casual, jeans-friendly work environment
• Opportunities for professional growth and advancement

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Manufacturing Engineering function and provide direction, coaching, and support to manufacturing engineering team members.
• Establish manufacturing engineering priorities and align projects with plant goals, production requirements, and business objectives.
• Lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of standardized work instructions, manufacturing documentation, process controls, and production standards.
• Serve as the manufacturing engineering lead for new product introductions, engineering changes, pilot builds, and product launches.
• Evaluate manufacturing processes, workflows, layouts, labor requirements, and plant efficiencies to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives that increase productivity, improve quality and safety, reduce waste, and lower manufacturing costs.
• Conduct time studies, labor analyses, capacity reviews, and production efficiency evaluations to improve throughput and staffing decisions.
• Lead manufacturing support for fabrication and assembly operations, including equipment transitions, installations, process validation, and optimization.
• Develop and manage project plans, timelines, budgets, and deliverables for manufacturing engineering initiatives.
• Partner with Operations and Production leadership to resolve manufacturing issues and ensure sustainable corrective actions.
• Coordinate the communication and implementation of Engineering Change Notices (ECNs) throughout the manufacturing organization.
• Support product development by validating manufacturability, building pilot units, and optimizing production flow before launch.
• Develop capital equipment plans, prepare cost justifications, and lead the specification, procurement, installation, and commissioning of equipment.
• Partner with Maintenance and Engineering to support equipment reliability, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, and process uptime.
• Oversee the purchase and implementation of manufacturing tooling, fixtures, equipment, and production supplies in accordance with approved budgets.
• Identify opportunities to apply automation, lean manufacturing, error-proofing, and other process-improvement methods.
• Support production staff training by ensuring processes are clearly documented and training is completed and maintained.
• Serve as a primary liaison between Production, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Maintenance, and Product Management.
• Ensure manufacturing processes comply with OSHA, EPA, environmental, quality, and company standards.
• Promote a culture of accountability, safety, teamwork, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Travel approximately 15% between Viking, U-Line, and Marvel manufacturing facilities as needed.
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

Requirements

Qualifications and Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, industrial, manufacturing engineering, or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Seven or more years of experience in manufacturing engineering, process engineering, or a related production environment.
• Previous leadership, supervisory, or project-management experience required.
• Experience in a high-volume assembly, fabrication, appliance, refrigeration, or similar manufacturing environment preferred.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes, lean principles, continuous improvement, process controls, and production efficiency.
• Demonstrated ability to lead projects from concept through implementation.
• Hands‑on approach with the ability to work effectively in a production environment.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, organizational, and decision‑making skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with employees and leaders across multiple departments.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, and other applicable business software.
• Experience with 3D CAD modeling; SolidWorks experience preferred.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, bills of material, and manufacturing documentation.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.
• Willingness to support production needs, including occasional extended hours, overtime, or weekend activities when required.

Working Conditions

This is a hands‑on leadership role requiring approximately 50% office work and 50% time in the manufacturing environment. The position requires the ability to walk throughout the facility, stand for extended periods, communicate with production teams, and comply with all required plant safety and PPE standards.

If you are an experienced manufacturing engineering leader who enjoys solving problems, developing people, and improving how products are made, we encourage you to apply.