Performance Engineering Manager Jobs in South Carolina

The Engineering Manager is responsible for leading and developing the engineering function within a DEF manufacturing environment, providing technical leadership and strategic direction across product development, manufacturing support, quality, and customer-driven engineering projects. This role oversees engineering resources, sets priorities, improves engineering processes, and ensures all engineering deliverables are completed safely, efficiently, and in alignment with cost, quality, and delivery objectives.

The Engineering Manager works closely with Operations, Manufacturing, Sales, Quality, Supply Chain, and customers to develop practical, manufacturable engineering solutions that support business growth.

Engineering Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop the engineering team within a DEF manufacturing environment, ensuring clear goals, accountability, and performance expectations.
• Manage engineering workload, resource planning, project prioritization, and delivery timelines.
• Establish and maintain engineering standards, documentation practices, and design controls aligned with DEF industry requirements.
• Foster a culture of safety, quality, accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Conduct performance evaluations and develop team capability through coaching, training, and succession planning.

• Lead the design, development, testing, and launch of new products and product enhancements specific to DEF manufacturing applications.
• Ensure all designs meet customer requirements, DEF industry standards, regulatory requirements, and internal manufacturing capabilities.
• Review and approve engineering drawings, specifications, BOMs, and technical documentation for accuracy and manufacturability.
• Drive design-for-manufacturing (DFM) and design-for-assembly (DFA) initiatives to improve efficiency, reduce cost, and enhance product reliability.
• Manage product lifecycle activities including engineering changes, obsolescence management, and product standardization.

Manufacturing & Operations Support

• Partner closely with Manufacturing and Operations teams to resolve production issues and improve process stability in DEF production environments.
• Provide hands-on engineering support for fabrication, assembly, installation, commissioning, and field service activities.
• Identify and implement improvements to reduce scrap, rework, downtime, labor hours, and material waste.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for manufacturing and product-related issues.
• Ensure engineering designs are robust, repeatable, and optimized for DEF manufacturing processes.

Project Management

• Lead engineering projects from concept through design, validation, production release, and customer implementation.
• Define project scope, technical requirements, schedules, budgets, and resource needs.
• Track project performance and proactively manage risks, issues, and scope changes.
• Coordinate cross-functional execution with Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, and customers.
• Ensure timely and cost-effective delivery of engineering projects aligned with DEF business priorities.

Quality & Continuous Improvement

• Partner with Quality to address recurring product and process issues within DEF manufacturing operations.
• Lead engineering-related corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
• Support PFMEA, process validation, testing, and risk mitigation activities.
• Use data-driven analysis and root cause tools to improve product reliability and process performance.

Safety, Compliance & Standards

• Ensure all engineering activities comply with DEF industry safety standards, codes, and regulatory requirements.
• Integrate safety and compliance considerations into all product and process designs.

Key Performance Indicators

Success in this role will be measured by:

• On-time delivery of engineering projects
• Reduction in manufacturing downtime caused by engineering issues
• Cost savings and value engineering impact
• Product quality, reliability, and field performance
• Continuous improvement and process efficiency gains

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of engineering experience in a manufacturing environment (DEF, Oil, Gas, or fluid systems industry experience preferred).
• 2+ years of engineering leadership or management experience preferred.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, product design, and engineering principles.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and technical documentation.
• Strong project management, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced DEF manufacturing environment.
• Microsoft Project and Excel (Macros) advanced user.
• Knowledge of industry compliance and standards (UL, CSA)

Preferred

• Experience in DEF manufacturing or similar heavy industrial/manufacturing sector.
• Experience with engineered-to-order (ETO) or configure-to-order (CTO) environments.
• Proficiency with CAD and engineering documentation systems.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems (e.g., SAP).
• Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement experience.
• Experience with PFMEA, root cause analysis, and CAPA systems.
• Direct customer and supplier interaction experience.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license is a plus.

Leadership Competencies

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Strong leadership and team development capability
• Business and financial acumen
• Clear and effective communication skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability
• Customer-focused and solution-oriented mindset
• High accountability and ownership
• Sound technical and business decision-making
• Cross-functional collaboration skills
• Continuous improvement mindset
• Ability to balance cost, quality, safety, and delivery priorities