Manager of Advanced Manufacturing (AME)

Position Overview

The Manager of Advanced Manufacturing leads the team responsible for product industrialization and the transition of complex modular systems from concept to production. This leadership role oversees the execution of NPI phase gates and ensures manufacturing strategies align with design intent, cost targets, and scalability. Acting as a central point of accountability, the Manager coordinates cross-functionally with Engineering, Supply Chain, and Operations to drive manufacturing readiness for all new product launches.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & NPI Governance

• Oversee manufacturing deliverables across all NPI phase gates from concept through production release.


• Ensure the Advanced Manufacturing team defines necessary inputs at each gate, including design maturity, BOM completeness, and quality plans.


• Serve as the primary manufacturing authority in phase gate reviews, ensuring products do not advance without meeting rigorous criteria.


• Drive team accountability for identifying and resolving manufacturing risks prior to gate approvals.

Manufacturing Strategy & Industrialization

• Translate complex engineering designs into executable, high-level manufacturing strategies.


• Direct the development of build approaches, line flows, takt assumptions, and labor models.


• Validate manufacturing routings, work instructions, and process documentation to ensure alignment with capability and cost targets.


• Influence early-stage development through design-for-manufacturability (DFM) and design-for-assembly (DFA) leadership.

Launch Execution & Scale

• Manage manufacturing execution for prototype and pilot builds, driving corrective actions for issues identified during early stages.


• Supervise the validation of tooling, fixtures, equipment, and processes prior to production scaling.


• Oversee the formal handoff from NPI into Operations, ensuring all documentation is complete and production teams are fully trained.


• Support initial production ramps and maintain engagement post-launch to ensure stability and ramp success.

Cross-Functional & Risk Management

• Partner with Design Engineering, Supply Chain, and Quality to validate supplier capabilities and define inspection strategies.


• Serve as the final escalation point for manufacturing issues during NPI execution.


• Support cost modeling and make/buy decisions through accurate labor and process assumptions.


• Drive comprehensive mitigation plans for cost, capacity, and schedule risks.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related discipline.


• 10+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering within industrial or engineered-to-order (ETO) environments.


• Proven experience leading structured New Product Introduction (NPI) programs and managing phase gate deliverables.


• Strong technical understanding of fabrication, assembly, and industrial manufacturing processes.


• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive execution in high-pressure launch environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in automotive, aerospace, energy, data center, or heavy industrial OEM environments.


• Deep familiarity with APQP, PPAP, or similar gated product development frameworks.


• Lean or Six Sigma certification with a background in process optimization.


• Proven track record of managing pilot builds and successful production ramps for complex systems.