Director of Manufacturing Engineering

About the role

Serves as the link between product engineering and operations, defining, validating, and transferring manufacturing methods that support new product development and production scalability for ZincFive’s nickel-zinc (NiZn) energy storage products. Leads process development projects involving automated assembly, supply chain resiliency, and end-of-life recycling. Requires strong technical, team, and project leadership. Position is onsite at ZincFive Headquarters in Tualatin, Oregon and reports to the Sr. VP of Technology & Engineering.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end pilot manufacturing project portfolio, including scoping, budgeting, scheduling, risk management, and milestone execution
• Drive manufacturing scale-up of NiZn battery modules and packs from pilot to high-volume production, transferring validated processes and best practices to operations
• Develop manufacturing strategies, including process flows, line layouts, equipment selection, capacity planning, and techno-economic analysis
• Establish process controls, validation plans, and quality systems to achieve robust yield, manufacturability, and product reliability
• Implement advanced manufacturing technologies, including automation, robotics, machine vision, material handling, and ergonomic solutions
• Lead equipment procurement, installation, commissioning, acceptance testing, and process validation for pilot and production operations
• Manage technical relationships with equipment suppliers, contract manufacturers, and external partners
• Collaborate cross-functionally with R&D, Systems Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, EHS, Operations, and Data Science to ensure product manufacturability, quality, safety, and cost competitiveness
• Champion Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), and Design for Serviceability (DFS), ensuring manufacturability influences product architecture decisions early in development
• Build and mentor engineering teams, ensure regulatory, environmental, and safety compliance, foster cross-functional collaboration
• Domestic and international travel (up to 25%)

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical, industrial or mechanical engineering
• 15+ years leading manufacturing operations or manufacturing technology development
• 7+ years of progressive leadership experience, including responsibility for leading and developing teams
• Demonstrated process engineering capability for hardware and chemical manufacturing processes
• Experience with contract manufacturer relationship management
• Operates as a senior technical leader influencing manufacturing, operations, quality, supply chain, and commercial organizations
• Excellent communication skills at all levels to engage, technical deep-dives, and cross-functional decision making
• Ability to align large groups of stakeholders around technical priorities and tradeoffs
• Experience in assessing fixed and variable costs in pilot line operations to address performance–cost tradeoffs
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, sourcing considerations, and operational constraints
• Proven ability to prioritize engineering resources in a portfolio context
• Strategic thinking combined with strong execution discipline
• Ability to coach, mentor, and develop engineering talent
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and guiding teams through evolving technical and business needs

Preferred Experience / Skills

• Master’s degree in chemical, industrial or mechanical engineering
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and Design for Six Sigma principles
• Experience in manufacturing battery products
• Familiarity with stage-gate processes and product development environments

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• Work involves sitting, standing, and lifting up to 10 pounds
• Repetitive typing and computer work for extended periods of time
• Ability to wear PPE on face and body when required
• Manufacturing, warehouse, lab, and office environments
• Domestic and international travel (up to 25%)
• Must be able to maintain a level state of alertness while performing this job