A Director of Manufacturing Engineering responsible for being the technical authority for how, where, and when shop orders are manufactured. This role owns enterprise-wide equipment and process capability knowledge, applying sound engineering judgment grounded in OEM specifications and hands-on manufacturing expertise to replace operator assumption and overly cautious decision-making.

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering (B.S.) from a four-year college or university; or ten years of related metal fabricating experience and/or training; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience with ERP or production-scheduling systems is required.
• Well versed in Lean Manufacturing philosophy and have experience with Lean tools such as visual manufacturing controls, 5S, waste reduction, and root cause analysis.
• Prior application engineering or customer-facing technical solutioning experience is strongly preferred.
• Project management experience leading equipment installations, software deployments, or similar capital or process initiatives from planning through completion is required.
• Familiarity with CAD is a plus.
• Experience in a metal forming and welding environment is essential 
• Experience in Commercial Construction Building Products, especially aluminum window, door, skylight, curtain wall, and storefront would be a big plus.
• Must have excellent communications skills

• Serve as final technical authority on manufacturability: determine whether and how Company can fabricate and finish a given job in-house before sales quotes or declines work.
• Serve as the application engineering escalation point: when Sales or a Project Manager brings a 'can we make this?' inquiry, actively work the problem -- with Production personnel and customers as needed -- to find an honest, buildable path to yes rather than defaulting to a cautious no, and equip Sales with what they need to convert a viable inquiry into a sale.
• Train and equip Project Managers across all locations to make first-line manufacturability and solution decisions independently for standard requests, reserving engineering escalation for non-standard or complex jobs.
• Assist with scheduling as needed: understand how Company Enterprise generates production schedules from quoted operations and standard time data, and guide General Managers, Project Managers, and administrative staff across all six branches on how to use and maintain accurate schedules.
• Identify and recommend tooling and capital equipment investments that expand in-house capability, including cost and payback justification.
• When Company is close to winning a job but cannot yet fulfill it without additional tooling or equipment, build a business plan for the CEO specific to that opportunity -- investment required, cost, and payback -- so capital decisions are made against real, near-term revenue rather than speculative capability building.
• Serve as engineer-project manager for significant, approved engineering projects as needed -- including new machine installations, software deployments, and other major process enhancements -- owning scope, timeline, and budget from planning through completion.
• Execute, configure, and maintain Company Enterprise's manufacturing ERP functionality under the CEO's product direction, including multi-branch job routing; document system logic and configuration so scheduling and routing knowledge does not depend on any single individual.
• Directly manage the Compliance Management, CAD Services, and Quality Assurance functions.
• Own the engineering aspects of regulatory compliance management.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and high performance using Lean tools -- visual manufacturing controls, 5S, waste reduction, and root cause analysis.
• Monitor product consistency, customer complaints, safety hazards, and remakes across locations to identify systemic technical issues and drive corrective action.
• Ensure staff receive timely, appropriate technical training and development. Mentor and develop staff through a supportive, collaborative approach.
• Escalate unresolved disagreements with the VP of Manufacturing to the CEO for final decision.

Pay: $140K - $160K DOE

At The Planet Group, we connect Manufacturing experts with opportunities that match their skills, goals, and ambition. From fast-moving startups to global enterprises, we partner with top organizations across industries--giving you access to roles where your contributions make a difference. Explore flexible options including contract, direct hire, and contract-to-hire, all supported by a team that puts people first.