Director, Manufacturing Engineering

GE Appliances•Decatur, AL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Plant Manufacturing Engineering Leader is a key factory staff member responsible for the overall performance, development and maintenance of the plant’s technical resources and capability (both equipment and personnel). As a newly added plant role and function, the ME Leader will be responsible for building the plant ME organization to include creating and standardizing processes and developing technical capability in our people.

Requirements

Technical Degree or equivalent experience.
Minimum 7+ years in progressive manufacturing leadership roles.
Strong operational plant finance background and understanding.
Strong understanding of Union Relations and demonstrated experience building relationships with Union leadership.
Experience managing large manufacturing and engineering projects.
Demonstrated ability to mentor, develop, grow and maintain a skilled engineering team.
Fluent with Lean manufacturing principles.
Strong communication skills – will be expected to communicate to all levels of the organization. From the plant floor up to executive staff members.
Demonstrated ability to take ownership of cross-functional program deliverables and ability to drive decisions based on the overall benefit to the company.

Nice To Haves

BS Engineering (IE, ME or EE) or equivalent.
Six Sigma certification with strong knowledge of LEAN, DMAIC, workout and other change mechanisms.
Demonstrated leadership responsibility in a union manufacturing environment.
Lean Manufacturing implementation experience.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop a high-performing, integrated Manufacturing Engineering organization, including Manufacturing, Facilities Engineering, and Maintenance teams.
Set clear objectives, align resources to plant priorities, and drive accountability for results.
Own all plant facilities, production equipment, and tooling, ensuring reliability, capability, and alignment with operational needs.
Accountable for overall manufacturing performance, including current-state capability, efficiency, and output.
Lead implementation of product changes, cost reduction initiatives, and running changes on existing platforms.
Partner with Operations to improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) by driving gains in availability, performance, and quality through process and equipment optimization.
Establish and execute a robust preventive and predictive maintenance strategy to maximize uptime, extend asset life, and minimize production disruption.
Own and drive the plant’s hourly labor (base and variable) Jobs Plan.
Collaborate with Operations and Lean teams to eliminate waste, improve productivity, and enable efficiency through equipment, tooling, and process improvements.
Ensure factory readiness for future product and volume demands, including mix changes, New Product Introduction (NPI), and long-term product evolution.
Develop scenario planning (“what-if” analyses) to guide capacity and investment decisions.
Provide engineering leadership for NPI programs, ensuring alignment between program requirements and plant capabilities.
Drive seamless product launches through effective transition planning, resource readiness, and equipment/tooling ownership.
Serve as a key member of the Change Implementation Board (CIB), ensuring all product and process changes align with plant strategy, deliver business value, and are executed effectively.
Ensure all projects meet EHS and ergonomic standards, applying Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) principles to prioritize operator safety and system reliability.
Own the plant capital and project portfolio (“Run the Plant” funding), including planning, prioritization, and execution.
Align investments to strategic goals across Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost.
Partner with Advanced Manufacturing Engineering (AME) and Advanced Quality Engineering (AQE) to deliver capital projects and new technology implementations.
Champion Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement, embedding principles such as the Appliance Performance System to drive sustainable operational excellence.
Act as steward of plant infrastructure and space utilization, ensuring effective layout, capacity, and long-term site planning.
Build organizational capability by mentoring, coaching, and developing engineering and maintenance talent.
Foster cross-functional collaboration and ensure strong succession planning and timely hiring.