James Custom Engineer Supervisor

Dana Innovations Inc•Minden, NV

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The James Custom Engineering Lead / Supervisor leads a team of 3 to 6 engineers designing and engineering one-of-a-kind speakers for James by Sonance customers. Working alongside the James Custom Service Specialist, the role turns customer requests into bespoke speaker designs built at the Minden factory. This hands-on leadership position owns the flow of custom projects, from customer request through production, and is accountable for the team’s technical capability, mechanical accuracy, on-time delivery, and alignment with Production on manufacturability and schedule. Custom projects typically have a 5- to 10-day engineering life cycle. The role guides design decisions, coordinates with the Service Specialist, Production team leads, and Procurement, and ensures projects progress to the production floor. The position is based in Minden, Nevada, and reports to the Vice President of Services.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, or related field), or equivalent experience.
Proficiency with 2D and 3D CAD software; AutoCAD and SolidWorks are required.
Experience with product development processes and engineering change management.
Manufacturing knowledge, including ERP product structure such as items, bills of materials, and routings.
Experience working with Production teams on routing hours, lead times, and build feasibility.
Mechanical engineering judgment to review designs for technical accuracy and manufacturability and guide engineers through design decisions.
Strong organization, follow-through, and accountability, including the ability to maintain schedules and hold owners accountable while preserving strong working relationships.
Ability to make sound decisions quickly about design, feasibility, and lead time in a fast-paced, short-cycle environment.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including explaining complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
Team leadership skills, including the ability to build trust and credibility with engineers and Production teams.
Resilience and composure under pressure, high integrity, trustworthiness, and commitment to doing the right thing.

Nice To Haves

Background in custom or engineer-to-order product development.
Experience identifying and sourcing non-standard components.
Audio speaker engineering and design experience, including understanding of acoustic principles and audio performance metrics.
Lean / Six Sigma or similar continuous improvement training.
Hungry, humble, and smart; embodies the Sonance team culture.
Strategic thinker with the ability to execute tactically.
Entrepreneurial mindset with a competitive drive to win.
Inspiring leadership that motivates others through action and vision.

Responsibilities

Manage, mentor, and develop 3 to 6 Custom Engineering team members, including junior engineers, with a focus on technical capability and mechanical engineering accuracy.
Oversee staffing needs and participate in hiring; plan, schedule, and lead Custom Engineering meetings.
Oversee product design and project flow from customer request through production, keeping projects moving and making status, risks, decisions, and next steps visible.
Work with Production team leads to verify designs are manufacturable and repeatable; assess manufacturability early and communicate necessary design adjustments to engineers.
Develop appropriate routing hours and manufacturing lead times for custom products and confirm them before design release.
Identify and source non-stocked and non-standard components in partnership with Procurement.
Partner with the James Custom Service Specialist to keep customer requests and responses on track within SLA; day-to-day customer communication is handled by the Specialist.
Turn new engineering requests into team projects and assign them to appropriate engineers.
Monitor team productivity metrics and response times against the 5- to 10-day custom cycle.
Ensure concept and production drawings are completed and production-ready within established SLA timelines.
Conduct feasibility studies for custom product requests, convert them into formal dealer quotes, and generate and validate custom product costing.
Lead design reviews to ensure custom product quality and feasibility.
Participate in New Product Development initiatives and coordinate team training with NPD.
Provide technical guidance on product specifications, including weights, mounting solutions, coverage requirements, and general product performance questions.
Evaluate external inquiries and direct those that are not appropriate for James Custom Engineering to the relevant department.