Production Engineering Manager

About the role

An international automotive parts manufacturer in the Shelbyville, TN area is looking for a Production Engineering Manager.

Ideal candidate would have at least 8 years of automotive production engineering experience, 3 to 5 years of engineering leadership experience, and extensive knowledge of HVAC, automated assembly, and injection molding.

This position includes manufacturing and office work environment. While performing the duties of this job you may be required to intermittently sit, stand, walk, lift up to 25 pounds, lift in excess of 25 pounds with a lift assist, climb stairs, use hands to handle or feel parts/equipment, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, bend at the waist, talk and hear. You may also be required to use close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, and peripheral vision.

Activ8 Recruitment & Solutions / Renaissance Resources Inc. has been a trusted leader in North American recruiting for Japanese businesses for over 25 years. We specialize in connecting top talent with companies in the Automotive, Electronics, Food & Beverage, Logistics, Manufacturing, Oil & Gas, Banking & Finance, and Entertainment industries. Our client-focused approach ensures that we understand your unique needs, whether you’re a company seeking skilled professionals or a candidate looking for the right career opportunity. By working closely with each individual, we provide tailored solutions that drive success.

We screen ALL Candidates to verify the validity of each applicant's provided information. Upon submitting your resume, we will contact only those candidates that we deem qualified for our client. If we do not contact you, we do not see the fit for the position. If we are unable to reach you in a reasonable timeframe, you will be eliminated from the pool of potential candidates.

We prioritize direct applicants; third-party resumes may not be reviewed.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performance team of manufacturing engineers, process engineers, and technicians.
• Establish departmental objectives, KPIs, and technical training and development plans.
• Direct engineering activities supporting automated and manual assembly lines, injection molding, heat staking, ultrasonic/vibration welding, and vision inspection systems.
• Manage capital expenditure (CAPEX) budgets, including equipment specification, sourcing, installation, and commissioning.
• Lead manufacturing readiness and industrialization (NPI) for new product launches and engineering changes.
• Support APQP deliverables including PFMEA, Process Flow Diagrams, Control Plans, Capacity Studies, and production validation.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as OEE, scrap rates, First Pass Yield, and throughput to drive labor and machine efficiency.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma initiatives to reduce downtime, eliminate waste, and optimize cost savings.
• Conduct root-cause analysis and execute corrective actions for complex quality, production, and equipment issues.
• Ensure manufacturing processes comply with IATF 16949, ISO 14001, customer-specific requirements, and internal quality standards.
• Lead risk assessments and enforce strict Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) requirements for new processes, equipment, and tooling.
• Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Design Engineering to ensure sustained manufacturing performance throughout the product life cycle.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, Plastics Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive production or manufacturing engineering experience in an automotive environment (or 6+ years with an Advanced Degree).
• Minimum of 3 to 5 years of direct leadership experience managing engineering personnel and large-scale capital projects.
• Deep technical expertise in high-volume automated assembly, injection molding process development, and functional validation systems (leak testing, end-of-line testing)
• Strong working knowledge of automotive quality systems and core tools (IATF 16949, APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, Control Plans, SPC).
• Hands-on experience with continuous improvement methodologies (Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, TPM).
• Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification and/or PMP certification preferred.
• Tier 1 automotive supplier experience and experience leading launches for major OEM customers preferred.
• Familiarity with industry systems including ERP/MRP, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), and advanced Excel.
• Strong business acumen, data analysis abilities, and excellent cross-functional communication skills.