NPI Operations Engineer Manager

About the role

In this highly collaborative leadership role, you'll drive manufacturing readiness for new products and engineering changes, ensuring smooth launches and scalable production processes. Working across multiple teams, you'll help deliver industry-leading cutting solutions with a focus on safety, quality, delivery, and operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Lead manufacturing readiness for new products, engineering changes, and product lifecycle transitions.
• Ensure accurate manufacturing systems, documentation, materials, tooling, and supplier readiness to support successful launches.
• Partner with engineering and quality teams to develop scalable, manufacturable processes that optimize safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
• Lead production validation activities, including APQP, PPAP, process capability, and launch quality planning.
• Lead and develop a small team responsible for new product introductions and engineering change implementation.
• Drive cross-functional launch execution, issue resolution, training, and transition to stable production with a "non-event launch" mindset.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, manufacturing, industrial engineering, or a related technical field.
• 6+ years of experience in high-mix, low-volume manufacturing supporting NPI, production launch, process development, and engineering changes.
• Strong knowledge of NPI, manufacturing readiness, engineering change management, BOMs, process flows, standard work, and work instructions.
• Working knowledge of APQP, PPAP, DFMEA, PFMEA, control plans, process validation, PLM, ERP, MRP, and MES systems.
• Ability to lead cross-functional work across engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, and production teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills using A3, 8D, root cause analysis, MSA, Gage R&R, SPC, and capability analysis.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with pilot, pre-production, and launch builds.
• Experience qualifying tooling, fixtures, equipment, and supplier readiness.
• Hands-on experience supporting launch ramp, Lean manufacturing, and APQP/PPAP execution.
• Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification preferred.
• Strong exposure to PLM environments like ARAS or similar.

Location

Onsite, Kent, WA (Relocation assistance available)

Benefits

• Global, 100% employee-owned company for over 50 years.
• Profit-Sharing.
• Employee Stock Ownership.
• Five days/year Community Service Time.
• Strong commitment to Environmental Stewardship.
• Stable, growing organization with a no-layoff philosophy.

Pay

$103,329.00–$172,215.00 Annual. Pay within this range will vary based upon relevant experience, skills, and education among other factors.