Manufacturing Engineer Manager 3

We have an opportunity for a Manufacturing Engineering Manager at our RIDGID world headquarters! The Manufacturing Engineering Manager plans, organizes and leads the plant’s Manufacturing Engineering, Tool Room, and Facilities functions for the Professional Tools Elyria Manufacturing Plant. This position reports directly to the Director of Advanced Manufacturing. Key responsibilities include leading a team of Manufacturing Engineers and/or Applications Engineering Specialists, Industrial Engineers, Site Facilities Manager, and Tool Room employees, building organizational capability, providing direction for new product launches, productivity, and reduction of overall production cost, while meeting production schedules.

The Manufacturing Engineering Manager is also expected to support capital projects and provide cost estimates for such projects and fiscal year planning. Additionally, this position is a key member of the Operations Management leadership team, providing input for long-term strategic issues and plans.

In This Role, Your Responsibilities Will Be:

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Manufacturing, Industrial, and Production Engineers, the Tool Room and Facilities to ensure each area of the plant has adequate production support coverage, clear process ownership, and proactive support.
• Set clear performance expectations and provide regular feedback, coaching, and development planning, and champion a culture of ownership, data-driven decision-making, robust problem-solving, and continuous improvement.
• Align team goals and priorities with broader operational and business objectives and provide clear management processes to cover short term (production support), medium term (process improvements), and long term (capital/strategic projects) needs of the operation.
• Facilitate regular engineering team meetings and knowledge-sharing forums, and lead efforts to standardize manufacturing processes, documentation, and standards across departments.
• Review day-to-day activities of team members, and metrics such as OEE, scrap, etc to generate process improvement ideas and lead strategic improvements to improve the operation’s performance, and the overall effectiveness of the team.
• Analyze and plan floor space and machine utilization and process flow and work with the team to design layout of equipment and workspace for maximum efficiency.
• Develop innovative production process improvements to support the strategic objectives of Pro Tools.
• Lead the execution of strategic and tactical engineering projects, including process improvements, cost reduction, capacity expansions, and capital projects. This may include facilitating project evaluations, supporting the planning and execution of projects, writing/coaching others to write Capital Appropriation Requests (ARs), etc.
• Support new product introductions (NPI) and when ready, coordinate with team members to ensure effective, seamless integration into production processes.
• Provide technical expertise in machining processes, tooling, business processes, and process optimization to support issue resolution and process improvement. Use this to coach and develop team members to be more effective.
• Participate in Elyria plant leadership meetings and clearly communicate team priorities and performance, project status, and improvement opportunities.
• Optimize the effectiveness of tool room and facility departments to ensure alignment to business priorities and production coverage.

Who You Are:

You find and champion the best creative ideas and actively move them into implementation. You analyze multiple and diverse sources of information to define problems accurately before moving to solutions. You are decisive and make high-quality decisions, even when based on incomplete information or in the face of uncertainty. You break down objectives into appropriate initiatives and actions. You are a proactive problem-solver, an effective communicator across departments, and a mentor who can develop engineering talent while ensuring daily operational excellence.

For This Role, You Will Need:

• Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM). Preferred degrees: Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering. Advanced degree like MBA or Masters in Engineering preferred.
• Eight (8) or more years of related experience, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Strong background in CNC machining, tooling, and process engineering.
• Experience leading teams or projects.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Total Productive Maintenance, and problem-solving methodologies.
• Proficiency in MS Office Products.
• Experience managing tool rooms and facility/plant systems strongly preferred.
• Experience with ERP systems (Oracle, SAP, JDE, etc.).

Preferred Qualifications That Set You Apart:

• Experience managing capital budgets (actual spend vs budgeted spend).
• Experience leading new equipment installation.
• Experience meeting new product launch objectives.
• Team Development and Performance Management.
• Experience leading project timelines related to production continuous improvement projects.
• Certifications such as PMP, Lean Six Sigma, ISO, or ASQ.

About Our Location:

Since the invention of the modern pipe wrench in 1923, the 25-acre RIDGID world headquarters in Elyria, OH has been developing tools that help trades professionals tackle jobs faster, safer, and more accurately. Today, more than 600 employees work in 734K sq. ft. of office and manufacturing space. The campus is also home to a factory tool service center and a state-of-the-art “schoolhouse” training center that educates and trains hundreds of tradespersons annually. In addition to the iconic wrench, the campus manufactures RIDGID battery hydraulic tools, pipe and electrical tools, and drain cleaning components, as well as Greenlee step bits and knock-out tools. Emerson’s Professional Tools business provides the industry’s broadest portfolio of advanced, reliable tools and technologies for the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing trades.

Our Culture & Commitment to You:

At Emerson, we prioritize a workplace where every employee is valued, respected, and empowered to grow. We foster an environment that encourages innovation, collaboration, and diverse perspectives—because we know that great ideas come from great teams. Our commitment to ongoing career development and growing an inclusive culture ensures you have the support to thrive. Whether through mentorship, training, or leadership opportunities, we invest in your success so you can make a lasting impact. We believe diverse teams, working together are key to driving growth and delivering business results.

We recognize the importance of employee wellbeing. We prioritize providing flexible, competitive benefits plans to meet you and your family’s physical, mental, financial, and social needs. We provide a variety of medical insurance plans, with dental and vision coverage, Employee Assistance Program, 401(k), tuition reimbursement, employee resource groups, recognition, and much more. Our culture offers flexible time off plans, including paid parental leave (maternal and paternal), vacation and holiday leave.

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