Manufacturing Engineering Manager

vulcanelements; North Carolina; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Vulcan Elements in Durham, NC, plans to move to Benson, NC, and seeks a Manufacturing Engineering Manager to lead a team of Manufacturing Engineers in developing and industrializing advanced manufacturing processes and equipment. The role covers technology evaluation, equipment specification, vendor selection, FAT/SAT, installation, startup, and ramp to full-scale production.

This role requires a strong manufacturing engineering background, capital equipment execution, project management, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a technical discipline.
• 7+ years of manufacturing engineering or equipment engineering experience.
• Experience specifying, purchasing, installing, commissioning, and launching complex equipment.
• Strong ability to translate production requirements into equipment specs.
• Experience managing equipment suppliers, technical schedules, FAT/SAT, and installation.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of Manufacturing Engineers and align priorities with milestones.
• Evaluate and select manufacturing technologies to scale production.
• Define equipment specifications, RFQs, and vendor assessments.
• Provide leadership through purchase lifecycle, FAT, SAT, installation and qualification.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams (facilities, ops, QA, EHS) for safe production startup.
• Drive continuous improvement: throughput, yield, quality and OEE.
• Manage schedules, budgets, and resources across multiple projects.
• Develop and maintain robust manufacturing documentation.

Education

Bachelor's or MSc in Mechanical Engineering / Manufacturing Engineering / Electrical Engineering / Automation Engineering / Materials Science / Metallurgical Engineering or related

Job description

Vulcan Elements is manufacturing American rare-earth permanent magnets for a secure, resilient future. With a focus on national security and economic resiliency, we serve critical industries such as defense, aerospace, and automotive, powering a high-technology future. Vulcan Elements is building a team of ambitious professionals committed to Mission Focus, Technical Excellence, and Transparency.

As a Manufacturing Engineering Manager , you will lead a team of Manufacturing Engineers responsible for developing and industrializing manufacturing processes and equipment as Vulcan Elements scales production. You will lead the full lifecycle of manufacturing equipment and production systems from technology evaluation, equipment specification and vendor selection through equipment purchase, installation, commissioning, production startup, and ramp to full-scale manufacturing .

This is a highly technical leadership role requiring a combination of manufacturing engineering expertise, capital equipment execution, project management, and people leadership. You will be expected to build and develop a strong engineering team while maintaining direct ownership of critical manufacturing and equipment decisions.

This role begins in Durham, NC and is expected to move to Benson, NC upon completion of new facility.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Manufacturing Engineers. Establish priorities, assign engineering ownership, remove technical roadblocks, and ensure successful execution against company milestones.
• Lead the evaluation and selection of manufacturing technologies required to scale production. Evaluate alternative process technologies based on capability, throughput, quality, reliability, automation, cost, and scalability.
• Lead equipment specifications, RFQs, technical evaluations, quote comparisons, vendor assessments, and equipment selection. Ensure selected equipment meets production capacity, quality, safety, reliability, and business requirements.
• Provide technical leadership throughout the equipment purchase lifecycle, including requirements definition, design reviews, vendor management, Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), installation, Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), commissioning, and production qualification.
• Lead engineering activities associated with equipment installation and startup. Coordinate closely with vendors, facilities, operations, controls, maintenance, EHS, and quality teams to ensure equipment is safely and effectively brought into production.
• Lead manufacturing engineering support during production startup and ramp. Drive resolution of equipment and process issues, eliminate bottlenecks, and establish stable and repeatable manufacturing processes.
• Establish and improve manufacturing processes to increase throughput, yield, quality, equipment reliability, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). Use data, cycle-time analysis, and structured problem-solving to drive continuous improvement.
• Manage engineering schedules, capital equipment milestones, technical risks, budgets, vendor deliverables, and resource allocation across multiple manufacturing projects.
• Ensure the engineering team develops and maintains robust manufacturing documentation including process flows, Bills of Process (BOP), line layouts, cycle-time analyses, PFMEAs, Control Plans, work instructions, process specifications, and equipment documentation.
• Partner closely with R&D, Operations, Quality, EHS, Supply Chain, Facilities, Controls, Maintenance, and other engineering teams to transition processes from development into scalable manufacturing systems.
• Work with R&D and manufacturing teams to identify and develop new manufacturing technologies, automation strategies, and equipment concepts for future production lines.
• Support recruiting, onboarding, mentoring, performance development, and technical capability building within the Manufacturing Engineering organization.
• Travel to equipment suppliers for technical reviews, design reviews, Factory Acceptance Testing, and other equipment-development activities as required.
• Responsibilities and tasks outlined are not exhaustive and may change based on the needs of the business.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Automation Engineering, Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 7+ years of manufacturing engineering, equipment engineering, industrialization, or related experience in a manufacturing environment.
• 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 produ