Laser Department Manager

Nextern•Maple Grove, MN

10d•Onsite

About The Position

The Laser Department Manager is responsible for leading all aspects of the laser processing operation, including safety, quality, delivery, cost, staffing, equipment performance, continuous improvement, and strategic growth initiatives. This position oversees daily production activities while ensuring the department consistently meets customer requirements, regulatory standards, and company objectives. The ideal candidate is a technically accomplished leader with broad expertise in laser processing technologies—including metal and polymer cutting, welding, marking, and ablation—and a demonstrated ability to lead teams, optimize processes, and develop scalable, repeatable manufacturing solutions that deliver consistent quality.

Requirements

Strong sense of ownership, accountability, and integrity.
Excellent communication and collaborative leadership skills.
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, or a related technical discipline.
Five to seven years of combined experience within the medical device industry
Programming variety of high precision laser systems.
Manufacturing leadership experience.
Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma principles.
Experience with statistical analysis (SPC), design of experiments (DOE), pareto analysis, metrology and process validation methodologies (IQ, OQ, and PQ).
Passion for continuous improvements

Responsibilities

Lead daily operations of the laser manufacturing department.
Develop departmental objectives aligned with organizational goals.
Recruit, train, mentor, and evaluate department personnel.
Manage labor allocation and production scheduling to optimize throughput.
Foster a culture centered on safety, quality, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Ensure all production targets related to safety, quality, delivery, and cost are achieved.
Monitor capacity utilization and identify constraints.
Develop capacity analysis methods and respective plans to support growth.
Analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) and implement corrective actions as necessary.
Oversee equipment maintenance, calibration, and qualification activities.
Provide expertise in laser processing applications, including: cutting, welding, marking, and ablation.
Support process development, validation, and optimization efforts.
Collaborate with engineering teams to transition products from development into production.
Evaluate and implement new technologies and automation opportunities.
Support customer audits, technical reviews, quoting activities, and resolution of quality issues.
Ensure compliance with applicable ISO requirements, internal quality system procedures, and customer-specific quality requirements.