Senior Engineering Manager - Sheet Metal & NPI Excellence

General Metals; Pine Level (NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

General Metals in Pine Level, NC is seeking an Engineering Manager to lead all engineering functions in a sheet metal fabrication and contract manufacturing plant.

You will guide manufacturing engineering, CNC programming, process development, tooling, and continuous improvement initiatives while partnering with Operations, Quality, Materials, and Sales to support new product launches and cost-saving solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/ Manufacturing Engineering or related field.
• 7–10 years of experience in sheet metal fabrication and assembly manufacturing.
• Experience in contract manufacturing environment preferred.
• 3–5 years of engineering leadership or management experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the engineering team, including manufacturing engineers, programmers, and CAD/CAM personnel.
• Establish engineering standards, documentation controls, and process consistency across the plant.
• Develop departmental goals aligned with safety, quality, delivery, and cost objectives.
• Manage engineering project priorities, workload balancing, and resource allocation.
• Mentor team members and build technical depth within the department.
• Oversee development, validation, and optimization of fabrication and assembly processes including laser cutting, turret punching, press brakes, welding (MIG/TIG).
• Develop efficient manufacturing methods based on customer drawings and specifications.
• Improve setup reduction, cycle times, material utilization, and workflow.
• Support troubleshooting of complex production issues and implement root cause corrective actions.
• Evaluate and recommend capital equipment, tooling, and automation to improve throughput and reduce cost.
• Review customer drawings and specifications for manufacturability and efficiency.
• Provide Design for Manufacturability feedback focused on cost reduction and process simplification.
• Identify opportunities for value engineering without altering product intent or function.
• Collaborate with Sales and customers to present engineering-driven cost savings and process improvements.
• Support prototype builds and production launches to ensure smooth transition into manufacturing.
• Lead engineering activities for new customer programs from quotation through production release.
• Ensure accurate creation of flat patterns, CNC programs, bend sequences, weld fixtures, assembly documentation, and work instructions.
• Establish accurate BOMs, routings, and labor standards within the ERP system.
• Manage engineering change orders and revision control based on customer updates.
• Ensure readiness of tooling, fixtures, and documentation prior to production start.
• Partner with Sales and Estimating to support quotations.
• Validate material usage, labor standards, and process times.
• Drive continuous cost reduction initiatives through process improvements and waste elimination.
• Support margin improvement efforts through engineering optimization.
• Collaborate with Quality to ensure processes meet customer specifications and regulatory requirements.
• Support corrective actions related to manufacturing processes or documentation.
• Ensure process documentation and revision control systems remain audit-ready.
• Oversee CAD/CAM systems, nesting software, and CNC programming platforms.
• Ensure integration between engineering systems and ERP/MRP software.
• Lead lean manufacturing initiatives, workflow improvements, and capacity optimization efforts.
• Develop and track KPIs related to engineering throughput, cost savings, ECO cycle time, and process improvements.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Lean manufacturing

Cost reduction

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Tools

SolidWorks

AutoCAD

Nesting software

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

General Metals in Pine Level, NC is seeking an Engineering Manager to lead all engineering functions in a sheet metal fabrication and contract manufacturing plant.

You will guide manufacturing engineering, CNC programming, process development, tooling, and continuous improvement initiatives while partnering with Operations, Quality, Materials, and Sales to support new product launches and cost-saving solutions.