Engineering Build Manager

GTI Fabrication • Buffalo, NY

4d • $135,000 - $180,000

About The Position

GTI is a contract manufacturing partner supporting customers in renewable energy, power generation, infrastructure, and industrial systems. We fabricate custom designed, purpose-built enclosures and skids for our customers and perform mechanical and electrical integration in-house, delivering a true turn-key product to our customers. Our scope spans Engineering, prototype builds, through full production, requiring teams that can move fast, adapt, and execute with precision.

Position Overview
The Engineering Build Manager leads GTI's engineering build, prototype, First-of-Kind (FOK), and other pre-production build activities within Design Engineering. The role owns the physical environment where engineering designs are converted into real assemblies, ensuring physical build learning is converted into the controlled engineering definition before production release.
The Engineering Build Manager is accountable for disciplined build execution, physical design validation, issue capture and closure, configuration integrity, and effective transfer of validated product knowledge into Manufacturing Engineering and Operations. The role works across Design Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Program Management, and Operations to expose product deficiencies early and prevent undocumented floor corrections from becoming part of the product.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Engineering Technology, or a related technical discipline; equivalent technical education and significant relevant experience may be considered
• 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in engineering, product development, prototype/FOK execution, manufacturing, fabrication, NPI, or related industrial environments
• 3+ years of direct leadership or supervisory responsibility in a technical manufacturing or engineering-build environment
• Demonstrated experience leading prototype, pilot, first-article, FOK, engineering validation, or pre-production builds
• Strong working knowledge of welding, fabrication, assembly, and industrial manufacturing processes; experience with large welded structures or modular equipment strongly preferred
• Ability to interpret complex engineering drawings, GD&T, specifications, BOMs, and 3D product definitions
• Experience working within formal engineering change and configuration-control processes; SolidWorks and PDM/PLM experience preferred
• Strong structured problem-solving, cross-functional leadership, and written and verbal communication skills

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Engineering Management, or a related technical discipline
• Experience managing multidisciplinary build teams that include engineers, welders, fabricators, fitters, assemblers, electricians, and test technicians
• Experience using structured problem-solving and corrective-action methods such as 8D, A3, 5 Why, fishbone analysis, or root cause and corrective action (RCCA)
• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, PMP, CMII/configuration-management, or related technical certification
• Proficiency with SolidWorks and formal PDM/PLM platforms; experience with ERP/MRP and Manufacturing Execution Systems is beneficial

Responsibilities

• Own planning, coordination, and execution of prototype, engineering validation, FOK, pilot, and other designated pre-production builds
• Translate engineering release packages into executable build plans, including sequence, labor, tooling, material, workspace, equipment, inspection, test, and technical support requirements
• Establish build schedules, priorities, milestones, constraints, and completion criteria; maintain clear daily visibility to progress and risk
• Lead build readiness reviews and identify incomplete engineering information, material gaps, tooling constraints, or unresolved technical risks before work begins
• Escalate issues rapidly when they threaten safety, quality, engineering validation, program timing, or product performance
• Serve as the primary interface between the physical build and Design Engineering, validating that designs can be fabricated, assembled, integrated, inspected, serviced, and manufactured as intended
• Identify design deficiencies including interferences, dimensional or tolerance issues, fit-up problems, weldability concerns, access limitations, routing conflicts, assembly-sequence conflicts, BOM discrepancies, and interface mismatches
• Challenge designs that technically meet requirements but introduce avoidable manufacturing complexity, quality risk, cost, rework, or serviceability concerns
• Establish disciplined methods for capturing material issues identified during builds and assign clear ownership, corrective action, status, and verification of closure
• Drive issues through permanent closure rather than considering a problem resolved because the physical build was successfully modified
• Prevent undocumented shop-floor corrections, tribal knowledge, and unauthorized design changes from becoming embedded in future builds
• Ensure engineering builds are executed against the correct drawing revisions, CAD models, engineering BOMs, specifications, and approved build documentation
• Work with Design Engineering and document-control resources to ensure build discoveries are incorporated through GTI's established ECR/ECO, redline, deviation, and configuration-control processes
• Verify permanent corrections are incorporated into the appropriate 3D models, drawings, EBOMs, specifications, interfaces, assembly requirements, and test documentation
• Maintain traceability between physical build conditions, temporary dispositions, permanent design corrections, and the released product definition
• Verify the as-built configuration and released engineering configuration reconcile before formal build closeout
• Coordinate with Design Engineering to resolve design intent, technical questions, and product-definition deficiencies identified during build execution
• Partner with Manufacturing Engineering to communicate production-related observations, tooling needs, assembly constraints, process risks, and design-for-manufacturing opportunities
• Partner with Quality to establish inspection requirements, capture nonconformances, verify corrective actions, and control critical characteristics
• Coordinate with Supply Chain on component availability, supplier issues, substitutions, procurement constraints, and material discrepancies
• Provide Program Management with clear build status, technical risks, dependencies, recovery actions, and milestone impacts
• Lead formal completion and closeout of engineering and FOK builds, ensuring significant issues have been dispositioned and permanent corrections are incorporated or formally assigned
• Participate in phase-gate and production-readiness reviews and communicate unresolved engineering or configuration risks before release
• Support transfer of validated product knowledge from Design Engineering into Manufacturing Engineering and Operations
• Ensure production teams are not required to rediscover issues already identified and understood during engineering builds
• Lead the Engineering Build Supervisor and personnel assigned to engineering build activities, establishing clear priorities, accountability, and execution standards
• Create a culture where welders, fabricators, fitters, assemblers, technicians, and engineers actively expose problems instead of working around them
• Ensure the build organization maintains high standards for safety, quality, organization, workmanship, material control, and configuration discipline
• Develop technical capability within the build team and ensure appropriate training for assigned activities
• Maintain clear distinction between identifying a problem, implementing an approved temporary disposition, and permanently changing the product design
• Develop standardized engineering-build processes, readiness checklists, issue logs, closeout criteria, metrics, and lessons-learned practices
• Analyze recurring build problems to identify systemic weaknesses in design reviews, drawing quality, tolerance strategy, BOM quality, manufacturability, or configuration control
• Use build data to improve first-time fit, assembly success, engineering closure cycle time, and production readiness
• Establish an engineering build operating model that scales across products, programs, and GTI manufacturing locations

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match (where applicable)
• Paid Time Off (PTO) and paid holidays
• Sick time in accordance with state and local requirements
• Company-paid life insurance and disability coverage
• Career advancement opportunities within a rapidly growing organization
• Exposure to advanced manufacturing, modular infrastructure, and large-scale industrial projects
• Collaborative, fast-paced environment with strong operational and engineering leadership
• Employee-focused culture centered on safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior