Engineering Manager
About The Position
The Engineering Manager leads the Process Engineering function supporting Class 3, high-reliability aerospace and mission-critical PCBA manufacturing across Rocket EMS facilities. The role ensures manufacturing processes meet stringent requirements for quality, repeatability, traceability, and regulatory compliance. The position owns process integrity from new product introduction (NPI) through sustained production, including documentation, validation, certification, capacity planning, and continuous improvement. It works closely with Production, Quality, Supply Chain, Program teams, and approved offsite partners to promote operational excellence through disciplined revision control, data-driven decisions, and proactive risk management consistent with aerospace and defense expectations.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or 10+ years of progressive experience in high-reliability EMS manufacturing.
- Demonstrated leadership experience in process engineering for Class 3 aerospace, defense, or mission-critical electronics.
- Strong hands-on knowledge of SMT, thru-hole, AOI/AXI, selective solder, rework, and inspection in regulated environments.
- Deep understanding of IPC Class 3 standards and aerospace customer quality requirements.
- Proven ability to implement and enforce process validation, certification, and revision control disciplines.
- Strong command of DFM/DFT principles, PFMEA, control plans, and risk-based decision-making.
- Experience with manufacturing documentation systems, MES, and data-driven process analysis tools.
- Familiarity with ESD controls, safety regulations, and high-reliability workmanship standards.
- Excellent organizational, analytical, and communication skills, with the ability to lead across multiple facilities and teams.
- Must be eligible to access export-controlled information under applicable U.S. export-control laws or eligible for any required government authorization.
Responsibilities
- Lead, manage, and mentor the Process Engineering team supporting Class 3 aerospace and high-reliability PCBA builds.
- Establish and track KPIs for yield, defect reduction, process capability, and certification compliance.
- Enforce accountability and manage corrective or disciplinary actions in accordance with company policies.
- Coordinate cross-functional collaboration between Engineering, Quality, Production, and Program teams to resolve technical and process issues.
- Review and approve manufacturing documentation for compliance with IPC Class 3, customer specifications, and aerospace quality requirements.
- Ensure MPI packages, tooling, fixtures, machine programs, and inspection criteria are complete, validated, and controlled before release.
- Maintain revision control for manufacturing documentation, certifications, tooling qualifications, and machine programs.
- Develop, validate, and certify manufacturing processes from concept through first article, qualification, and sustained production.
- Ensure processes provide the traceability, lot control, and defect containment required by aerospace customers.
- Define work instructions and process flows to minimize variation and maximize repeatability in high-mix, low-volume environments.
- Provide engineering support to production for SMT, thru-hole, selective solder, AOI, AXI, rework, conformal coating, and final inspection processes.
- Establish and maintain route times, standard labor models, and lead times aligned with aerospace scheduling commitments.
- Support capacity planning for staffing, equipment, and certifications to meet current and future program requirements.
- Lead root-cause analysis and corrective action using production data, quality metrics, and customer feedback.
- Drive continuous improvement on repeat aerospace builds, making controlled process or documentation revisions when required.
- Partner with Quality on NPI risk assessments, PFMEAs, control plans, and DFM/DFT reviews to prevent defects at launch.
- Balance cost, schedule, and quality while maintaining Class 3 compliance and customer requirements.
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
