Director Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering

PowerSecure, Inc.•Durham, NC

18h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Manufacturing Engineering is the overall leader for Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, and Continuous Improvement across the manufacturing organization. Reporting to the VP of Manufacturing, the Director establishes and executes the strategy, standards, systems, and talent needed to translate product designs into safe, repeatable, efficient, and scalable manufacturing processes. The role leads Manufacturing Engineering and Industrial Engineering teams responsible for EBOM-to-MBOM transformation, manufacturing product structures, Methods of Manufacture, routings, work instructions, plant layouts, digital twin simulations, equipment capacity models, tooling, equipment, and machinery. It also leads the Continuous Improvement team, which supports Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen events, 5S, Lean manufacturing, standard work, and structured problem solving. The Director partners with Manufacturing Operations across multiple value streams, Product Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Planning, Facilities, and EHS. The role improves safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and manufacturing readiness while supporting new product introductions, capacity expansion, and growth across multiple manufacturing locations. The position is hybrid, may require occasional travel for training or meetings, and requires flexibility to work across time zones and handle after-hours tasks as needed.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
At least 10 years of progressive experience in manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, operational excellence, or manufacturing operations.
At least 5 years of experience leading technical teams.
Demonstrated experience leading Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, and/or Continuous Improvement functions in a complex manufacturing environment.
Strong knowledge of EBOM-to-MBOM transformation, manufacturing product structures, routings, Methods of Manufacture, work instructions, configuration control, and engineering change implementation.
Experience with plant layout, line design, capacity analysis, labor standards, material flow, simulation, tooling, equipment specification, automation, and capital project justification.
Demonstrated application of Lean manufacturing methods, including Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen, 5S, standard work, visual management, root cause analysis, and waste reduction.
Experience supporting new product introduction, design for manufacturability, design for assembly, and production launch readiness.
Strong working knowledge of ERP/MRP, PLM, CAD, and manufacturing data systems.
Strong business and financial acumen, including capital planning, return-on-investment analysis, productivity improvement, and cost reduction.
Proven ability to lead organizational change, develop technical talent, influence cross-functional teams, and communicate effectively with senior leadership and shop-floor employees.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree or MBA.
Experience with IFS or similar enterprise systems.
Experience in multi-site, engineered-to-order, configure-to-order, or mixed-model manufacturing.
Experience with fabrication, electrical equipment, switchgear, power generation equipment, or energy storage systems.
Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt or Black Belt certification.

Responsibilities

Provide overall leadership for the Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, and Continuous Improvement teams.
Develop and execute a multi-year functional strategy aligned with manufacturing growth, capacity expansion, product roadmaps, and operational priorities.
Establish department ownership, decision rights, governance, standards, staffing plans, and performance expectations.
Prioritize department resources against high-impact safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and growth opportunities.
Build a scalable technical organization that supports existing plants, new facilities, and future value streams.
Own manufacturing processes from product design release through production readiness and sustained execution.
Lead EBOM-to-MBOM conversion and govern manufacturing product structures, routings, operations, and manufacturing master data.
Develop, approve, and maintain Methods of Manufacture, standardized work instructions, process specifications, tooling requirements, and production documentation.
Partner with Product Engineering on design for manufacturability and design for assembly, resolve manufacturability risks, and ensure effective engineering change implementation.
Lead manufacturing process development, validation, release, and ongoing process control for new and existing products.
Establish common manufacturing engineering methods and standards across sites and value streams.
Lead plant layout, production line and workstation design, material flow, space utilization, and manufacturing footprint optimization.
Develop capacity models, labor standards, cycle-time analysis, line-balancing methods, and constraint-management processes.
Build and apply digital twin and discrete-event simulation capabilities to evaluate layouts, staffing, equipment strategies, throughput, and future-state capacity.
Support facility expansions, new plant launches, value stream moves, and production line installations from concept through operational handoff.
Improve ergonomics, point-of-use material presentation, travel distance, flow, and factory efficiency.
Lead evaluation, specification, justification, selection, installation, commissioning, and production acceptance of manufacturing equipment, machinery, tooling, and automation.
Develop equipment and manufacturing technology roadmaps that support safety, quality, capacity, productivity, and scalability.
Partner with Facilities, Maintenance, EHS, Quality, Procurement, and Operations to ensure capital projects meet technical, operational, compliance, schedule, and budget requirements.
Establish equipment standards covering requirements, acceptance criteria, process capability, operator training, documentation, and handoff to production and maintenance.
Monitor capital project benefits and ensure expected capacity, labor, quality, and cost outcomes are realized.
Lead the Continuous Improvement team and establish a structured improvement system across manufacturing sites and value streams.
Facilitate and govern Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen events, 5S, standard work, visual management, structured problem solving, and Lean manufacturing initiatives.
Develop a prioritized improvement pipeline based on operational performance, business impact, and value stream needs.
Coach leaders and employees in Lean principles, problem solving, waste identification, and sustainment practices.
Ensure improvement activity produces measurable and sustained gains in safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, lead time, and employee engagement.
Create mechanisms to replicate successful improvements and standard practices across the manufacturing network.
Represent Manufacturing in new product introduction, product configuration, and engineering change processes.
Define and manage manufacturing readiness criteria for MBOMs, routings, work instructions, tooling, equipment, training, quality controls, materials, and capacity.
Identify launch risks early, assign corrective actions, and provide readiness reporting to functional and executive leadership.
Incorporate lessons learned from launches and production issues into product design and manufacturing standards.
Establish and monitor department metrics, operating rhythms, project reviews, and accountability systems.
Track functional effectiveness using measures such as MBOM and work instruction readiness, launch performance, engineering change cycle time, throughput, labor productivity, capacity utilization, capital benefits, 5S sustainment, and improvement savings.
Use data and structured problem solving to identify gaps, set priorities, and ensure corrective actions are completed and sustained.
Report project status, resource needs, risks, benefits, and performance to the VP of Manufacturing and cross-functional leaders.
Recruit, organize, coach, develop, and retain a high-performing team of Manufacturing Engineers, Industrial Engineers, and Continuous Improvement professionals.
Develop technical career paths, competency models, succession plans, and training plans.
Create a culture of accountability, collaboration, technical rigor, practical problem solving, and active shop-floor engagement.
Partner with Operations, Product Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Planning, Facilities, Maintenance, Finance, and EHS to achieve shared business objectives.
Serve as the primary manufacturing engineering advisor to the VP of Manufacturing and plant leadership.