Advanced Manufacturing Engineering Manager

Company Overview

Our client is a fast-growing, engineering-led thermal solutions provider serving data center, mission-critical, commercial, and industrial markets. Headquartered in the Twin Cities, with additional facilities across North America, the company designs and manufactures liquid cooling systems, air handling equipment, heat rejection units, and modular, factory-assembled thermal management solutions.

Formed through the integration of four established, complementary businesses, the company offers comprehensive cooling solutions designed to optimize efficiency, space, and performance. With vertically integrated engineering and manufacturing capabilities, the team delivers rapid design turnaround and precision fabrication to support complex projects where reliability, speed, and quality are critical.

Why Work Here

This is an exciting opportunity to join a rapidly growing organization supporting the evolving needs of AI infrastructure and data center cooling. You'll work alongside a collaborative, technically driven team that enjoys solving complex challenges and seeing projects move from concept to production in a fast-paced environment.

Despite its rapid growth, the company remains committed to a people-first culture built on teamwork, shared success, strong relationships, and a genuine passion for the work.

Position Summary:

The Advanced Manufacturing Engineering Manager is the company’s forward-looking product, technology and process-launch leader — the function that figures out how to build tomorrow's products before they ever reach a plant floor. Reporting to the Director of Manufacturing Engineering, you will lead a team of Advanced Manufacturing Engineers responsible for new product launch, new technology deployment, automation and Industry 4.0 implementation, and pre-production process development across our Air, Liquid, Chiller, DX, and CDU product lines. You will own the handoff point between product design and sustaining production — developing and proving out manufacturing processes, technology, and capital equipment before transferring stabilized lines to our plant-level Manufacturing Engineering Managers. This role is also the primary owner of Manufacturing Execution System (MES) strategy and digital manufacturing platform deployment, directly enabling a connected, visually managed production environment across our network.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and develop a team of Advanced Manufacturing Engineers, setting technical direction and building capability in automation, controls, and advanced process design
• Own development and implementation of manufacturing processes, technology, and capital equipment supporting new product development (NPD) programs, from concept through stabilized production handoff
• Specify and procure capital equipment supporting new line launches and technology upgrades; develop and justify capital project budgets
• Lead product/process transfers and new line launches, coordinating directly with Design Engineering, Program Management, and plant Operations to execute NPDI milestones
• Apply advanced launch methodologies — DFM/DFA, FMEA, 3P (Production Preparation Process), and Lean Six Sigma — ensuring new processes are capable, safe, and scalable before transfer to sustaining production
• Provide multi-site technology deployment support, partnering with plant Manufacturing Engineering Managers to implement standardized, proven technology and processes across Gradian's network
• Mentor and teach the cross-functional NPD engineering process, building organizational capability beyond your direct team
• Develop and drive Company’s automation and Industry 4.0 technology roadmap, identifying and implementing automation, robotics, and digital manufacturing opportunities across the plant network
• Own Manufacturing Execution System (MES) strategy and implementation, partnering with plant-level Manufacturing Engineering Managers and IT
• Partner with plant Manufacturing Engineering Managers and the Director of Manufacturing Engineering to ensure well-documented handoff of new processes into sustaining production
• Evaluate production capacity and capability of new and existing technology, recommending enhancements to support growth
• Ensure safety and ergonomics are designed into new processes and equipment from the outset, in compliance with OSHA and applicable codes

Qualifications & Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, or Manufacturing Engineering, or related technical field
• 8–10+ years of manufacturing engineering experience, including 3+ years in a leadership role
• Demonstrated experience leading new technology deployment, automation, or process launches
• Strong working knowledge of DFM/DFA, FMEA, Lean Six Sigma, and structured launch methodologies (e.g., 3P)
• Experience specifying, justifying, and managing capital equipment projects
• Proven ability to lead and develop a technical engineering team

Preferred:

• Experience with MES selection, implementation, or administration
• Experience with automation, robotics, and PLC-based systems
• Experience in HVAC, thermal management, or data center cooling equipment manufacturing
• Six Sigma Green/Black Belt or equivalent certification
• Experience supporting multi-site or multi-plant technology deployment

Key Competencies:

• Forward-looking technical vision balanced with practical, achievable execution
• Leadership and team development
• Cross-functional influence (Design Engineering, Program Management, Operations, IT)
• Structured problem-solving and launch discipline
• Change management and organizational teaching ability
• Data-driven decision making
• Safety-first mindset in new process and equipment design