Director of Manufacturing Engineering & Automation

Dixon Valve is a global, family-owned manufacturing company with a history of over 100 years of operation in the U.S.A. They are seeking a Director of Manufacturing Engineering & Automation responsible for leading the manufacturing engineering strategy across multiple facilities, focusing on process capability, automation, and operational scalability. The role involves driving productivity, capacity expansion, and fostering a culture of disciplined problem-solving within the organization.

Responsibilities:

• Lead manufacturing engineering strategy
• Drive improvements in process capability, manufacturing reliability, throughput, and overall operational performance
• Develop, implement and standardize manufacturing processes, equipment, tooling and engineering best practices
• Support manufacturing facilities to resolve complex technical issues through troubleshooting, root cause analysis and corrective action implementation
• Lead initiatives to reduce downtime, waste, labor inefficiencies and production bottlenecks
• Lead engineering support for new product launches, manufacturing transfers and capacity expansions
• Develop and execute a multi-year automation strategy that supports business growth, operational efficiencies, safety, quality and workforce optimization
• Participate in CapEx project planning, justification, execution, and post-implementation evaluation to ensure achievement of business objectives
• Evaluate, select and implement advanced manufacturing and automation technologies to improve safety, quality, and productivity working with the operations team
• Ensure engineering and automation projects are delivered on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with defined performance and financial expectations
• Manage relationships with equipment suppliers, system integrators and external technical partners to support successful project execution and equipment integration
• Drive productivity, throughput, quality and cost-reduction initiatives that support annual business objectives
• Establish standardized performance metrics for manufacturing engineering initiatives and organize KPI reviews to track progress
• Set clear performance expectations, development objectives and accountability standards for engineering personnel
• Foster effective cross-functional collaboration between Operations, Quality, Supply Chain and Maintenance
• Promote a culture of operational discipline, standardization, innovation and employee engagement
• Ensure compliance with all applicable safety, environmental, quality and regulatory requirements while driving operational excellence

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline; advanced degree preferred
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing engineering or operations, with a track record of increasing scope and impact
• Proven success leading multi-site manufacturing engineering or operations functions within complex, growth-oriented environments
• Deep expertise in automation strategy, advanced manufacturing technologies, process optimization, and capital project execution
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive large-scale organizational change initiatives
• Experience within industrial, engineered products, metal fabrication, or high-mix assembly manufacturing environments
• Strong financial acumen, including CapEx planning, ROI analysis, and operational cost management
• Track record of scaling manufacturing operations to support business growth, capacity expansion, and productivity improvements
• Strategic mindset with the ability to align manufacturing initiatives to broader business objectives
• Strong operational problem-solving and root cause analysis skills
• Change leadership with experience driving transformation and continuous improvement cultures
• High level of process discipline and focus on standardization and best practices
• Expertise in program and project management execution
• Passion for developing and mentoring high-performing technical teams
• Data-driven decision-making with proficiency in leveraging metrics and KPIs
• Exceptional communication, influence, and stakeholder management skills
• Continuous improvement mindset grounded in Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies