Process Engineering Manager

Founded in 1944, HSM is athird generation, privately held company with a rich history of innovation and a commitment to our people. With 25 locations across the U.S. and corporate headquarters in Hickory, NC and Huntersville, NC, we specialize in manufacturing components for furniture, bedding, transportation, packaging, automotive, and healthcare industries. Our expertise also includes designing and building automated production machinery.

HSM products from sofa springs to swimming pool noodles and bus seats, touch everyday life in countless ways.

At HSM, our success is built on our people. We foster a culture of teamwork, innovation, and shared success. If you’re looking for a meaningful place to grow and make an impact, we want to hear from you!

• Develop the team. Set priorities, allocate engineering resources, coach technical talent, and build accountability through clear expectations and thoughtful performance feedback.
• Strengthen manufacturing performance. Lead process development, time studies, line balancing, capacity analysis, material-flow improvements, and labor-standard validation.
• Solve the hard problems. Drive root-cause investigations and Lean initiatives that reduce scrap, process variation, downtime, and cycle time while improving yield, throughput, labor efficiency, and equipment effectiveness.
• Deliver successful launches. Manage assigned launch and equipment projects within approved scope, schedule, and budget—from feasibility and DFM/DFA input through trials, Run-at-Rate, training, and production handoff.
• Advance equipment and automation. Partner with Controls Engineering and Maintenance on equipment selection, tooling, fixtures, automation, commissioning, and production trials.
• Protect quality and compliance. Implement process controls and validation evidence that support ISO 9001, IATF 16949, VDA 6.3, customer requirements, APQP, and PPAP.
• Create reliable engineering systems. Maintain accurate BOMs, routings, work instructions, layouts, labor standards, ERP data, and engineering change control.
• Design safety into the process. Integrate ergonomics, guarding, safe work methods, calibration needs, and workplace organization into manufacturing improvements.

• Leadership and experience
  • A bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, or a related engineering discipline is preferred; at least eight years of relevant technical manufacturing experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
  • At least five years of manufacturing or process engineering experience, including prior supervisory responsibility.
  • Demonstrated success supervising technical personnel, coaching developing engineers, reviewing delegated work, and balancing daily production support with longer-term projects.
  • Automotive, commercial transportation, or Tier 1/Tier 2 manufacturing experience is strongly preferred.
• Hands-on process engineering experience in relevant metal, foam, cut-and-sew, or assembly operations.
• Experience with time studies, tooling, fixtures, line balancing, material flow, ergonomics, process validation, CAD, ERP systems, BOMs, routings, labor standards, and engineering change control.
• Working knowledge of automated or PLC-controlled equipment, with the ability to partner effectively with controls specialists.
• Strong working knowledge of ISO 9001 and manufacturing process controls; IATF 16949 experience and familiarity with VDA 6.3 and automotive customer requirements are strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of APQP, PPAP, PFMEA,…