Manufacturing Engineering Manager

Advanced Input Systems•Coeur d Alene, ID

6h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Manufacturing Engineering Manager leads the Manufacturing Engineering function, owning the people, processes, and systems that connect product design to production. This role is accountable for building and developing a high-performing team of manufacturing engineers, driving New Product Introduction (NPI) execution, and delivering continuous improvement across safety, quality, delivery, and cost. As a member of the engineering leadership team, the Manufacturing Engineering Manager partners closely with Operations, Quality, Program Management, and Design Engineering to ensure AIS products are manufactured efficiently, reliably, and at scale. The right candidate is as comfortable coaching a junior engineer through a root cause analysis as they are presenting a capital investment proposal to senior leadership. This position will be a hands-on leader who sets a high technical bar and builds the organizational capability to meet it.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or closely related field.
8+ years of progressive manufacturing engineering experience, with at least 2–3 years in a formal people management or team lead role.
Demonstrated success leading NPI programs to production readiness in a precision, high-mix manufacturing environment.
Experience in electromechanical, electronics, or HMI product manufacturing strongly preferred.
Proven ability to build, develop, and retain engineering teams; experience managing engineers at multiple levels.
Track record of driving measurable operational improvements through people and process, not just technical solutions.
Strong business acumen: able to develop and defend capital investment proposals, manage engineering budgets, and connect team work to business outcomes.
Excellent communicator with the ability to translate complex technical issues for non-technical stakeholders and represent the engineering function at the leadership level.
Broad, hands-on knowledge of manufacturing processes relevant to HMX products: PCB assembly, electromechanical assembly, wiring/harness fabrication, machining, and automated test.
Proficiency in CAD tools (SolidWorks preferred); working familiarity with eCAD a plus.
Strong foundation in Lean, Six Sigma, PFMEA, SPC, GD&T, and DFM/DFA principles.
Experience specifying and qualifying automated manufacturing and test equipment.
Familiarity with ERP/MES systems in a production environment.
Exceptional analytical and structured troubleshooting skills across electrical, mechanical, and mechatronic systems.
Ability to independently prioritize and execute across multiple concurrent programs in a fast-paced environment.
Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to prepare and present technical content for engineering reviews, customer meetings, and leadership briefings.
Collaborative leadership style with demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct authority.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.
Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification, or equivalent continuous improvement credentials.
Exposure to AS9100, ISO 13485, or other sector-specific quality management systems.
Background in robotics, motion control, haptics, wearables, AR/VR, or display integration technologies central to AIS’ growth portfolio.
Experience supporting multi-site or global manufacturing engineering initiatives.

Responsibilities

Hire, onboard, manage, and develop a team of Manufacturing Engineers, setting clear performance expectations and growth paths.
Conduct regular 1:1s, performance reviews, and career development conversations; provide timely, constructive feedback.
Foster a team culture of intellectual curiosity, ownership, and continuous learning aligned with AIS values.
Allocate engineering resources across NPI programs, sustaining engineering, and improvement projects to meet site priorities.
Identify and close skills gaps through hiring, training, and targeted development plans.
Own the Manufacturing Engineering function’s contribution to NPI gate reviews, ensuring products enter production with mature, validated processes, complete documentation, and demonstrated yields.
Drive DFM/DFA engagement with product design teams early in the development cycle to reduce downstream manufacturing risk.
Establish and maintain NPI process standards, templates, and readiness criteria across the engineering team.
Ensure smooth handoffs from pilot builds to full-rate production, including operator training, process control plans, and ongoing process monitoring.
Provide technical direction and oversight for manufacturing process development across electromechanical assembly, PCB fabrication and rework, wiring and cable harness assembly, machining, and test system integration.
Review and approve critical process documentation: work instructions, PFMEAs, control plans, tooling specifications, and validation reports.
Champion the use of data and structured problem-solving as the standard response to quality and production issues.
Lead or sponsor root cause investigations for significant escapes, field failures, or systemic quality problems.
Build and sustain a Lean manufacturing culture on the production floor; lead or sponsor kaizen events, value stream mapping, and waste-elimination initiatives.
Identify, justify, and manage capital investments in equipment, tooling, automation, and test infrastructure.
Define and track key manufacturing engineering metrics (yield, cycle time, scrap, labor efficiency, NPI on-time delivery) and drive structured improvement against targets.
Benchmark AIS’ manufacturing capabilities against industry best practices; identify and close capability gaps.
Serve as the Manufacturing Engineering voice in site leadership discussions, program reviews, and strategic planning.
Partner with Quality Engineering on audit readiness, corrective action processes, and compliance with IPC, UL, ISO 9001, and customer-specific requirements.
Collaborate with Supply Chain and Operations to resolve material, tooling, and capacity constraints that impact production.
Support customer and third-party technical audits; represent manufacturing processes with authority and credibility.
Coordinate with 1HMX global engineering teams to share best practices, transfer processes, and align on common standards across sites.