Engineering Manager

Lead IFAB’s engineering function so new and existing products can be manufactured safely, consistently and cost-effectively to approved customer requirements. Accountable for engineering capability, workload, technical decisions, deliverable quality and controlled release across assigned manufacturing operations.

This is a people-management and technical-leadership role, not solely a design, programming or project-tracking position. The manager establishes a reliable path from complete customer requirements to approved designs, manufacturing methods, tooling and production-ready documentation, partnering with NPI on launch execution.

Team leadership and accountability: Define roles, primary assignments, backup coverage and decision rights. Set performance expectations; coach, assess and develop employees; manage performance and recommend staffing or compensation actions through approved HR processes. Assign technical reviews and approvals according to demonstrated competence, not informal seniority.

Engineering intake and capacity: Maintain one engineering work queue for quotations, new parts, fixtures, changes and sustaining support. Assign one owner, reviewer, estimate, due date and priority per deliverable. Reconcile launch needs with available skills and capacity; authorize floor-support assignments and communicate their effect on other commitments.

Requirements and feasibility: Require complete part lists, current drawings/specifications, volumes, material, finish, hardware, packaging and dates. Verify changes between quoted and awarded scope with NPI, Sales/Project Management and Estimating. Lead qualified cross-functional feasibility review and document constraints, assumptions and unresolved requirements before engineering approval.

Design and technical authority: Establish and enforce standards for CAD, DXF, drawings, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), fixture/gauge design, hardware specification and design-for-manufacture. Ensure locating, clamping, access, safety and inspection needs are considered. Retain accountability for engineering approval controls while delegating discipline‑specific decisions only to qualified personnel.

Documentation and change control: Separate creation, self-check, independent technical review, approval and controlled release. Require alignment of models, drawings, DXFs, bills of material (BOMs), routings, work orders and process records. Reconcile ballooned drawing references with Quality. Control revision distribution and obsolete records; assess changes for tooling, programs, materials, work‑in‑process, inventory, cost and customer‑approval impact.

Fixture and tooling readiness: Require complete, buildable fixture packages with identifiers, drawings, hardware/BOM, work‑order and routing inputs, planned operation hours, time‑charging requirements and approved required dates. Partner with Production and Materials on build capacity, shortages, tryouts and acceptance. Evaluate outsourcing when appropriate; obtain authorization before commitments. Engineering defines and validates the tooling;
Production owns assigned fabrication execution.

Oversee process selection, sequence, equipment/capacity studies, layouts, labor assumptions, technical work instructions, parameters and process validation. Coordinate expertise across stamping, flat and five‑axis laser cutting, press‑brake/tube forming, welding, assembly and finishing, as applicable. Maintain clear Manufacturing versus Process Engineering ownership rather than duplicating deliverables.

Programming governance: Through qualified programming personnel, require program review, revision traceability, safe…