Engineering Manager

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead and manage production-supporting engineering functions within a manufacturing facility
• Supervise, mentor, and develop engineers and engineering technicians
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Lean Manufacturing, 5S, Kaizen, and Six Sigma methodologies
• Manage engineering project portfolios, ensuring effective prioritization, resource allocation, and execution
• Support manufacturing process development, optimization, and scale-up for new and existing products
• Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Quality, R&D, and Facilities teams to improve production performance and support business objectives
• Oversee equipment management, including preventive maintenance recommendations, capital equipment planning, and process reliability improvements
• Lead troubleshooting, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and process validation activities
• Support development of manufacturing fixtures, tooling, work instructions, and process documentation
• Participate in production line redesign, capacity expansion, and cost reduction initiatives
• Develop and monitor KPIs to maintain process controls and operational effectiveness
• Support prototype builds, pilot production, and commercialization of new products
• Collaborate with vendors and suppliers regarding equipment, materials, and implementation timelines
• Contribute to staffing, training, performance management, and employee engagement initiatives within the engineering team

Key Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related technical discipline
• 10+ years of engineering experience within a manufacturing environment
• 5+ years of leadership or engineering management experience
• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement principles, and operational excellence methodologies
• Proven experience managing engineering projects and cross-functional initiatives
• Strong communication, organizational, leadership, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative manufacturing environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting new product development (NPD), product commercialization, or startup manufacturing environments
• Leverage Lean Six Sigma certification
• Experience with ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, or JD Edwards
• Experience with process validation, equipment qualification, and manufacturing process optimization

General Expectations

• Demonstrate effective communication (verbal, written) skills
• Proficient with MS Office Word and Excel
• Maintain discretion when working with confidential and proprietary information
• Strict adherence to Company safety policies and procedures
• Adhere to all aspects of Lightera “Standards of Conduct” document

Benefits

Employees are offered competitive salaries and generous benefits programs, including medical, dental, tuition reimbursement, and a matching 401(k) plan.