Design Automation Manager

Title: Design Automation Manager

Company: Global Power Components –

Location: Milwaukee, WI (onsite 5-days/week)

Hire Type: Direct Hire

Position Overview:

We are seeking a Design Automation Manager to lead and develop our CAD/PDM/automation team, overseeing a group of 4+ engineers and CAD administrators. This role owns the strategic direction, performance, and continuous improvement of our CAD ecosystem including SolidWorks, SolidWorks PDM, and DriveWorks (Solo, Pro), positioned as the configurator-driven business-solution backbone of GPC's CTO and ETO production of commercial and industrial generator enclosures, subbases, exhaust systems, and related sheet metal and weldment assemblies. The ideal candidate is a systems-driven leader who combines technical depth with the initiative to drive DriveWorks innovation, implementation, and adoption forward.

Responsibilities:

Team Leadership & Strategy

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of 4+ CAD engineers/administrators, setting priorities, workflows, and performance expectations.
• Define and drive the long-term roadmap for CAD systems, automation, and PDM infrastructure, with DriveWorks as the primary platform for design automation and configurator-led quoting.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and proactive problem-solving within the team.
• Allocate team resources across projects, balancing day-to-day support with strategic initiatives.

CAD, PDM & Automation Systems Oversight

• Own administration and strategic direction of SolidWorks, SolidWorks PDM, DriveWorks (Solo/Pro), and other CAD-related systems.
• Oversee configuration, maintenance, and continuous improvement of DriveWorks automation projects, rules, forms, and workflows, including the selection, deployment, and ongoing administration of DriveWorks Administrator, Autopilot, Live, and Pro Server modules as the business case supports.
• Ensure CAD standards, templates, file management, and data integrity are maintained and enforced across the organization.
• Publish and maintain a DriveWorks coverage roadmap by product family (enclosures, subbases, exhaust assemblies, sheet metal, and weldment configurations), prioritized by revenue exposure and engineering hours saved.
• Drive implementation of guided selling and configurator-led quoting through DriveWorks Live, with measurable impact on quote accuracy, quote turnaround, and engineering rework.
• Drive version control, testing, and deployment processes for automation and CAD system updates, including DriveWorks project version control and a defined sandbox-to-production deployment standard.
• Oversee ERP integrations and data flow between CAD, PDM, and other business systems, including DriveWorks-to-Epicor BOM, item master, and revision propagation.
• Maintain DriveWorks platform currency, including version upgrades, license management, and alignment with SolidWorks releases. Represent GPC with DriveWorks reseller and vendor partners for training, certification, escalation, and roadmap input.
• Govern CAD and PDM operations across multiple GPC facilities, including DriveWorks license pool management and enforceable cross-site automation standards.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with engineering, manufacturing, sales, and IT leadership to identify and prioritize automation opportunities, with explicit focus on closing the gap from sales configuration to manufacturing release.
• Translate business and engineering requirements into scalable system solutions, working with the team to execute.
• Champion CTO/ETO process improvements through automation and configuration-driven design.
• Act as the primary point of contact for vendor relationships, system upgrades, and major integration projects.

System Performance & Process Improvement

• Lead root-cause troubleshooting for complex CAD automation, data management, and system performance issues.
• Establish and maintain documentation standards for processes, workflows, and system configurations.
• Oversee support for Engineering Change Requests (ECRs) related to automation and CAD standards, including DriveWorks rule changes that propagate to engineering release and manufacturing handoff.
• Continuously evaluate tools, processes, and team capacity to improve efficiency, reliability, and user experience.
• Provide escalation-level technical support and training oversight for end users.

Requirements:

• Proven experience managing or leading a team of CAD/automation engineers (4+ direct or indirect reports preferred).
• Advanced hands-on experience with DriveWorks Pro (Solo, Pro preferred), including direct project ownership in DriveWorks Administrator and demonstrated work in Autopilot, Live, and Pro Server modules.
• Advanced knowledge of SolidWorks and CAD data structures.
• Experience administering PDM systems (SolidWorks PDM preferred).
• Understanding of ERP system integration and data workflows (Epicor preferred).
• Strong background in configuration-driven design, automation, and rule-based systems, with demonstrated experience automating engineered-to-order or configure-to-order product families.
• Working knowledge of manufacturing processes (sheet metal, weldments a plus).
• Demonstrated ability to drive initiatives independently and lead cross-functional projects.
• Excellent analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and leadership skills across technical and non-technical teams.
• Experience with SQL, APIs, or scripting is a plus.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, CAD Technology, or related field preferred.
• Preferred: DriveWorks Certified Implementer or Certified DriveWorks Pro Administrator; multi-site CAD and PDM experience with replicated vault architecture.

Key Traits for Success:

• Strategic systems thinker who connects engineering, manufacturing, and business processes.
• Strong leader who can develop talent and drive team performance.
• Highly proactive, with a track record of identifying and executing automation initiatives, particularly DriveWorks-led configurator rollouts.
• Detail-oriented with a focus on data accuracy and standardization.
• Comfortable owning outcomes and driving change across departments.