NPI Operations Engineer Manager

Hypertherm Associates; Delaware; On-site; USD 103,000 - 172,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit Sharing

Employee Stock Ownership

Community Service Time

Environmental Stewardship

No-layoff Philosophy

Job summary

Hypertherm Associates seeks a Manager, NPI Operations Engineering to lead manufacturing readiness for new products and engineering changes, driving smooth launches and scalable production. You’ll partner across engineering, operations, quality, and supply chain to optimize safety, quality, delivery, and cost.

In this role you will oversee APQP/PPAP, process validation, and launch planning, and mentor a small team through NPI transitions to stable production.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related technical field.
• 6+ years in high‑mix, low‑volume manufacturing for NPI and production launches.
• Experience with APQP/PPAP, DFMEA/PFMEA, control plans, and process validation.

Responsibilities

• Lead manufacturing readiness for new products and changes.
• Ensure readiness of documentation, materials, tooling, and suppliers.
• Develop scalable, manufacturable processes with safety and quality at core.
• Lead production validation activities and launch quality planning.
• Mentor a small team for NPI and engineering changes.

Skills

NPI

Manufacturing readiness

APQP/PPAP

DFMEA/PFMEA

Process validation

Cross-functional leadership

Lean manufacturing

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering / manufacturing

Tools

PLM ARAS

ERP/MRP/MES

Job description

Manager, NPI Operations Engineering

Hypertherm Associates is searching for a Manager, NPI Operations Engineering. In this highly collaborative leadership role, you’ll drive manufacturing readiness for new products and engineering changes, ensuring smooth launches and scalable production processes. Working across multiple teams, you’ll help deliver industry-leading cutting solutions with a focus on safety, quality, delivery, and operational excellence.

As the Manager, NPI Operations Engineering, you will:

• Lead manufacturing readiness for new products, engineering changes, and product lifecycle transitions.

• Ensure accurate manufacturing systems, documentation, materials, tooling, and supplier readiness to support successful launches.

• Partner with engineering and quality teams to develop scalable, manufacturable processes that optimize safety, quality, delivery, and cost.

• Lead production validation activities, including APQP, PPAP, process capability, and launch quality planning.

• Lead and develop a small team responsible for new product introductions and engineering change implementation.

• Drive cross-functional launch execution, issue resolution, training, and transition to stable production with a “non-event launch” mindset.

Who you are and the experience you bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, manufacturing, industrial engineering, or a related technical field with 6+ years of experience in high-mix, low-volume manufacturing supporting NPI, production launch, process development, and engineering changes

• Strong knowledge of NPI, manufacturing readiness, engineering change management, BOMs, process flows, standard work, and work instructions

• Working knowledge of APQP, PPAP, DFMEA, PFMEA, control plans, process validation, PLM, ERP, MRP, and MES systems

• Ability to lead cross-functional work across engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, and production teams

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills using A3, 8D, root cause analysis, MSA, Gage R&R, SPC, and capability analysis

Preferred experience that differentiates you:

• Experience with pilot, pre-production, and launch builds

• Experience qualifying tooling, fixtures, equipment, and supplier readiness

• Hands-on experience supporting launch ramp, Lean manufacturing, and APQP/PPAP execution

• Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification preferred

• Strong Exposure to PLM environments like ARAS or similar

Location: Onsite, Kent, WA (Relocation assistance available)

Besides our incredible culture, some of the benefits you can expect with a career at Hypertherm:

• Global, 100% employee-owned company for over 50 years

• Profit-Sharing

• Employee Stock Ownership

• Five days/year Community Service Time

• Strong commitment to Environmental Stewardship

• Stable, growing organization with a no-layoff philosophy

Sponsorship of new applicants for employment authorization, or any other immigration-related support, is not available for this position at this time.

Hypertherm Associates is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we welcome all applications. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

At Hypertherm Associates, we are committed to building an inclusive diverse, flexible, and collaborative environment. If our mission resonates with you, but you don’t meet all posted requirements, we encourage you to still apply. We will evaluate your application materials and may suggest alternative roles that better leverage your strengths and talents. For positions with multiple levels, we will evaluate your prior experience to determine the level within our organization you are best aligned based upon the job applying.

$103,329.00-$172,215.00 Annual

This is the base pay range that an applicant can expect to make upon hire.

Pay within this range will vary based upon relevant experience, skills, and education among other factors.