Senior Engineering Manager

Description

Company Overview

Springs Window Fashions has been part of the window treatments industry since 1939. Headquartered in Middleton, Wisconsin, with more than 8,000 associates and 18 locations worldwide, the company is committed to delivering the Best Experience to customers, associates, and business partners through innovation, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.

Engineering Leadership Team

The Engineering organization partners with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Product Engineering, Maintenance, Commercial, and Plant Leadership to develop manufacturing capability, execute strategic initiatives, and deliver sustainable business results. This role provides engineering leadership across U.S. operations to improve productivity, quality, safety, cost, and delivery while supporting long-term business growth.

Role of the Senior Engineering Manager

The Senior Engineering Manager is responsible for leading engineering strategy and execution across U.S. manufacturing operations. The role will initially lead the FRN implementation and then continue driving Operational Excellence, Continuous Improvement, engineering standardization, automation, and strategic manufacturing initiatives that create sustainable competitive advantage.

Objectives

• Lead the implementation and long-term sustainability of the FRN initiative.
• Develop and execute engineering strategy aligned with business objectives and growth plans.
• Drive Operational Excellence using Lean, Kaizen, PDCA, A3, Value Stream Mapping, Standard Work, and Root Cause Analysis.
• Lead enterprise Continuous Improvement initiatives focused on Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, Productivity, and Customer Satisfaction.
• Standardize engineering processes, technical documentation, manufacturing standards, and best practices across U.S. operations.
• Lead automation, digitalization, advanced manufacturing technologies, and process innovation projects.
• Support New Product Introductions (NPI), capital projects, strategic customer initiatives, and major business implementations.
• Establish engineering governance, KPI management, and performance review systems.
• Partner with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Maintenance, Commercial, and Plant Leadership to align engineering activities with strategic priorities.
• Develop engineering talent through coaching, mentoring, succession planning, and technical leadership.
• Identify and eliminate waste while improving process capability, throughput, quality, and operational efficiency.
• Establish forums to share best practices and sustain Continuous Improvement across all facilities.

Expected Benefits

Operational

• Improved manufacturing efficiency, quality, safety, and process stability.
• Standardized engineering practices across U.S. plants.
• Faster implementation of automation, capital projects, and engineering changes.
• Reduced variation, waste, downtime, and rework.

Financial

• Reduced Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ).
• Lower scrap, overtime, indirect labor, and operating costs.
• Higher ROI on capital and automation investments.
• Productivity improvements through process optimization.

People & Culture

• Development of engineering talent and future leaders.
• Stronger cross-functional collaboration.
• Culture of Continuous Improvement and accountability.

Requirements

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing, or related Engineering discipline; Master's degree preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing engineering experience with increasing leadership responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience leading Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement transformations.
• Experience leading FRN implementations, automation projects, capital projects, and New Product Introductions.
• Strong project management, financial analysis, and change management experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Expert knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Operational Excellence, Kaizen, PDCA, A3, Value Stream Mapping, Standard Work, SPC, and Root Cause Analysis.
• Ability to develop engineering standards and governance across multiple facilities.
• Strong analytical skills using KPIs and data to drive decisions.
• Experience with ERP systems, Office 365, Power BI/SQL reporting preferred.
• Ability to influence executive leadership and lead cross-functional organizations.
• Strong communication, coaching, mentoring, and presentation skills.
• Ability to balance strategic initiatives with operational priorities.
• Self-motivated leader focused on innovation, sustainable results, and organizational capability.