Hiring: Director, Manufacturing Engineering Company: LightForce Location: Wilmington, MA Job Posted Time: 2026-09-12 11:19:52 Target Skills & Keywords : Digital Transformation, Program Management, Risk Management, Six Sigma About the job Experience: •10+ years of progressive engineering experience in a complex manufacturing environment, including 5+ years in a direct leadership/people-management role. Required Skills: •Own the Manufacturing Technology & Process Roadmap •Develop and execute the manufacturing technology and process roadmap required to support future volume, quality, reliability, productivity and gross-margin objectives. •Identify and remove technical constraints to capacity, emphasizing process capability, equipment, automation and engineering solutions rather than continued dependence on labor. •Drive Continuous Improvement & Process Engineering •Establish robust manufacturing processes, process specifications, control plans and technical work standards in partnership with Production and Quality. •Strategically drive automation, tooling and equipment — including robotics, vision and fixturing — that reduce labor dependence and improve throughput, quality and scalability, partnering with Automation/Equipment Engineering, Program Management and outside integrators on complex builds. •Make thoughtful make/buy/partner calls on automation and equipment investment, balancing near-term production needs against longer-term technical capability. •Lead New Product Introduction (NPI) Qualifications: •Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Electrical, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline (Master's degree or MBA preferred). •Proven ability to direct departmental strategies, manage resources, and lead complex engineering, CAPEX, and NPI initiatives in cross-functional collaboration with Hardware, Quality, and Operations. •Comprehensive background in engineering, tooling, modeling, and design reviews. •Deep expertise in Lean, Six Sigma, cycle-time optimization, yield improvement, and establishing standardized workflows and process controls. •Technical mastery in root-cause failure analysis, defect reduction, pFMEA, and ensuring full compliance with OSHA, ISO, and relevant industry regulatory standards. •A hands-on technical leader who can move between the manufacturing floor and longer-term engineering strategy; builds teams and systems rather than becoming the permanent problem solver; and thrives in an environment requiring urgency, rigorous experimentation, structured root-cause problem solving and rapid scale. Compensation: •Unlimited PTO for exempt employees (accrued PTO for non-exempt employees, up to 15 days) Interested candidates, please apply directly through the job posting on company's career page or try via AI auto apply on this platform. Don't miss this opportunity to join a forward-thinking team!