Manufacturing Engineering Manager

Manufacturing Engineering Manager

Join Milwaukee Electronics – over 70 years of innovation and excellence. Milwaukee Electronics is a contract electronics manufacturer bringing innovations to life from prototype to production. Our mission is to accelerate – expanding what's possible for our customers, our people, and our communities. We operate as one team, take ownership, seek to serve, and go beyond to deliver quality, operational excellence, and scalable manufacturing solutions in a fast-paced, technology-driven environment.

The Manufacturing Engineering Manager plans, directs, and coordinates manufacturing and test engineering activities to ensure efficient, cost-effective, and high-quality production and validation processes for the manufacturing of electronic assemblies.

This role leads cross-functional engineering teams responsible for production test engineering, new product introduction (NPI), manufacturing engineering, and equipment reliability. The position plays a critical role in optimizing manufacturing performance, improving production test systems, supporting product ramp, and driving continuous improvement across manufacturing operations.

A key focus of this role is production test engineering leadership, ensuring robust test systems, effective failure diagnostics, and improved product quality and manufacturing yield.

This is a hands-on engineering leadership role within a high-mix electronics manufacturing environment, working closely with engineering teams, technicians, and production personnel to improve manufacturing performance and support operational goals.

Essential duties and responsibilities include:

• Lead and develop cross-functional engineering teams including NPI Engineers, Test Engineers, Manufacturing Engineers, and Maintenance Technicians.
• Provide technical leadership, coaching, and performance management for engineering staff.
• Establish engineering priorities aligned with production requirements and company objectives.

Production test engineering oversight:

• Provide leadership and direction to the Test Engineering team responsible for production test systems.
• Support development, validation, and improvement of functional test systems, fixtures, and diagnostic processes.
• Ensure production test processes effectively support product quality, defect detection, and yield improvement.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to ensure test readiness during new product introductions.

New product introduction (NPI):

• Oversee engineering activities related to transitioning products from design into manufacturing.
• Support prototype builds, pilot builds, and production ramp activities.
• Ensure manufacturability and test strategies are established prior to production launch.
• Monitor NPI performance and drive stabilization of products during early production phases.

Manufacturing process development:

• Lead improvements to manufacturing processes, tooling, and production workflows.
• Support initiatives to improve throughput, quality, and production efficiency.
• Drive root cause analysis and corrective actions for manufacturing issues.
• Collaborate with production teams to resolve technical challenges affecting manufacturing performance.

Equipment reliability and maintenance:

• Provide leadership and direction to maintenance personnel responsible for production equipment and facility systems.
• Ensure preventative maintenance programs support equipment reliability and production uptime.
• Coordinate improvements to manufacturing equipment and production infrastructure.

Continuous improvement:

• Drive initiatives that improve first-pass yield, manufacturing efficiency, and operational performance.
• Utilize engineering data and production metrics to identify improvement opportunities.
• Support Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives across the manufacturing organization.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related engineering discipline.
• Minimum 8 years of engineering experience in manufacturing environments.
• Minimum 3 years of engineering leadership or managerial experience.
• Experience supporting production test systems, manufacturing processes, and new product introductions.
• Experience with functional test systems, test fixtures, or board-level diagnostics.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills in a manufacturing environment.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience working in electronics manufacturing services (EMS) environments.
• Experience supporting SMT manufacturing processes and high-mix production environments.
• Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma experience.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and develop engineering teams.
• Strong understanding of electronics manufacturing processes (SMT, assembly, and production testing).
• Experience supporting production test strategies, diagnostics, and failure analysis.
• Ability to interpret production data and performance metrics to drive process improvements.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a cross-functional, fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with engineering, production, and management teams.

Physical demands:

• Frequently required to sit, stand, and walk between office areas and the manufacturing floor.
• Regular use of hands and fingers to operate computers, keyboards, and other office equipment.
• Occasionally required to bend, stoop, kneel, or crouch while observing or evaluating manufacturing processes or equipment.
• May occasionally need to reach with hands and arms while inspecting equipment, fixtures, or manufacturing setups.
• Ability to lift and/or move items up to 25 pounds occasionally, such as test fixtures, tooling, or equipment components.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus, particularly when reviewing electronic assemblies or diagnostic equipment.
• Ability to hear and communicate effectively with team members in both office and production environments.

Work environment:

• Work is performed primarily on-site within an electronics manufacturing facility.
• Regular interaction with engineering teams, production personnel, technicians, and maintenance staff.
• Frequent presence on the production floor to observe processes, troubleshoot issues, and support engineering teams.
• Exposure to moving mechanical parts, automated manufacturing equipment, and SMT production lines.
• Moderate noise levels consistent with a high-mix electronics manufacturing environment.
• Occasional exposure to fumes, soldering operations, cleaning chemicals, and airborne particles associated with electronic assembly processes.
• Work involves a combination of office-based engineering work and time spent on the manufacturing floor.
• Use of computers, engineering tools, and manufacturing systems for analysis, documentation, and process development.
• Occasional interaction with equipment vendors, contractors, and service technicians supporting production equipment.
• May require limited travel for training, vendor support, or equipment evaluation.

Milwaukee Electronics is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or age. If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation in the application or hiring process, please contact Human Resources at View phone number on click.appcast.io or View email address on click.appcast.io. For more information about our commitment to equal employment opportunity, please see this government poster: Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (eeoc.gov).