Engineering Manager

$155,000 - $165,000 (DOE) + up to 20% Bonus | Relocation Assistance for US Citizens

Can you lead a full engineering group and still hold your own in a technical discussion about a process line?

That combination is rare, and it is exactly what this role needs. Our client is a market-leading advanced materials manufacturer operating a high-precision, continuous process plant in the Johnson City, TN area. They are growing quickly, investing heavily, and looking for a proactive Engineering Manager to lead all engineering activity on site.

You will take ownership of a multidisciplinary engineering team spanning process, controls, reliability, facilities and maintenance. It is a role with genuine breadth: capital planning and CAPEX delivery, process optimisation and automation, maintenance strategy, and the development of the engineers themselves. You will drive process innovation, equipment design and team development to deliver operational excellence, safety and scalability.

The Role

• Build, mentor and manage a high-performing multidisciplinary engineering team covering process, controls, reliability, facilities and maintenance
• Lead capital planning, CAPEX budgeting and operating expense management for Engineering and Maintenance
• Lead projects focused on process optimisation, automation and continuous improvement
• Develop and improve manufacturing processes using Lean and Six Sigma principles, including kaizen events
• Ensure process scalability from prototype through to full production
• Oversee troubleshooting and root cause analysis for quality, productivity and safety issues
• Lead initiatives on scrap reduction, OEE improvement, cost reduction and uptime reliability
• Define and maintain equipment specifications, standards and vendor performance expectations
• Implement and manage the CMMS, ensuring preventive and predictive maintenance strategies are fully deployed
• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) and engineering change processes to ensure manufacturability and production readiness
• Develop role-based expectations, succession plans and talent development paths
• Collaborate with Corporate Engineering on standards and strategy, and with Quality, Sales, Operations, Finance, Procurement and HR
• Provide data-driven updates on project status, engineering metrics and maintenance performance
• Drive a culture of safety, continuous improvement, accountability, teamwork and integrity

About You

• BS degree in engineering or a related technical discipline (advanced degree preferred)
• 10+ years' relevant engineering experience, with a proven track record managing a full engineering group
• Experience in extrusion, extraction, coating, polymer processing, specialty films, battery, or another high-precision continuous process industry
• Proven ability to develop technical talent and lead multidisciplinary teams
• Genuine expertise in continuous improvement, Lean and Six Sigma - used as tools to change how a plant works, not as theory
• Strong analytical mindset, with real capability in root cause analysis, statistical problem solving and structured decision making
• An effective communicator who can tailor the message to technical and non-technical audiences, and who can get engineers and operators to buy into the changes that are needed
• Confident presenting technical data and project status to internal stakeholders and customers
• Strong decision making and prioritisation in a fast-paced environment
• Willing to travel occasionally to other plant locations and vendors as required

What's on Offer

• $155,000 - $165,000 base, dependent on experience
• Bonus potential of up to 20%
• Relocation assistance for the right candidate (regional candidates preferred)
• Full ownership of the engineering function on a growing, heavily invested site
• A business scaling quickly in a high-technology sector, with capital behind it

Please note: This is a permanent, full-time onsite position. Applicants must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident (Green Card holder), as sponsorship is not available for this role.

Interested? Apply today with an up-to-date resume, quoting reference [], and one of our consultants will be in touch to discuss the opportunity in confidence.