Design Engineering Manager

A market leader with top-notch facilities and a strong, healthy culture is adding a Design Engineering Manager due to growth in workload. The Product Engineering Manager has been covering both product and design engineering, and it has become unsustainable. This is a chance to take full ownership of Design Engineering and lead a small, capable team.

What you will do

• Lead and align the Design Engineering team with organizational goals
• Provide day-to-day leadership for 3 direct reports
• Drive projects from concept through completion, delivering on scope, budget, and schedule
• Create solid models for manufacturing tooling and fixtures, plus detailed, dimensioned drawings
• Provide technical review and recommendations on sketches, descriptions, and specifications
• Develop and test prototypes for new equipment and fixture designs as needed
• Coordinate fabrication with internal partners (tool room, maintenance, etc.)
• Lead and participate in formal design reviews and cross-functional collaboration
• Use strong analytical problem-solving to build cost-effective, manufacturable solutions

What we are looking for

• BS in Engineering required (Mechanical Engineering strongly preferred)
• 8 to 10+ years of hands-on design engineering experience
• Proven design experience from concept to completion
• Background in tool and die, product development, and/or fixture design
• Prior leadership experience managing technical design engineers
• 1,000+ hours of 3D CAD experience (Inventor or equivalent; software flexibility is fine)
• Strong working knowledge of Machinery’s Handbook
• Solid understanding of manufacturing processes (milling, turning, welding, etc.) and real-world limitations
• Ability to interpret 2D mechanical drawings and build practical, creative solutions
• A “roll up your sleeves” mindset with comfort navigating ambiguity and driving execution

Why this role is attractive

• Clear ownership of Design Engineering (not a split-focus role)
• Quick decision-making and support for good ideas
• A culture that rewards excellence and effort, with the resources to execute

Compensation and relocation

• Base salary: $130,000 to $160,000 (no bonus)
• Relocation: Up to $15,000 lump-sum offered

If you’d like to be considered, send a resume and a quick note on the types of tooling/fixture or equipment designs you’ve led, plus your 3D CAD background.