Manufacturing Engineering Manager, Armor

Safari Land•Jacksonville, FL

About The Position

Lead the Manufacturing Engineering and Maintenance teams that builds life-saving ballistic armor. You’ll own daily operational support, scale new/legacy product lines, drive automation, and run a structured Continuous Improvement Program (CIP) that lifts throughput, yield, safety, and cost.

Requirements

10+ years in manufacturing/process engineering
3–5+ years leading highly functional engineering teams
Demonstrated ability to recruit and develop talent
Experience with discrete/heavy process experience (ceramics, composites, plastics, or metals) preferred
Expertise working in manufacturing environments applying Operating Model tools
Lean/Six Sigma toolkit; PFMEA, control plans, MSA, SPC, DOE
Automation: PLC/HMI, robotics/cobots, vision systems, sensors, and safety circuits
Track record creating CIP pipelines, prioritizing by ROI/risk, and delivering sustained KPI improvements
Software proficiency in applications such as MS Project, AutoCAD, VISIO, SolidWorks, etc.
Clear communicator, servant leader, decisive under pressure; builds cross-functional trust (Ops, Quality, Design, Supply Chain)
Strong experience in Project Management
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Sciences, Industrial Engineering, or related field
U.S. Person status as defined by ITAR/EAR.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (Master's or PhD) in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Sciences, Industrial Engineering, or related field preferred

Responsibilities

Build and lead a team of manufacturing, process, and automation engineers supporting operations
Identify, evaluate, and justify capital expenditure (CapEx) projects by developing data-driven business cases
Work with the New Product Development group to ensure Tollgate Zero and NPI guidelines are followed, from inception to mass production
Develop and validate manufacturing processes, tooling, and equipment for new products to consider DFM best practices
Create and manage process documentation including work instructions, PFMEAs, control plans, and SOPs
Build and maintain a prioritized CIP portfolio tied to plant KPIs (OEE, FPY, CT, COQ, safety)
Execute Lean/Six Sigma projects
Identify automation opportunities (robotics/cobots, vision systems, PLC/HMI, AMRs, in-process inspection, data capture)
Lead vendor selection, URS/FDS, FAT/SAT, integration, and operator training; ensure safety and CE/OSHA compliance
Lead the identification and execution of improvement projects using AI/ML tools for predictive maintenance, quality control, and process optimization
Ensure proper Change Control procedures are followed to align with the ISO 9001-2015 and BA 9000:2016 Quality Management System
Work within EHS/OSHA, ITAR/EAR, and customer/regulatory requirements
All other duties as assigned