Engineering and Maintenance Manager

DWYER INSTRUMENTS, LLC•Wolcott, IN

1d•$120,000 - $140,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Engineering and Maintenance Manager leads Wolcott’s Maintenance, Manufacturing Engineering, and Machine Design functions. Reporting to the Plant Manager and serving on the site leadership team, the manager sets priorities to improve equipment uptime, expand production capacity, and deliver equipment and process improvements from design through production startup. The role owns facilities readiness and develops the engineering and capital roadmap for machining, assembly, and test operations, while developing technical staff and building coverage across shifts. The manager leads equipment reliability and maintenance systems, including preventive and predictive maintenance, corrective work, shutdown planning, backlog management, root cause analysis, and performance improvement using downtime and condition data. The role directs custom machine design and automation projects, manufacturing engineering improvements, capital project execution, and the maintenance of technical documentation. It also oversees facilities and utilities, supports safe work execution, and partners with Operations, Quality, Materials, EHS, Finance, IT, and Corporate Engineering to support reliable operations and production readiness. This is an on-site leadership position with regular time on the manufacturing floor and support across operating shifts. Occasional off-shift or weekend support is required for critical equipment events, planned shutdowns, and installations. Occasional travel may be needed for suppliers, equipment acceptance, or other company locations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, or industrial engineering, or an equivalent combination of technical education and substantial relevant manufacturing experience.
Seven or more years of progressive experience in manufacturing engineering, maintenance, or equipment reliability.
At least three years leading technical employees or a manufacturing technical function.
Demonstrated success improving equipment reliability and manufacturing productivity in an environment with machining, assembly, or automated production equipment.
Experience delivering capital equipment or process improvement projects from justification through startup, with measurable results in capacity, quality, cost, or uptime.
Experience leading technical teams and overseeing the design, modification, or commissioning of custom manufacturing equipment, fixtures, or automation.
Working knowledge of mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and controls systems, and ability to guide troubleshooting, evaluate technical solutions, and engage specialists appropriately.
Experience with maintenance management systems, preventive maintenance planning, root cause analysis, Lean methods, and technical documentation.
Ability to develop employees, manage competing priorities, communicate clearly across shifts and functions, and hold teams and vendors accountable for commitments.
Follow site PPE and safe work requirements.

Nice To Haves

Experience with CNC machining, acrylic or plastics machining, precision assembly, instrumentation, or pressure and leak testing.
Experience with PLC-controlled equipment, automation integration, CAD, fixture design, machine monitoring, or manufacturing data systems.
Experience building maintenance and engineering systems during a period of growth, equipment modernization, or manufacturing transfers.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop the Maintenance, Manufacturing Engineering, and Machine Design teams; establish responsibilities, priorities, shift handoffs, response expectations, and performance standards.
Build skills matrices, cross-training plans, and backup coverage for critical equipment and technical responsibilities.
Participate in daily tier meetings and the Wolcott Leadership System; communicate equipment risks and recovery plans, track owners and due dates, and escalate constraints.
Own preventive and predictive maintenance, corrective work, shutdown planning, backlog management, and maintenance-system records.
Prioritize assets by safety, quality, and production criticality; establish maintenance plans, critical spares, service support, and contingency plans.
Lead root cause analysis of recurring failures and verify corrective actions prevent recurrence; coordinate recovery and restart readiness with Operations and Quality.
Use downtime and condition data to improve uptime, mean time between failures, mean time to repair, and planned maintenance execution.
Lead the Machine Design team and prioritize custom equipment, fixture, tooling, and automation projects; review mechanical designs and controls requirements and oversee builds and commissioning.
Ensure Maintenance receives current drawings, equipment programs, and troubleshooting documentation when equipment is handed off.
Develop and maintain a multiyear engineering roadmap aligned with demand, product mix, capacity constraints, and site strategy.
Lead improvements to CNC machining, assembly, fixtures, tooling, testing, workstations, and material presentation using methods such as cycle-time analysis, line balancing, setup reduction, and ergonomic design.
Identify and implement practical automation where justified by safety, quality, capacity, or financial return.
Advance machine monitoring, including Factbird, with IT and Operations; establish reliable data collection and use equipment losses to guide actions.
Partner with Corporate Engineering, Quality, and Operations on product introductions, process changes, and manufacturing transfers; confirm equipment capability, documentation, training, and production readiness.
Maintain accessible technical documentation, drawings, equipment programs and backups, settings, and work instructions under appropriate change control.
Own assigned capital projects from business case through installation, commissioning, and production acceptance; develop assumptions, specifications, vendor comparisons, budgets, schedules, and ROI calculations.
Define purchase acceptance criteria for throughput, quality, safety, maintainability, and training; coordinate installations and verify performance in actual operating conditions.
Manage maintenance spending, service contracts, and project budgets within approved authority; validate realized savings and capacity improvements with Finance and Operations.
Maintain building systems, utilities, and infrastructure, including compressed air, electrical distribution, HVAC, and production support systems.
Integrate guarding, energy isolation, contractor controls, and safe maintenance practices into work planning and equipment changes; partner with EHS on risk assessments and assigned compliance responsibilities.
Coordinate qualified internal and external resources for specialized work, inspections, and required certifications; maintain backup service coverage and continuity plans for critical utilities and equipment.
Partner with Operations, Quality, Materials, EHS, Finance, IT, and Corporate Engineering; prioritize work with the Plant Manager and escalate resource or schedule conflicts with a recommended path forward.