Manufacturing Engineering Manager

At Gentex Corporation, we’ve created an environment where great ideas and great people can thrive. Leveraging a history that spans over 130 years, Gentex is a global leader in personal protection and situational awareness solutions for defense forces, emergency responders, and industrial personnel operating in high performance environments. Join our multinational team of exceptional and dedicated employees around the world and work on challenging and rewarding projects, grow your skills, and advance your career all while making a positive difference in the lives of our customers.

Together, you and Gentex can build a career that’s uniquely yours.

The Manufacturing Engineering Manager leads the manufacturing engineering team responsible for developing, optimizing, and sustaining efficient production processes. This role ensures products are manufactured safely, cost‑effectively, and at high quality standards by driving process improvements, implementing new technologies, and supporting production operations. The manager collaborates closely with operations, quality, supply chain, product engineering, and maintenance teams to achieve operational excellence.

The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in manufacturing processes (e.g., composites, plastics, injection molding) as well as automation technologies (e.g., PLCs, robotics), with a strong ability to lead cross‑functional teams and deliver results in dynamic, fast‑paced environments.

• Manage, mentor, and develop a team of manufacturing engineers across multishift operation.
• Set team goals aligned with company production and operational targets.
• Conduct performance reviews and provide ongoing coaching and professional development.
• Allocate engineering resources to support production and improvement projects.

• Design, implement, and continuously improve manufacturing processes and workflows.
• Lead process validation, capability studies, and equipment qualification.
• Identify and implement improvements to increase throughput, reduce waste, and improve product quality.
• Apply lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement methodologies.

• Provide technical support to production teams to resolve manufacturing issues.
• Analyze production data to identify root causes of defects or inefficiencies.
• Implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) to address recurring issues.
• Ensure manufacturing documentation, work instructions, and process standards are maintained.

• Lead manufacturing readiness for new product launches.
• Collaborate with product design teams to ensure manufacturability (DFM/DFA).
• Develop process flows, tooling, and equipment requirements for new products.
• Coordinate pilot builds and production ramp‑ups.

• Evaluate, select, and implement new manufacturing equipment and automation solutions.
• Oversee installation, commissioning, and qualification of new equipment.
• Work with maintenance teams to ensure equipment reliability and uptime.

• Ensure manufacturing processes comply with quality standards, regulatory requirements, and company procedures.
• Support audits and continuous improvement of quality systems.
• Partner with quality teams to reduce defects and improve yield.
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction in materials, labor, and processes.
• Manage capital equipment budgets and ROI justification.
• Drive productivity improvements and operational efficiency initiatives.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (Mechanical, Industrial, Mechatronics or related field)
• 7–10+ years of manufacturing engineering experience.
• 3–5 years of leadership or management experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge of lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, and process optimization.
• Experience with manufacturing systems, production equipment, and automation.
• Proficiency with engineering and data analysis tools (CAD, ERP, MES, statistical software).

• Master’s degree in engineering, manufacturing systems or…