Design Engineering Manager

POSITION SUMMARY

Manage Design Engineering for Kelvion Knoxville product lines, including Core RT, BPHE & other. Oversee the full lifecycle of engineered-to-order heat exchanger solutions, ensuring robust design execution, technical excellence, and alignment with manufacturing and commercial requirements. Partner closely with ERP and cross-functional teams to support accurate quoting, efficient order execution, and on-time delivery of customized customer solutions that meet performance, cost and quality targets.

• Work with Global Engineering teams to understand product standards, design tools, and best practices to increase local design autonomy and reduce reliance on centralized European support.
• Manage Design Engineers and Design Supervisor supporting Knoxville product lines.
• Drive design excellence through implementation of Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA) and Design for Manufacturing & Assembly (DFMA) principles.
• Collaborate with Operations, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain to ensure designs are manufacturable, cost-effective, and aligned with plant capabilities.
• Partner with Order Management and Commercial teams to support accurate, timely quotes and engineered-to-order solutions.
• Establish and manage department goals, KPIs and Objectives & Key Results (OKRs); cascade expectations to team members and ensure accountability.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on design cycle time, drawing release accuracy, and engineering productivity.
• Ensure timely execution of all design deliverables aligned to project phase gates and customer commitments.
• Oversee creation of 3D models, assemblies, and 2D production drawings using Autodesk Inventor (or equivalent CAD tools).
• Ensure all drawings include complete dimensions, tolerances, materials, and manufacturing notes required for production.
• Maintain and enforce drafting standards, engineering practices, and document control procedures.
• Oversee engineering data integrity within ERP systems, including Bills of Material (BOMs), routings, and Engineering Change Notices (ECNs).
• Ensure alignment between as-designed BOMs and as-sold configurations, supporting cost accuracy and margin expectations.
• Drive standardization and reuse of designs where applicable to improve efficiency and reduce engineering hours.
• Facilitate cross-functional design reviews with Manufacturing, Quality, and Supply Chain for new and revised products.
• Support prototype development, validation, and testing as required for new product introductions or design changes.
• Ensure compliance with ISO 9001 and internal quality management system requirements.
• Develop team capabilities through coaching, training, and technical mentorship in design tools, standards, and product knowledge.
• Manage Design to Cost (DtC) reduction initiatives through design optimization, material selection, and standardization.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions related to design issues, field failures, or quality concerns.
• Maintain organized engineering file systems and ensure data accuracy, revision control, and accessibility.
• Perform all activities in accordance with company policies, safety standards, and quality requirements.

And other duties as assigned.

• To ensure Kelvion’s Standard of Excellence, which includes quality, is incorporated into every product we produce.
• Follow all company policies and procedures, including but not limited to Global Code of Business Principles, Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, Vision and Values, Operational Framework
• Good technical writing and communication skills essential.
• Must be able to effectively facilitate personnel at remote production facilities.
• Computer skill with Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.) is required.
• A high skill level in Inventor CAD system. +Inventor Vault PDM

• BS degree in Engineering or Technology or comparable years’ experience.
• Ten years’ related experience.
• Highly experienced with Autodesk Inventor + Inventor Vault
• Proven history of leading technical staff
• Experience in Supervising employees
• Experience with Syteline, SAP, or other ERP…