Staff Manufacturing Engineer (1156069)

The Judge Group; Buffalo (NY); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid Time Off (PTO)

Job summary

GTI Fabrication, a rapidly growing manufacturer, is seeking a Staff Manufacturing Engineer for the Global Strategic Growth team in Buffalo, NY. The role leads technical due diligence and capacity expansion initiatives across a global network, partnering with production planning, operations, and engineering to shape scalable manufacturing strategies.

The successful candidate will evaluate facilities and partners, develop investment plans, and guide risk mitigation while ensuring readiness for

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Operations Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Extensive manufacturing engineering experience supporting production operations, facility development, capacity expansion, or strategic manufacturing initiatives.
• Experience conducting technical due diligence, manufacturing assessments, facility evaluations, or acquisition support activities.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, facility operations, quality systems, production planning, and operational excellence methodologies.
• Experience with capacity planning, process development, facility layout, equipment selection, and manufacturing system implementation.

Responsibilities

• Lead manufacturing technical due diligence activities for prospective facilities, strategic partners, joint ventures, and acquisition targets.
• Define assessment methodologies, evaluation criteria, site visit plans, and validation requirements.
• Translate customer, product, regulatory, and business requirements into manufacturing process, equipment, facility, tooling, labor, testing, and quality requirements.
• Evaluate production capacity through analysis of cycle times, takt times, OEE, equipment uptime, staffing models, changeovers, constraints, yields, and material flow.
• Assess manufacturing capabilities across fabrication, welding, coating, assembly, testing, packaging, and integration processes.
• Review facility readiness including layouts, utilities, material handling systems, maintenance programs, warehouse operations, quality systems, EHS compliance, and manufacturing technologies.
• Identify gaps relative to company standards and quantify associated risks related to safety, quality, delivery, cost, compliance, and business continuity.
• Develop current-state and future-state process flows, conceptual facility layouts, equipment requirements, staffing plans, and implementation strategies.
• Estimate capital expenditures, operating costs, launch expenses, staffing requirements, and project schedules required to achieve operational readiness.
• Support site selection, make-versus-buy decisions, capacity allocation strategies, partnership evaluations, and acquisition assessments.
• Develop technical risk registers, mitigation plans, gap closure strategies, and executive-level recommendations.
• Support equipment specification development, supplier reviews, installation planning, commissioning activities, process validation, and production readiness efforts.
• Coordinate manufacturing handoffs and ensure successful transitions into long-term operational ownership.
• Develop and refine due diligence standards, assessment tools, best practices, benchmarks, and lessons learned.
• Mentor engineering team members and provide technical leadership on complex manufacturing and facility development initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Technical due diligence

Education

Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing/Industrial/Mechanical/Operations Engineering

Job description

Staff Manufacturing Engineer – Global Strategic Growth

Location: Buffalo, NY, USA

Salary: $140,000.00 USD Annually - $180,000.00 USD Annually

Description

Staff Manufacturing Engineer – Global Strategic Growth

Location: Tempe, AZ | Buffalo, NY | Wilmington, NC

Travel: 90-100% Global Travel Required

About Client

GTI Fabrication is a rapidly growing manufacturer supporting the global data center infrastructure market. As the company continues to expand, we are seeking a Staff Manufacturing Engineer to join our Global Strategic Growth team.

This highly visible role serves as a senior technical resource supporting strategic growth initiatives, including new manufacturing facilities, joint ventures, strategic partnerships, capacity expansion projects, and potential acquisitions. The position offers the opportunity to influence major business decisions by evaluating manufacturing capabilities, assessing technical risks, and developing scalable production strategies across a global manufacturing network.

Position Summary

The Staff Manufacturing Engineer – Global Strategic Growth provides technical leadership for manufacturing expansion initiatives worldwide. This role works closely with Production Planning, Operations, Engineering, and Strategic Growth leadership to identify production gaps, assess potential manufacturing partners and facilities, and determine the most effective path to support future growth.

The successful candidate will perform technical due diligence, evaluate manufacturing readiness, assess capacity and capability requirements, and develop investment and implementation plans that support informed business decisions. This individual will play a critical role in determining whether facilities, strategic partners, or acquisition targets can safely, efficiently, and consistently manufacture GTI products at scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead manufacturing technical due diligence activities for prospective facilities, strategic partners, joint ventures, and acquisition targets.
• Define assessment methodologies, evaluation criteria, site visit plans, and validation requirements.
• Translate customer, product, regulatory, and business requirements into manufacturing process, equipment, facility, tooling, labor, testing, and quality requirements.
• Evaluate production capacity through analysis of cycle times, takt times, OEE, equipment uptime, staffing models, changeovers, constraints, yields, and material flow.
• Assess manufacturing capabilities across fabrication, welding, coating, assembly, testing, packaging, and integration processes.
• Review facility readiness including layouts, utilities, material handling systems, maintenance programs, warehouse operations, quality systems, EHS compliance, and manufacturing technologies.
• Identify gaps relative to company standards and quantify associated risks related to safety, quality, delivery, cost, compliance, and business continuity.
• Develop current-state and future-state process flows, conceptual facility layouts, equipment requirements, staffing plans, and implementation strategies.
• Estimate capital expenditures, operating costs, launch expenses, staffing requirements, and project schedules required to achieve operational readiness.
• Support site selection, make-versus-buy decisions, capacity allocation strategies, partnership evaluations, and acquisition assessments.
• Develop technical risk registers, mitigation plans, gap closure strategies, and executive-level recommendations.
• Support equipment specification development, supplier reviews, installation planning, commissioning activities, process validation, and production readiness efforts.
• Coordinate manufacturing handoffs and ensure successful transitions into long-term operational ownership.
• Develop and refine due diligence standards, assessment tools, best practices, benchmarks, and lessons learned.
• Mentor engineering team members and provide technical leadership on complex manufacturing and facility development initiatives.

What You'll Deliver

Technical Due Diligence

• Comprehensive manufacturing capacity and capability assessments.
• Executive summaries outlining strengths, risks, assumptions, findings, and recommendations.
• Facility, process, equipment, workforce, quality, maintenance, and EHS evaluations.
• Technical risk registers with mitigation plans and ownership assignments.
• Go, no-go, and conditional approval recommendations for leadership decision-making.

Capacity & Capability Expansion Planning

• Current-state and future-state value stream maps.
• Manufacturing process and constraint analyses.
• Conceptual production line and facility layouts.
• Material flow and utility infrastructure requirements.
• Equipment, tooling, automation, testing, and infrastructure recommendations.
• Staffing models, training requirements, shift strategies, and production ramp plans.
• Capital and operating cost estimates.
• Implementation roadmaps, resource plans, and project schedules.

Execution & Operational Readiness

• Technical project plans, milestones, and work breakdown structures.
• Equipment installation, commissioning, and validation plans.
• Manufacturing readiness assessments and launch criteria.
• Gap closure tracking and risk mitigation reporting.
• Transition plans and formal handoff to Operations and Engineering teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Operations Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Extensive manufacturing engineering experience supporting production operations, facility development, capacity expansion, or strategic manufacturing initiatives.
• Experience conducting technical due diligence, manufacturing assessments, facility evaluations, or acquisition support activities.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, facility operations, quality systems, production planning, and operational excellence methodologies.
• Experience with capacity planning, process development, facility layout, equipment selection, and manufacturing system implementation.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing performance metrics including OEE, takt time, cycle time, throughput, yield, and constraint analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate technical and operational risks and develop practical mitigation strategies.
• Strong financial and business acumen with experience supporting capital investment decisions.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence executive leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Proven ability to lead complex, multi-site projects in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Travel Requirements

This position requires extensive travel ranging from 90% to 100%, including significant domestic and international travel. Assignments may support manufacturing operations and growth initiatives throughout North America, South America, Asia, and Eastern Europe. Candidates must be comfortable working in plant environments, conducting site assessments, and supporting project execution across a global manufacturing footprint.

Why Join Client?

• Play a key role in shaping the global growth strategy of a rapidly expanding manufacturer.
• Evaluate and influence major business decisions involving new facilities, strategic partnerships, and acquisitions.
• Work on high-impact global manufacturing initiatives with executive-level visibility.
• Drive capacity expansion and manufacturing excellence across a worldwide network.
• Competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and exceptional career growth opportunities within a fast-growing organization.

Benefits

Client offers a competitive compensation and benefits package designed to support employees and their families while providing long-term career growth opportunities within a fast-growing manufacturing organization. Benefits may include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match (where applicable)
• Paid Time Off (PTO) and paid holidays
• Sick time in accordance with state and local requirements
• Company-paid life insurance and disability coverage
• Career advancement opportunities within a rapidly growing organization
• Exposure to advanced manufacturing, modular infrastructure, and large-scale industrial projects
• Collaborative, fast-paced environment with strong operational and engineering leadership
• Employee-focused culture centered on safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement

Benefits eligibility and offerings may vary based on position, location, and employment classification.