Hardware Engineering Manager

Company Description

Working at Knobelsdorff 

Along with building state-of-the-art projects, we build meaningful careers, lasting opportunities, and teams of dedicated individuals who truly own their work. As a leading turnkey specialty contractor specializing in Automation, Electric, Energy, and Power Services, our team tackles challenging, cutting-edge projects that provide opportunities to build new skills, confidence, and gain valuable hands-on experience in a variety of different industries. We tackle industrial electrical installations, advanced automation systems, and renewable energy solutions. 

Since our founding as a family-owned company in 1988, we've grown while staying true to our core value. Starting your career with Knobelsdorff (KE) means joining a culture that values your contributions, moves quickly, takes calculated risks, and celebrates team members who step up and own their work. 

If you're ready to join a team where your voice matters, your growth is supported, and your impact is celebrated, KE is the place for you. 

Job Description

Job Purpose

The Hardware Engineering Manager supports KE Automation by leading and developing our Hardware Engineering team while driving excellence in project execution across industrial automation projects. You'll be responsible for managing engineering resources, establishing and improving engineering processes, supporting panel manufacturing operations, and ensuring hardware engineering deliverables contribute to successful project outcomes.

Success in this role means building a high-performing team, delivering quality engineering solutions on schedule and within budget, and creating standardized processes that improve efficiency across the organization, all while upholding KE's commitment to Safety, People, Passion, and Performance. If you're someone who takes pride in developing people, improving systems, and driving accountability, this position is built for you.

What You'll Do

You'll be part of a team that gets things done, works with purpose, and takes pride in the results. Your day-to-day responsibilities may include:

• Lead, mentor, and develop the Hardware Engineering team through coaching, performance management, and career development.
• Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, continuous improvement, and collaboration.
• Manage hardware engineering resource planning and workload balancing across active projects.
• Partner with Project Managers to ensure engineering deliverables align with project schedules and customer expectations.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance engineering quality, efficiency, and consistency.
• Develop and maintain engineering standards, templates, libraries, and best practices.
• Identify and implement opportunities to automate repetitive engineering tasks and improve productivity.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators related to quality, schedule performance, and engineering efficiency.
• Collaborate with the Panel Shop to improve manufacturability, drawing quality, BOM accuracy, and production efficiency.
• Support Lean Manufacturing and 5S initiatives through improved engineering processes and standards.
• Review and approve hardware designs to ensure quality, compliance, and consistency.
• Provide technical leadership for industrial control systems, including PLCs, control panels, instrumentation, networking, and safety systems.
• Support project teams with technical problem-solving during execution and commissioning activities.
• Monitor engineering effort against project budgets and proactively address risks, constraints, and variances.
• Stay current with evolving automation technologies, engineering tools, and industry best practices.

Qualifications

What You Bring

You're someone who shows up ready to work hard, lead by example, and contribute to a team that takes pride in doing things right. Successful candidates typically bring:

• 8+ years of industrial automation hardware engineering experience.
• 3+ years of engineering leadership or people management experience.
• Strong experience designing industrial control panels and automation systems.
• Proficiency with EPLAN Electric P8.
• Experience with AutoCAD Electrical or similar electrical design software.
• Strong understanding of PLC-based control systems, industrial networking, instrumentation, VFDs, and safety systems.
• Experience supporting panel fabrication and manufacturing operations.
• Working knowledge of UL508A, industrial electrical standards, and control panel design practices.
• Experience developing electrical schematics, panel layouts, wiring diagrams, and bills of material.
• Strong organizati