Manufacturing Project Leader

Eaton Corporation; Lincoln (IL); On-site; USD 97,000 - 143,000; Full time

Job summary

Eaton Corporation’s Lincoln, IL site seeks a Manufacturing Project Leader to steer manufacturing engineering for fabrication, assembly, and automation. Lead cross-functional teams to advance safety, quality, delivery, and cost goals, while guiding capital projects and continuous improvement initiatives.

The role requires a mechanical/industrial engineering background, 5+ years’ experience in manufacturing settings, and proven project leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering from an accredited institution.
• 5+ years of engineering, program management, or CI/OPEX experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Eaton will not sponsor immigration for this position.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing, or Process Engineering preferred.
• Experience applying lean manufacturing and continuous improvement in fabrication/assembly.
• Experience supporting improvements/ups to automated equipment/robotics.
• PMP certification.
• Lean Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or Black Belt).
• Experience with automation, tooling, equipment integration, and manufacturing systems.
• Experience with DMM or Metamation.

Responsibilities

• Support site strategy by balancing daily shop-floor support with long-term strategic initiatives across fabrication and assembly operations.
• Own the Manufacturing Engineering roadmap to ensure capable processes and effective implementation of new products, processes, and equipment.
• Ensure manufacturing processes meet or exceed Eaton MESH safety and quality standards.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement using value stream mapping, kaizen, standard work, time studies, and Six Sigma tools to improve safety, flow, quality, and productivity.
• Lead capital and automation projects’ portfolio, including equipment selection, tooling, fixtures, robotics, and semi-automated solutions to improve throughput, ergonomics, and cost.
• Develop and manage Capital Appropriation Requests, including financial justification, stakeholder alignment, and disciplined execution of approved projects.
• Maintain manufacturing documentation and standard work, including work instructions, routings, control plans, tooling, gauging, and training matrices.
• Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Product Engineering to resolve quality issues and improve manufacturability.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Continuous improvement

Problem-solving

Leadership

Communication

Automation experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing, or Process Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

Microsoft Office

DMM

Metamation

PMP certification

Job description

Eaton’s Electrical Sector - ARS division is currently seeking a Manufacturing Project Leader. This is an onsite role based at our Lincoln, IL manufacturing facility supporting our Residential & Wiring Devices products. Relocation assistance is available to candidates currently residing in the US.

The Manufacturing Project Leader provides technical leadership for Manufacturing Engineering at the Lincoln, IL facility, supporting fabrication, assembly, and automated manufacturing operations. This role partners with plant leadership and cross‑functional teams to deliver safety, quality, delivery, cost, and growth objectives through robust manufacturing processes, continuous improvement, capital execution, and automation strategy. This position owns the manufacturing engineering roadmap and ensures alignment with Eaton policies, MESH safety standards, customer requirements, and applicable regulations.

The expected annual salary range for this role is $97000 - $143000 a year. This position is also eligible for a variable incentive program. 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:

• Support site strategy by balancing daily shop‑floor support with long‑term strategic initiatives across fabrication and assembly operations.
• Own the Manufacturing Engineering roadmap to ensure capable processes and effective implementation of new products, processes, and equipment.
• Ensure manufacturing processes meet or exceed Eaton MESH safety and quality standards.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement using value stream mapping, kaizen, standard work, time studies, and Six Sigma tools to improve safety, flow, quality, and productivity.
• Lead capital and automation projects’ portfolio, including equipment selection, tooling, fixtures, robotics, and semi‑automated solutions to improve throughput, ergonomics, and cost.
• Develop and manage Capital Appropriation Requests, including financial justification, stakeholder alignment, and disciplined execution of approved projects.
• Maintain manufacturing documentation and standard work, including work instructions, routings, control plans, tooling, gauging, and training matrices.
• Partner cross‑functionally with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Product Engineering to resolve quality issues and improve manufacturability.

Qualifications:

Basic (required) Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering from an accredited institution.
• Five (5) or more years of engineering, program management, or CI/OPEX experience, supporting a manufacturing environment.
• 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:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing, or Process Engineering.
• Demonstrated experience applying lean manufacturing and continuous improvement principles in a fabrication and/or assembly environment.
• Previous experience supporting improvements/upgrades to automated equipment/robotics.
• PMP certification.
• Lean Six Sigma certification, Green Belt or Black Belt.
• Experience with automation, tooling, equipment integration, and manufacturing systems.
• Experience with manufacturing engineering systems such as DMM or Metamation.

Keys to Role Success:

• Proven ability to lead capital, automation, and continuous improvement projects in a fast‑paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and communication skills, with proficiency in AutoCAD and Microsoft Office tools.
• Practical application of engineering principles to improve fabrication and assembly processes.
• Ability to manage ambiguity, prioritize effectively, and lead teams through change in a continuous improvement culture.

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. Click here for more detail: Eaton Benefits Overview.