Manager, Manufacturing Engineering – Module Frames

Job Description:

Job Title: Manager, Manufacturing Engineering – Module Frames

Location: Remote
Reports To: Sr Manager, Manufacturing Engineering - Steel

Job Summary:

At Nextpower, we are accelerating the world’s transition to renewable energy through intelligent solar tracking and breakthrough engineering. As a Manager, Manufacturing Engineering – Module Frames, you will be a critical player in this transformation. You will be responsible for leading a team of Manufacturing Engineers to deliver on large scale capacity expansion and process standardization over the next few years. This includes activities for driving concurrent engineering (DFM/DFMA), supplier process readiness, industrialization, and engineering change implementation for steel frame components and assemblies across Nextpower’s global supply base.

The Manager, Manufacturing Engineering – Module Frames will lead initiatives to document and develop best-practice solutions and new manufacturing technologies across the supplier footprint, including (but not limited to) automation, inspection, and operational excellence (Lean thinking). This role partners directly with R&D/Design Engineering, Quality, Program Management, and Procurement to ensure new and existing designs are manufacturable, scalable, cost-effective, and reliable, and support design release and change-control decisions through rigorous engineering analysis and factory validation, while ensuring a customer-centric approach to meet or exceed internal and external customer expectations.

Responsibilities:

• Lead Module Frames Manufacturing Engineering team in the launch and ramp up of new equipment at NX suppliers to deliver large scale capacity expansion.
• Lead manufacturing engineering participation in product development from concept through design release, ensuring high-quality manufacturing feasibility input and DFM/DFMA recommendations. Partner with suppliers to obtain and incorporate external DFM feedback and capability constraints
• Establish and enforce structured manufacturing engineering inputs to design release gates, including manufacturability, process capability, cost drivers, supplier readiness, and risk closure
• Lead innovation in manufacturing technologies and technical readiness of complex roll forming geometries of steel products. 
• Lead planning and execution of prototype builds, supplier trials, and on-site validations; ensure verification of functional intent and key/critical dimensions through appropriate measurement and inspection methods
• Lead technical value engineering and cost-reduction initiatives across module frames by identifying cost drivers and developing engineering solutions (design alternatives, process alternatives, tooling strategy changes, yield improvement, cycle-time reduction). Ensure savings validation while maintaining product performance, reliability, safety, and manufacturability; document results and deploy best practices across regions and suppliers
• Drive a culture of disciplined engineering execution, documentation rigor, and continuous improvement
• Build and maintain strong cross-functional alignment with R&D/Design Engineering, Quality, Program Management, and Procurement; ensure manufacturing engineering recommendations are data-driven, timely, and actionable
• Establish technical standards, operating mechanisms, and review cadence to ensure consistent engineering quality and decision-making across regions and suppliers
• Serve as a Manufacturing Engineering leader for engineering changes within Module Frames Business Unit (ECR/DCO/ECO) in the company PLM system; ensure controlled implementation at suppliers, including technical risk assessment, readiness validation, and documentation discipline
• Provide rapid technical escalation leadership when supplier, manufacturing, or field issues negatively impact Nextpower customers; lead structured root-cause and corrective actions (8D, 5-Why, Pareto) and verify effectiveness
• Document best practices across the group and deploy standardized solutions across the supplier base
• Set team priorities and allocate resources across NPI programs, engineering change workload, supplier readiness, and technical escalations to meet schedule, cost, quality, and customer commitments

Requirements:

• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in an Engineering discipline from an accredited institution with at least 15+ years of relevant experience in manufacturing engineering / industrialization for steel components and assemblies in an OEM or contract manufacturing environment Industrial, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Metallurgical or Chemical Engineering is preferred
• 15+ y