Itron is innovating new ways for utilities and cities to manage energy and water. We create a more resourceful world to protect essential resources for today and tomorrow. Join us.
The Sr. Manufacturing Engineering Manager is a site-based leader responsible for manufacturing process excellence, technical execution, and people development at our West Union, SC manufacturing facility. This role partners closely with site Operations and cross-functional teams to deliver customer-centric, high-quality, and scalable production in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. The ideal candidate is an authentic, hands-on leader who is accountable for results, agile in problem solving, and innovative in driving continuous improvement on the factory floor.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Provide on-site leadership for all Manufacturing Engineering activities at the manufacturing facility, ensuring safe, reliable, and scalable production that meets customer, quality, and delivery commitments.
- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Manufacturing Engineers and technicians, fostering a collaborative, authentic, and accountable culture with a strong presence on the production floor.
- Develop/Implement Strategic Engineering direction for the following areas: Standardization of engineering systems/processes, standardization for equipment, continuous improvement- safety, cost savings, productivity, OEE, RTY, scrap, etc.
- Own manufacturing process performance for the site, including yield, scrap, cycle time, capacity, and equipment uptime, using agile and data-driven approaches to drive continuous improvement.
- Partner closely with Site Operations, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and EHS to ensure manufacturing processes are robust, compliant, and customer-centric.
- Serve as the primary manufacturing engineering lead for New Product Introduction (NPI) at the site, ensuring smooth transitions from development to production through strong DFM/DFA practices and risk mitigation.
- Drive standardization and optimization of manufacturing processes, work instructions, tooling, fixtures, and test equipment to support consistent execution across all production shifts.
- Lead root cause analysis and corrective action efforts for manufacturing issues, ensuring timely resolution and prevention of recurrence while maintaining accountability for results.
- Implement and adhere to collaborative engagement with our Global Advanced Manufacturing Engineer team to properly select new equipment to support new products/production.
- Develop and implement strategic plans for site wide Engineering process improvements.
- Develop and implement strategy for standardization in both Eng processes and in equipment for the entire plant.
- Develop site-wide strategic plan and process for capital investments.
- Drive Continuous Cost savings to business plan expectations.
- Drive next level automation throughout the facility.
- Continuous Improvement mindset to drive systems and processes that improve our performance and bottom-line results.
- Provide direct New Product Introduction (NPI) feedback and develop continuous feedback loop to eliminate repeat failures.
- Support all NPI projects.
- Develop high performing Engineering team through Professional Talent Management process.
Required Skills & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- 10+ years of manufacturing engineering experience in a production environment, with at least 7 years leading teams within a plant or site-based setting.
- Demonstrated ability to lead and develop teams on the factory floor while remaining accountable for safety, quality, delivery, and cost performance.
- Automation experience is required.
- Strong experience with lean manufacturing, continuous improvement methodologies, and structured problem-solving in high-mix or regulated manufacturing environments.
- Proven success partnering with Operations and Production leadership to support multi-shift manufacturing and meet aggressive production schedules.
- Clear, effective communicator who can collaborate across functions and levels while maintaining an authentic leadership style.
Preferred Skills & Experience
- Master’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or Business Administration.
- PMP certification is preferred.
- Hands-on experience implementing automation, test systems, or advanced manufacturing technologies at the site level.
- Background supporting NPI ramp-ups, line transfers, or process industrialization within an operating plant.
Travel: 0-10%
Benefits Info:
This position also includes a competitive benefit package including; financial, social, health and wellbeing programs, paid vacation, 401k matching, employee stock purchase program, and more!
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Itron is committed to building an inclusive and diverse workforce and providing an authentic workplace experience for all employees. If you are excited about this role but your past experiences don't perfectly align with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway. In the end, you may be just who we are looking for!
The successful candidate's starting wage will be determined based on permissible, non-discriminatory factors such as skills and experience.
Itron is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. If you require an accommodation to apply, please contact a recruiting representative at 1-800-635-5461 or email Accessibility@itron.com.
Itron is transforming how the world manages energy, water and city services. Our trusted intelligent infrastructure solutions help utilities and cities improve efficiency, build resilience and deliver safe, reliable and affordable service. With edge intelligence, we connect people, data insights and devices so communities can better manage the essential resources they rely on to live. Join us as we create a more resourceful world: www.itron.com
