Process Engineering Manager

Department: Manufacturing Management

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Liberty, SC

Reporting To: Plant Manager

Compensation: $110,000 - $140,000 / year

Description

The Process Engineering Manager is a key member of the Knowles, Cornell Dubilier site leadership team. This role builds and leads the Process Engineering function that delivers safe, stable, capable, and scalable manufacturing processes. You will own process strategy, talent development, and the deployment of rigorous engineering methods that improve safety, quality, delivery, cost and innovation across the factory.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

Develop and manage a high-performing organization of Engineers and Technicians; set vision, standards, and career paths.

Establish an engineering operating system with clear cadences, gemba presence, and action-oriented problem solving.

Create visibility to critical metrics (project funnel/status, Cp/Cpk, FPY, OEE, yield/scrap, DPPM, on-time NPI, cost savings) and drive accountability to targets.

Process Engineering & Control

Define and maintain process control plans, PFMEAs, work instructions, and standard work to ensure process capability and stability.
Deploy statistical process control (SPC) and advanced analytics to monitor health, detect drift, and trigger corrective actions.
Lead structured root-cause and corrective action (8D, A3, 5-Why) for process excursions and customer/internal escapes.

New Product Introduction (NPI) & Design Transfer

Participate in cross-functional design reviews to ensure Design for Manufacturability/Assembly/Cost (DFM/A/DFC) and robust process capability requirements.
Own process development and production qualification plans for new equipment and processes (e.g., URS, FAT/SAT, IQ/OQ/PQ), including AS9145/APQP deliverables as applicable.
Partner with Product Engineering, Quality, and Operations to achieve predictable ramp, repeatability, and capacity readiness.

Continuous Improvement & Lean

Build an improvement portfolio aligned to site strategy; prioritize high-impact kaizen and DMAIC projects with Operations and Quality.
Standardize problem-solving, visual management, and line-balance/time studies to remove waste and improve flow.

Capital & Technology Enablement

Evaluate, prioritize, and justify capital expenditures with robust business cases; lead vendor selection, installation, and release to production.
Advance digital/automation capabilities (MES/SPC systems, advanced Excel; Minitab/JMP or similar) to elevate process insight and decision making.

Financials, Compliance & Safety

Achieve financial objectives (productivity, cost reduction, budget adherence) for area of responsibility.
Ensure compliance with AS9100/AS9145, APQP/PPAP where required, and applicable ITAR/export-control requirements.
Apply knowledge of relevant MIL-STDs and customer specifications; support internal/external audits.
Champion EHS best practices and ergonomic/ESD controls within the production environment.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

BS in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Materials, Industrial, or related).
10+ years progressive experience in Process Engineering, Product Engineering, or Operations within electronics components, semiconductor, or similar high-reliability manufacturing.
Proven experience managing multiple direct reports and building technical teams.
Demonstrated project management capability (charter through sustainment); track record of delivering measurable improvements.
Hands-on deployment of Lean/Six Sigma methods; expert use of DOE, SPC, MSA/Gage R&R, PFMEA, Control Plans, and 8D problem solving.
Strong analytical skills; proficiency with Microsoft Office (advanced Excel) and statistical tools (e.g., Minitab/JMP).
Excellent written and verbal communication; able to influence across Engineering, Quality, Operations, Supply Chain, and Leadership.
Detail-oriented, systems thinker with urgency for action and a focus on the customer.

Preferred:

MS or MBA degree.
PMP and/or Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification.
Experience with AS9100, AS9145, APQP/PPAP, and familiarity with ITAR requirements.
Working knowledge of MIL-STDs relevant to high-reliability electronic components.
Exposure to MES/SPC software, automation/robotics integration, and advanced data analysis/visualization (Power Query/Power BI, SQL basics).

Success Measures (first 12-18 months)

≥ X% improvement in FPY/OEE and sustained Cp/Cpk at or above specification across top critical processes.
On-time completion of the NPI/process qualification roadmap with zero late gate exits.
Delivery of an annualized cost-savings and waste-reduction plan meeting or exceeding target.
Team engagement, retention, and development metrics trending positively; built bench strength and documented standards/workflows.

Work Environment

Primarily on-site in a manufacturing environment with regular time on the production floor.
Occasional travel to suppliers, other sites, and customers (

Benefits

Competitive salary and benefits package
Opportunities for professional development and growth
A dynamic and collaborative work environment focused on innovation and continuous improvement.
Flexible PTO
Paid holidays
Prescription Drug Plans
Retirement Savings Plan (401k):
Basic Life Insurance
Onsite Physician
Employee Referral Program

Join our team and play a pivotal role in transforming our manufacturing processes to achieve greater efficiency and excellence.

We are committed to providing a competitive and fair total compensation package for all employees.

One element in our total compensation package is base pay. The starting base pay for this role is $110,000 to $140,000 per year.

Individual compensation decisions are based on a number of factors, including but not limited to previous experience and skills acquired prior to joining us, cost of living in the assigned work location, assigned schedule, and salaries of similarly situated peers at the company. It is to be expected that candidates will come to us with different sets of skills and experiences and therefore will be paid at different points in the stated range. We recognize that the person(s) we select for hire may be less experienced or more experienced than the role as posted; if this is the case, any updates to available salary ranges will be communicated with candidates during the recruitment process.

Knowles' Cornell Dubilier brand is a leading designer and manufacturer of custom high-energy discharge capacitors used in a wide range of medical, military, and commercial pulsed energy applications.

Equal Opportunity Statement: We prohibit pay discrimination and discrimination of any kind based on race, color, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, or other legally protected status.

ITAR Statement: Please note that this position may require access to technical data controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Applicants must be U.S. persons (citizens, lawful permanent residents, or individuals granted refugee or asylee status) or have the necessary authorization to access controlled technical data. Compliance with ITAR and EAR regulations is a condition of employment.

Notice to Staffing Agencies, Search Firms and Recruitment Agencies: The recruitment process at Knowles is managed through the Human Resources department. Knowles does not accept resumes submitted from 3rd party agencies outside of our system. To submit resumes, 3rd party agencies will need to be a pre-approved vendor with a valid contract in place, be actively engaged by Knowles to recruit for a specific position and have agency log in credentials to submit candidates to our career's portal. Please do not submit resumes via e-mail, through our external website or directly to our employees. Any resumes submitted in this way become the property of Knowles and will not be eligible for any placement fee.

Knowles Corporation

New Jobs

Production Manager (1st Shift)

Process Engineering Manager