Manufacturing Engineering Manager
About The Position
The Manufacturing Engineering Manager leads and develops QED's Manufacturing Engineering function, providing the technical, operational, and people leadership that keeps our manufacturing processes robust, scalable, and efficient as we support current production and future growth. Reporting to the Director of Engineering, this role partners closely with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Product Management to enable successful product introduction, lifecycle management, and continuous improvement across QED's manufacturing operations. You will lead, mentor, and develop a team of manufacturing engineers, while also providing hands-on technical guidance for complex manufacturing and production challenges. This is more than a process-improvement role. The successful candidate will combine deep, hands-on manufacturing engineering expertise with strategic planning, team development, and cross-functional leadership. You will be comfortable balancing the demands of people leadership with the technical rigor required to drive manufacturing excellence, quality, and compliance across QED's product lines.
Requirements
- Minimum B.S. in Mechanical, Electrical, or Optical Engineering or Technology, with more than 10 years of work experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- More than 5 years of progressive manufacturing engineering experience, including leadership or project team ownership.
- Demonstrated experience supporting complex mechanical, optomechanical, and electromechanical systems.
- Strong leadership and people-management skills, with the ability to influence across functions.
- Deep understanding of manufacturing engineering principles, production systems, and quality management systems.
- Hands-on technical background in mechanical, optical, and/or electromechanical systems.
- Proficiency with CAD tools (e.g., PTC Creo, SolidWorks) and manufacturing documentation systems (PLM/MRP/ERP).
- Strong command of GD&T, tolerance analysis, and process capability analysis.
- Proven experience applying Lean, Six Sigma, SPC, FMEA, and structured problem-solving methodologies.
- Excellent communication skills, including the ability to present technical and business information to diverse audiences.
- Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
Nice To Haves
- Prior experience managing or mentoring manufacturing engineers.
- Experience in optics, precision manufacturing, semiconductor, or advanced materials industries.
- Six Sigma (Green Belt or Black Belt) or Lean certification.
- Familiarity with ISO quality standards and regulated manufacturing environments.
Responsibilities
- Lead, mentor, and develop the Manufacturing Engineering team, including hiring, onboarding, performance management, and career development.
- Establish team priorities, resource plans, and workload balancing to support business objectives and project timelines.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and technical excellence.
- Provide technical guidance and escalation support for complex manufacturing and production challenges.
- Define, standardize, and continuously improve manufacturing processes, tools, and best practices across QED products.
- Lead process optimization initiatives using Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and data-driven methodologies.
- Establish process capability metrics, KPIs, and reporting to monitor performance, yield, cost, and quality.
- Work closely with Quality on root-cause analysis and corrective action processes for significant manufacturing issues.
- Manage and continuously improve the ECN process and associated tools.
- Partner with Systems, Mechanical, Research, and Operations teams to ensure successful transition of new products from development into production.
- Promote and educate the team on the use of Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA), and manufacturability reviews.
- Ensure manufacturing readiness through tooling development, validation, documentation, and training.
- Support and oversee prototype builds, pilot runs, and engineering change implementation.
- Partner with Quality to define and maintain robust process validation, inspection strategies, and quality standards.
- Ensure manufacturing processes comply with internal procedures, customer requirements, and relevant industry and regulatory standards.
- Lead continuous improvement efforts related to safety, process capability, robustness, and equipment reliability.
- Support audits, corrective action plans, and ongoing compliance initiatives.
- Oversee manufacturing engineering support across the full product lifecycle, from introduction through end-of-life.
- Plan and execute process scaling, capacity expansion, and equipment upgrades to meet business demand.
- Evaluate risks related to component obsolescence, supply continuity, and manufacturability.
- Ensure accurate maintenance of technical documentation, PLM/MRP records, and change control processes.
Benefits
- QED's annual performance-based incentive program
- Comprehensive benefits package
- 401(k) program
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
