Director of Manufacturing Engineering

ZincFive•Tualatin, OR

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Manufacturing Engineering develops scalable manufacturing solutions for ZincFive’s nickel-zinc (NiZn) energy storage products. Serving as the link between product engineering and operations, this role defines, validates, and transfers manufacturing methods that support new product development and production scalability. The position leads process development projects involving automated assembly, supply chain resiliency, and end-of-life recycling. This role requires strong technical, team, and project leadership and will work onsite at ZincFive Headquarters in Tualatin, Oregon and reports to the Sr. VP of Technology & Engineering.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in chemical, industrial or mechanical engineering
15+ years leading manufacturing operations or manufacturing technology development
7+ years of progressive leadership experience, including responsibility for leading and developing teams
Demonstrated process engineering capability for hardware and chemical manufacturing processes
Experience with contract manufacturer relationship management
Operates as a senior technical leader influencing manufacturing, operations, quality, supply chain, and commercial organizations
Excellent communication skills at all levels to engage, technical deep‑dives, and cross‑functional decision making
Ability to align large groups of stakeholders around technical priorities and tradeoffs
Experience in assessing fixed and variable costs in pilot line operations to address performance – cost tradeoffs
Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, sourcing considerations, and operational constraints
Proven ability to prioritize engineering resources in a portfolio context
Strategic thinking combined with strong execution discipline
Ability to coach, mentor, and develop engineering talent
Comfortable navigating ambiguity and guiding teams through evolving technical and business needs

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in chemical, industrial or mechanical engineering
Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and Design for Six Sigma principles
Experience in manufacturing battery products
Familiarity with stage‑gate processes and product development environments

Responsibilities

Lead the end-to-end pilot manufacturing project portfolio, including scoping, budgeting, scheduling, risk management, and milestone execution
Drive manufacturing scale-up of NiZn battery modules and packs from pilot to high-volume production, transferring validated processes and best practices to operations
Develop manufacturing strategies, including process flows, line layouts, equipment selection, capacity planning, and techno-economic analysis
Establish process controls, validation plans, and quality systems to achieve robust yield, manufacturability, and product reliability
Implement advanced manufacturing technologies, including automation, robotics, machine vision, material handling, and ergonomic solutions
Lead equipment procurement, installation, commissioning, acceptance testing, and process validation for pilot and production operations
Manage technical relationships with equipment suppliers, contract manufacturers, and external partners
Collaborate cross-functionally with R&D, Systems Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, EHS, Operations, and Data Science to ensure product manufacturability, quality, safety, and cost competitiveness
Champion Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), and Design for Serviceability (DFS), ensuring manufacturability influences product architecture decisions early in development.
Build and mentor engineering teams, ensure regulatory, environmental, and safety compliance, foster cross-functional collaboration