Mechanical Engineering Manager - Custom Machinery

Mechanical Engineering Manager

Our client has spent decades building an exceptional engineering organization. They're a well-established manufacturer of highly engineered custom machinery used in demanding industrial applications throughout the world. As the business continues to grow, they're looking for an Engineering Manager who can help build on that foundation. This isn't about coming in to fix a broken organization. It's about helping a successful engineering team become even better.

The Opportunity: You'll work alongside an experienced Director of Engineering to lead a team of mechanical engineers responsible for designing sophisticated custom machinery. The team includes engineers with deep product knowledge, strong technical capabilities, and a genuine commitment to building exceptional equipment. Your role is to help that team continue to grow. You'll coach engineers, improve engineering execution, strengthen collaboration with manufacturing, support new product development, and help ensure engineering remains one of the company's greatest competitive advantages.

If you enjoy developing engineers as much as developing products, you'll find this role especially rewarding.

What You'll Do:

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of mechanical engineers and designers.
• Assign priorities and balance engineering resources across multiple projects.
• Conduct engineering design reviews and provide technical guidance.
• Support product development from concept through production.
• Improve engineering processes, design quality, and technical consistency.
• Partner closely with Manufacturing, Electrical Engineering, Tooling, Purchasing, Project Management, and Service.
• Promote Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), and sound engineering practices.
• Help solve complex engineering challenges while developing the next generation of engineering talent.

Approximately 75% of your time will focus on engineering leadership, with the remaining 25% spent providing technical support on complex engineering issues.

What Success Looks Like: Within your first year, you've earned the respect of your engineering team through technical credibility, sound judgment, and a collaborative leadership style. Communication between Engineering and Manufacturing is stronger. Design reviews are more effective. Engineers are growing professionally through coaching and mentorship. New product development moves more efficiently. Most importantly, you've helped strengthen an engineering organization that already has an outstanding reputation.

We're Looking For Someone Who Brings:

• A Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• Experience leading or mentoring engineering teams.
• A background designing custom machinery, capital equipment, or automated systems.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes including machining, fabrication, and assembly.
• Experience with engineering design reviews and new product development.
• Working knowledge of Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA).
• Experience with Autodesk Inventor or comparable 3D CAD software.

Backgrounds That Translate Well: Candidates from the following industries are especially encouraged to apply:

• Packaging machinery
• Custom capital equipment
• Industrial automation
• Robotics
• Material handling
• Converting equipment
• High-speed assembly systems
• Food processing equipment
• Other engineered machinery environments

If your experience is closely related, we'd still encourage you to reach out.

Why Engineers Stay: People build long careers here. The engineering team is respected. Leadership values collaboration over hierarchy. Ideas are encouraged. Engineering has a meaningful voice in the business. It's an environment where talented engineers are trusted to solve difficult problems, continuously improve products, and make a lasting contribution to the organization.

Compensation & Benefits:

• Base salary: $110,000-$150,000, depending on experience
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Retirement savings program
• Paid vacation and holidays
• Tuition reimbursement
• Relocation assistance for qualified candidates
• Long-term career opportunity with a financially stable and respected manufacturer