Product Engineering Manager

Description

Join a collaborative and innovative engineering organization supporting OEM production of new and improved mechanical and electro-mechanical products. The Product Engineering Manager plays a critical leadership role in supporting Will-Burt's diverse portfolio, including telescoping mast product lines, integrated systems, and GSA Class 6 secure filing cabinets.

This role leads a multidisciplinary team of engineers, designers, and a technical writer responsible for daily production support, strategic engineering initiatives, and product cost reduction. The scope spans machining and fabrication operations through final assembly and testing. The Product Engineering Manager is instrumental in establishing best practices, driving continuous improvement, and ensuring robust engineering processes that consistently deliver high-quality products to market.

Requirements

Support Daily Production: The Product Engineering team's top priority is to partner closely with Operations and Quality as product experts to resolve production issues and ensure on-time delivery and product quality. Responsibilities include:

• Collaborate with Operations and Quality to proactively prevent defects through continuous improvement initiatives
• Lead root cause analysis of part and assembly issues and drive permanent corrective actions
• Evaluate and disposition nonconforming or out-of-print tolerance parts
• Identify, analyze, and approve alternative materials or purchased components when parts or raw materials become unavailable
• Manage shop floor feedback process to continuously improve drawing accuracy and bill of material (BOM) integrity
• Support qualification and approval of new or alternate suppliers
• Partner with Applications Engineering to resolve customer and field issues
• Author, maintain, and improve manufacturing process work instructions
• Design and develop assembly aids and light fixturing to improve safety, quality, and efficiency

Execute Engineering Projects: The Product Engineering team supports strategic business initiatives through targeted engineering projects including:

• Product enhancements: Redesign and qualification testing to expand capabilities or optimize features, using analysis (e.g., NASTRAN FEA) and/or in-house or third-party testing
• Engineering data structure improvements: Optimize BOMs and drawing structures to improve forecasting, planning, and operational efficiency
• Cost reduction initiatives: Identify, validate, and implement sustainable cost reductions across key products and processes
• New product configurations: Release new top-level configurations for light tower mast systems and other platforms as needed

Travel (Optional): For those who enjoy travel, opportunities exist to visit key suppliers throughout the year. Travel can be minimized for candidates who prefer a more site-focused role.

Make a Difference: With over 100 years of history, Will-Burt serves critical industries including first responders and military organizations. Our products support professionals who protect communities and save lives-your work will have real-world impact.

WHAT WILL-BURT OFFERS:


• Employee Ownership: Will-Burt is a 100% employee-owned company (ESOP). Employee ownership shapes our culture and aligns everyone toward shared success. After vesting, employee-owners receive company stock at no cost.


• Flexible Work Hours: Start and end times can be flexed to support work-life balance.


• Respectful, Supportive Culture: We value teamwork, mutual respect, and flexibility to accommodate family and personal needs.


• Comprehensive Benefits: Health, dental, vision, 401(k), profit-sharing bonus, onsite nurse, wellness programs, and annual company stock issuance.


• Community Engagement: Opportunities to participate in community service and charitable initiatives through our Employee Owners Committee.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) or a related technical discipline
• Minimum of seven years of relevant engineering experience

Successful candidates are typically detail-oriented, self-motivated leaders with strong mentoring skills and the ability to guide and develop high-performing engineering teams