Manufacturing Engineering & Maintenance Director

About the role

Lead Engineering Excellence Across Multiple Manufacturing Facilities General ThermoDynamics, an API Heat Transfer Company, is seeking a strategic and results-driven Director of Manufacturing Engineering & Maintenance to lead manufacturing engineering, maintenance, facilities, reliability, automation, continuous improvement, and capital project initiatives across our Wisconsin operations. This executive-level leadership role provides oversight for three manufacturing facilities and serves as a key member of the Wisconsin Operations Leadership Team. The successful candidate will drive operational excellence, equipment reliability, productivity improvements, capital investment strategy, and the development of high-performing technical teams.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute a multi-site manufacturing engineering and maintenance strategy aligned with business goals; partner with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Safety, Human Resources, Finance, and Executive Leadership to achieve operational objectives; evaluate and recommend manufacturing technologies, automation opportunities, and capital investments; lead organizational development, succession planning, and talent management initiatives for engineering and maintenance teams.
• Manufacturing Engineering: Direct manufacturing engineering activities across Franklin, Iron Ridge, and Germantown facilities; lead Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and continuous improvement initiatives; drive productivity improvements through process optimization, automation, and standardization; support new product introduction (NPI), scalability initiatives, and manufacturing best practices; ensure manufacturing processes meet quality, safety, and customer requirements.
• Maintenance & Reliability: Lead preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs; establish equipment reliability strategies that maximize uptime and improve OEE; develop asset management and lifecycle planning strategies; optimize maintenance planning, scheduling, CMMS utilization, and spare parts management; implement metrics focused on uptime, MTBF, MTTR, and maintenance cost performance.
• Capital Projects & Facilities: Develop and manage annual capital expenditure budgets; lead facility upgrades, expansions, automation projects, and equipment installations; ensure projects are completed safely, on schedule, and within budget; manage relationships with engineering firms, equipment suppliers, contractors, and service providers.
• Operational Excellence: Champion a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence; lead cross-functional initiatives focused on productivity, safety, quality, waste reduction, and cost savings; utilize data-driven decision-making to identify opportunities and monitor results; standardize best practices across Wisconsin operations.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field required; Master's degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related discipline preferred.
• Experience: 10+ years of progressive manufacturing engineering and maintenance leadership experience; 5+ years leading multiple facilities, departments, or business units; proven success in manufacturing process improvement, equipment reliability, and capital project management; experience in heavy manufacturing, industrial equipment, metal fabrication, heat exchanger manufacturing, or related industries strongly preferred; demonstrated experience managing significant capital budgets and large-scale improvement initiatives.
• Technical Expertise: Experience in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM), Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Automation Technologies, Capital Project Management, Facilities Management, CMMS Systems, ERP Systems, Root Cause Analysis, Statistical Process Control (SPC).

Benefits

• Competitive executive compensation package
• Annual incentive bonus opportunity
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits
• 401(k) with company match
• Company-paid life and disability insurance
• Paid time off and holidays
• Professional development and career growth opportunities
• Opportunity to make a significant impact on the growth and operational performance of a leading heat transfer manufacturer