Operations Engineering Director

Flex; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Flex is seeking a Director, Operations Engineering in Milpitas, CA. This senior role leads Process, Manufacturing, Test, Mechanical Design, Automation, and NPI Engineering to enable growth, quality, and scalable production across diverse product lines.

You will collaborate with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Global Engineering to drive innovation, optimize performance, and deliver high-quality production solutions in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• 12+ years of progressive manufacturing engineering experience.
• 8+ years of engineering leadership experience managing multiple engineering disciplines.
• Experience supporting Automotive manufacturing environments.
• Experience leading engineering organizations supporting high-volume manufacturing operations.
• Demonstrated success leading NPI and mass production environments.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the site's Operations Engineering strategy, aligning manufacturing technology and roadmaps with business objectives.
• Lead engineering support for Automotive, Cloud, Industrial, and electromechanical products, translating specs into scalable manufacturing architectures.
• Direct Process, Manufacturing, Mechanical Design, Test, Automation, and NPI Engineering teams across SMT, PCBA, backend manufacturing, system integration.
• Drive factory performance through process design, readiness, capacity planning, line balancing, and cost optimization initiatives.
• Establish and govern robust NPI and product industrialization processes to ensure manufacturability, quality, and reliability.
• Own site-wide process and product qualification activities, including qualification, validation, and inspection.
• Champion Industry 4.0 initiatives through robotics, vision systems, and real-time analytics to improve productivity and scalability.
• Lead engineering risk management and quality governance through PFMEA, DFMEA, and corrective actions.

Skills

Leadership

Strategy development

Cross-functional collaboration

NPI management

Data-driven decision making

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering

Job description

Flex is the diversified manufacturing partner of choice that helps market-leading brands design, build and deliver innovative products that improve the world. A career at Flex offers the opportunity to make a difference and invest in your growth in a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative environment.

Flex is the diversified manufacturing partner of choice that helps market-leading brands design, build and deliver innovative products that improve the world.

A career at Flex offers the opportunity to make a difference and invest in your growth in a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative environment.

Job Summary

The Director, Operations Engineering serves as the site's senior engineering leader, reporting to the General Manager, responsible for defining and executing the engineering strategy that supports business growth, operational excellence, new product introduction (NPI), and manufacturing performance. This role leads Process, Manufacturing, Test, Mechanical Design, Automation, and NPI Engineering functions across complex Automotive, Cloud, Industrial, and advanced manufacturing operations.

As a key member of the Site Leadership Team, the Director, Operations Engineering partners with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Program Management, and Global Engineering teams to drive manufacturing innovation, optimize operational performance, and deliver scalable, high-quality production solutions. This leader will balance strategic business objectives, technical engineering expertise, customer engagement, and talent development to enable sustainable growth in a high-volume manufacturing environment.

What a typical day looks like:

• Define and execute the site's Operations Engineering strategy, aligning manufacturing technology, process capability, automation, and engineering roadmaps with business objectives, customer requirements, and long-term growth plans.
• Lead engineering support for complex Automotive, Cloud, Industrial, and electromechanical products, translating customer specifications into scalable manufacturing architectures that support qualification, ramp-up, and high-volume production.
• Direct Process, Manufacturing, Mechanical Design, Test, Automation, and NPI Engineering teams, ensuring technical excellence across SMT, PCBA, backend manufacturing, system integration, rack assembly, box build, cleanroom operations, and automated production environments.
• Drive factory performance through process design and optimization, manufacturing readiness assessments, capacity planning, line balancing, equipment selection, industrialization, yield improvement, defect reduction, and cost optimization initiatives.
• Establish and govern robust NPI and product industrialization processes, utilizing DFM, DFA, DFT, and Design for Automation methodologies to ensure manufacturability, quality, reliability, and successful product launches.
• Own site-wide process and product qualification activities, including equipment qualification, process validation, first article inspections, production validation builds, reliability testing, and manufacturing readiness reviews, while ensuring compliance with APQP, PPAP, FMEA, SPC, MSA, and customer-specific quality requirements.
• Champion advanced manufacturing and Industry 4.0 initiatives through the deployment of robotics, vision systems, smart factory technologies, real-time analytics, and data-driven process controls to improve productivity, quality, and operational scalability.
• Lead engineering risk management and quality governance by driving PFMEA, DFMEA, failure analysis, root cause investigations, corrective actions, process controls, and audit readiness to enhance product reliability and manufacturing robustness.
• Ensure comprehensive ownership of manufacturing documentation, engineering change management, process specifications, SOPs, control plans, validation records, and knowledge management systems to support compliance, traceability, and standardized execution.
• Serve as the executive technical leader for customers and site leadership, presenting engineering strategies, supporting technical reviews and audits, managing engineering investments and KPIs, and developing a high-performing engineering organization focused on innovation, safety, quality, and operational excellence.

The experience we’re looking to add to our team:

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• 12+ years of progressive manufacturing engineering experience.
• 8+ years of engineering leadership experience managing multiple engineering disciplines.
• Experience supporting Automotive manufacturing environments.
• Experience leading engineering organizations supporting high-volume manufacturing operations.
• Demonstrated success leading NPI and mass production environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or MBA.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification
• ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE).
• Project Management Professional (PMP).
• Experience in highly regulated industries including Automotive, Cloud Infrastructure, Industrial, Medical, or Aerospace manufacturing environments.

Flex is an Equal Opportunity Employer and employment selection decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. We do not discriminate based on: age, race, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, pregnancy status, or any other status protected by law. We're happy to provide reasonable accommodations to those with a disability for assistance in the application process. Please email [e-mail] and we'll discuss your specific situation and next steps (NOTE: this email does not accept or consider resumes or applications. This is only for disability assistance. To be considered for a position at Flex, you must complete the application process first).