Engineering Manager

Lockwood Industries, LLC dba Fralock•Milpitas, CA

1d•$145,000 - $175,000•Onsite

About The Position

Fralock is an engineered solutions provider [https://www.fralock.com/engineered-solutions/] of specialty components and subassemblies using advanced materials for high reliability, severe environment, and technically challenging applications. We develop and manufacture custom integrated solutions. Established in 1967, we are a critical solutions provider to Fortune 500 corporations, government, and targeted OEMs in a variety of industries including Semiconductor Equipment Manufacturing, Medical and Life Science, Aerospace and Defense [https://www.fralock.com/markets/aerospace-defense/], Industrial, Electronics, and Energy. Fralock is headquartered in Valencia, CA with manufacturing locations located throughout Northern and Southern California. VISION To be recognized by our customers as a leading solutions provider of proprietary engineered advanced materials for high reliability, severe environment, and technically challenging applications. MISSION To create value, profitably grow, and share our success with all stakeholders. CULTURE Respect – We treat others the way they want to be treated. Integrity – We practice a high standard of ethics in our business dealings with customers, suppliers and employees. Responsiveness – We have a sense of urgency in responding to internal and external requests and work proactively to solve problems. Excellence/Competence – We empower our people to continuously improve and execute high quality work. Teamwork – We work together to achieve Fralock business objectives by communicating at a high level, by listening and having clarity in our expectations of one another. Individual Accountability and Personal Responsibility – We do what we have committed to do when we committed to doing it. Continuous Improvement across all segments of the company This position requires access to information controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the successful candidate must be a "U.S. person" as defined in the ITAR and EAR (which generally means (i) be a citizen or national of the United States; or (ii) be a lawful permanent resident of the United States; or (iii) have been admitted to the United States as a refugee, or have been granted asylum, as specified under applicable law. Job Scope: This role supports Fralock’s Advanced Flexible Interconnect Products (AFIP) business in Milpitas, focused on flex and rigid‑flex circuit manufacturing and associated processes. Products are manufactured to customer specifications and frequently require strong interpretation of manufacturing drawings, stack‑ups, plating requirements, QA standards, and IPC/UL requirements. The Process Engineering Manager plays a key role in ensuring these customer requirements are translated into robust, well‑controlled, and executable manufacturing processes. Role Summary The Process Engineering Manager provides technical leadership and people management for process engineering activities supporting high‑mix, high‑reliability flex and rigid‑flex manufacturing. The role is responsible for process development, optimization, qualification, and sustainment, while leading and developing a team of process engineers. This position requires strong engagement with manufacturing operations. The Process Engineering Manager is expected to maintain close connection to factory execution, enabling effective troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and timely resolution of process issues, while also driving longer‑term process discipline, capability development, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering (Manufacturing, Industrial, Mechanical, Materials, Chemical, or related discipline)
5+ years of experience in process or manufacturing engineering within a high‑reliability manufacturing environment
3+ years of experience leading engineering teams in a manufacturing environment
Demonstrated success improving and sustaining manufacturing processes in close partnership with operations
Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, including experience leading root cause analysis and corrective actions
Experience creating and maintaining work instructions, processing documentation, and training materials
Strong cross‑functional leadership and communication skills

Nice To Haves

Experience in flex or rigid‑flex PCB manufacturing, high‑reliability electronics, or Semiconductor OEM supply‑chain environments
Knowledge of IPC standards and customer‑driven requirements (e.g., FAIR, special testing requirements)
Experience with Lean Manufacturing, JIT, Kanban; Six Sigma and/or Design of Experiments (DOE) preferred
Experience working in ISO 9001, AS9100, or ISO 13485 environments
Comfort interpreting requirements and manufacturing notes for build readiness

Responsibilities

Lead and develop process engineering capability supporting flex and rigid‑flex manufacturing
Establish clear priorities, accountability, and execution standards across the process engineering team
Serve as a technical escalation point for complex processes, yield, or manufacturability challenges
Own and improve key unit processes and process windows typical of flex and rigid‑flex manufacturing (e.g., imaging/patterning, plating, lamination/press operations, drilling/routing, and related steps)
Develop, standardize, and sustain process controls to improve yield, cycle time, repeatability, and robustness
Partner with Manufacturing and Production Control to support schedule adherence and improve time‑to‑release and on‑time engineering release
Develop and release new manufacturing processes and tooling, supporting implementation on the factory floor
Lead process transfer to Manufacturing through defined gates, including process limits, specifications, control plans, work instructions, and training
Support NPI readiness by translating customer requirements into clear, executable process flows and travelers
Partner with Operations and Product Management to assess manufacturability and feasibility of customer specifications and manufacturing notes (stack‑ups, plating, tolerancing, IPC/UL requirements)
Provide process input into quoting activities by identifying constraints, cycle‑time drivers, and technical risk areas; recommend process alternatives and mitigations
Collaborate closely with Operations and Quality to address yield loss, scrap, rework, downtime, and process instability
Lead structured problem‑solving efforts, including root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions, and verify effectiveness
Use data‑driven methods such as SPC (where applicable), Pareto analysis, and structured RCA tools
Identify and lead continuous improvement initiatives that reduce lead time and internal manufacturing cost while protecting quality
Evaluate process and equipment upgrades, capacity needs, and technology investments; provide ROI analyses and executive‑ready summaries
Support facility and process capability development aligned to AFIP growth and technology roadmap
Hire, coach, and develop process engineering talent
Build technical depth and consistency across the team while ensuring improvements are scalable and sustainable