Senior Engineering Manager

Purpose Statement: To provide leadership and direction to the Manufacturing Engineering team(s) from a functional perspective. Manage the Manufacturing Engineering function in line with functional specific strategies, process and systems development, people development, employee relations, plant level metrics.

1. Manufacturing Engineering Excellence & Quality Delivery

• SMT & PCBA Process Optimization: Oversee the optimization of Surface Mount Technology (SMT) lines, wave/selective soldering, and reflow oven profiles to minimize common PCBA defects (e.g., tombstoning, solder bridging, voids) and maximize First Pass Yield (FPY).
• Automated Quality Control: Drive engineering capability around advanced inspection equipment, including 3D Solder Paste Inspection (SPI), Automated Optical Inspection (AOI), and Automated X-Ray Inspection (AXI) to ensure flawless product delivery.
• Root Cause & Corrective Action: Direct complex troubleshooting and root-cause analysis (using methodologies like 8D or Six Sigma) when manufacturing deviations or quality spills occur on the automated lines.

2. Program Management Support & NPI

• New Product Introduction (NPI): Partner closely with program managers to transition new electronic products from the prototype phase into full-scale automated mass production, ensuring the process design is robust and scalable.
• Design for Manufacturability (DFM): Lead the engineering review of customer board designs to identify automation constraints, recommend layout adjustments, and ensure the product meets customer cycle-time and volume expectations.
• Client Collaboration: Act as the senior technical authority during customer audits, facility tours, and technical escalations.

3. Process, Product, and Automated Equipment Engineering

• Automation Equipment Management: Direct the selection, qualification, and maintenance of heavily automated production equipment, including high-speed pick-and-place machines, robotic conformal coating systems, and automated board.
• Compliance & Standards: Ensure all equipment and processes strictly adhere to Plexus Core Values and stringent electronics manufacturing standards, including IPC-A-610, IPC J-STD-001, electrostatic discharge (ESD) protocols, and medical/automotive regulatory requirements if applicable.

4. Technical Leadership, Technology Roadmap & Cost Reduction

• Industry 4.0 & Smart Factory Initiatives: Establish and execute a localized technology roadmap. This includes integrating system board, predictive maintenance algorithms, and machine-to-machine communication to improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) across the PCBA lines.
• Yield & Cost Optimization: Drive Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement (Kaizen) projects aimed at reducing component scrap, optimizing line changeover times, and eliminating automation bottlenecks to lower operational costs and improve margins.
• Corporate Alignment: Collaborate with global and regional Plexus technical teams to share best practices, standardize automation equipment platforms, and evaluate next-generation manufacturing technologies (e.g., collaborative robots or "cobots").

5. Team Leadership & People Development

• Engineering Talent Management: Lead, mentor, and evaluate a cross-functional team of process engineers, automation specialists, test engineers, and technicians.
• Technical Upskilling: Ensure the team receives continuous training on the latest PCBA manufacturing techniques, automation programming (e.g., PLC, robotics), and statistical process control (SPC).
• Succession Planning: Identify high-potential engineers, drive internal mobility, and foster a culture of accountability and innovation aligned with Plexus Core Values.

Education/Experience Qualifications:

• A minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering is required.
• Fifteen (15) years of related experience is required; Ten (10) years of related engineering management in manufacturing experiences is preferred.