Director of Software Engineering, Manufacturing Operations

Protolabs•Maple Plain, MN

8d•$164,500 - $219,300•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Manufacturing Operations Technology leads the strategy, architecture, and execution of technology that powers manufacturing across all Protolabs factories. The scope includes Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), Enterprise Systems (ES) integration, manufacturing capabilities, machine operations, and logistics. This role owns the technology strategy for factories and partners with Operations to assess current technology, identify needs, and plan for the future. The Director oversees multiple software development teams, each led by an engineering manager, and is accountable for the people, platforms, and roadmap supporting factory operations and growth. This is a hybrid role with onsite work Tuesday through Thursday in Maple Plain, Minnesota. The position works closely with the Chief Operating Officer and team, factory, supply chain, and logistics stakeholders, as well as engineering managers and their teams. It leads technology strategy and delivery across factory locations and represents manufacturing operations technology in executive and cross-functional discussions. The role requires a bachelor's degree in a related field and at least 10 years of progressive software engineering leadership experience, including significant work in manufacturing, industrial, or operations technology environments. Protolabs offers a competitive salary and total rewards package. The role is restricted to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and foreign nationals granted refugee or asylee status due to ITAR regulations.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field.
At least 10 years of progressive software engineering leadership experience, including significant experience in manufacturing, industrial, or operations technology environments.
Experience leading and developing engineering managers or other people leaders across multiple teams.
Experience with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and enterprise systems (ES/ERP) integration in a multi-site manufacturing environment.
Experience partnering directly with Operations or factory leadership to define and execute technology strategy.
Experience leading software organizations using agile development practices at scale.
Experience working with and building global teams across the United States, Europe, and India.
Track record of delivering technology strategies and roadmaps spanning multiple factories or business units.
Proficiency or strong understanding of CI/CD practices, including automated tests, builds, and deployments.
Experience working at a high technical level across all phases of programming activities.
Deep knowledge of MES and enterprise systems, including their integration with machine operations and logistics.
Working knowledge of manufacturing capabilities, machine operations, and shop-floor technology across factory environments.
Understanding of logistics and supply chain systems as they relate to manufacturing operations.
Strategic and analytical skills, including the ability to translate operational needs into a technology roadmap.
Executive-level communication skills and ability to influence and align Operations leadership and senior stakeholders.
People-leadership skills and experience building, coaching, and scaling engineering management teams.
Ability to manage multiple concurrent initiatives across distributed teams and factory locations.
History of staying current on best practices in manufacturing technology and software engineering.
Due to ITAR regulations, must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or foreign national granted refugee or asylee status; temporary visa holders are not eligible.
Ability to meet the stated physical demands, including occasionally lifting or moving up to 25 pounds.

Nice To Haves

An advanced degree is a plus.

Responsibilities

Own and evolve the multi-year manufacturing operations technology strategy and roadmap across MES, ES, manufacturing capabilities, machine operations, and logistics at all factories.
Serve as the primary contact for the Chief Operating Officer and team, assessing current-state technology, identifying gaps and opportunities, and co-developing future manufacturing technology strategy.
Lead, hire, and develop a multi-team organization of engineering managers and their direct reports, including software engineers, quality engineers, and technical product managers.
Direct the design, development, and support of software for manufacturing execution, machine operations, and logistics workflows across factory locations.
Establish and govern standards, architecture, and integration patterns for MES and ES platforms to support consistency, scalability, and reliability across factories.
Set project and portfolio priorities across manufacturing technology teams, balancing new capabilities, platform modernization, and operational support.
Build and maintain relationships with factory, supply chain, and logistics stakeholders to align technology investments with operational needs.
Drive process improvement and quality initiatives, including software quality, release practices, and production support.
Represent manufacturing operations technology in cross-functional and executive discussions, translating strategy into actionable plans for engineering teams.
Mentor and develop engineering managers and build organizational capability and succession depth.
Track evolving manufacturing capabilities and technologies to identify opportunities to advance Protolabs' manufacturing capabilities.