Senior Engineering Manager Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Howmet Fastening Systems (HFS) is seeking a Senior Engineering Manager in our Fullerton, CA location.

Summary: Under the direction of the Site Director of Operations, the Senior Engineering Manager is responsible for leading the engineering function to support the achievement of Fullerton Operations’ strategic and operational objectives. This role provides leadership to the engineering organization, driving a strong customer-focused mindset, operational excellence, continuous improvement, and advanced problem-solving capabilities across the engineering team.

The Senior Engineering Manager is accountable for developing engineering strategies that improve product quality, manufacturing capability, productivity, and reliability while supporting customer expectations and business growth. This position plays a key role in mentoring and developing engineering leaders and team members, strengthening technical expertise, and fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and collaboration.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and develop the engineering organization, including engineering managers and technical staff, ensuring strong technical capability, accountability, and professional growth.
• Drive a customer-focused engineering culture that aligns manufacturing capabilities with internal and external customer expectations.
• Provide strategic leadership for engineering initiatives supporting safety, quality, delivery, cost, and operational excellence objectives.
• Partner with Operations, Quality, EHS, and other cross-functional teams to improve manufacturing performance and support production goals.
• Lead engineering problem-solving efforts using structured methodologies such as root cause analysis, Lean manufacturing tools, and Design of Experiments (DOE)
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives to enhance productivity, equipment reliability, manufacturing capability, and cost efficiency.
• Oversee capital planning, justification, and execution to support capacity expansion, process improvements, and modernization of manufacturing technologies.
• Manage and prioritize engineering projects, ensuring alignment with site objectives, timelines, and budget constraints.
• Integrate new manufacturing technologies and capital equipment to support operational performance and long-term strategic growth.
• Oversees and manages the planning, purchasing and execution of the capital expenditures process.
• Promote a culture of safety, accountability, and operational discipline to support an incident-free workplace.
• Mentor and develop engineering managers and engineers to strengthen leadership capability, technical expertise, and problem-solving mindset.
• Ensure engineering processes support customer requirements, regulatory standards, and aerospace industry specifications.
• Communicate effectively with senior leadership and key stakeholders regarding engineering performance, project status, and strategic initiatives.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills/Knowledge:

• Strong leadership capability with demonstrated experience mentoring and developing engineering leaders and technical teams.
• Advanced problem-solving skills using structured methodologies
• Ability to lead cross-functional initiatives that drive operational improvements in safety, quality, delivery, and cost
• Strong strategic thinking with the ability to translate business objectives into engineering execution
• Strong communication and influence skills to effectively engage with senior leadership, cross-functional teams, and external stakeholders
• Ability to analyze and interpret technical, operational, and regulatory information and translate it into actionable strategies
• Demonstrated experience leading continuous improvement initiatives that generate measurable operational results
• Strong project management capability with experience managing capital projects and engineering initiatives in a manufacturing environment
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools (Excel, PowerPoint, Word).
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, CAD models, GD&T, and aerospace manufacturing specifications.
• Strong understanding of aerospace manufacturing processes such as stamping, heading, machining, grinding, heat treatment, coatings, and secondary operations.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Provides leadership and direction to the engineering organization, including engineering managers, engineers, and technical staff.

Responsibilities include:

• Build, developing, and mentoring high-performing engineering teams.
• Establishing clear performance expectations and accountability
• Leading talent development, succession planning, and leadership growth within the engineering function
• Managing performance evaluations, coaching, and development planning
• Supporting recruitment and onboarding of engineering talent
• Addressing employee relations issues and resolving operational challenges
• Ensuring engineering activities align with company policies, regulatory requirements, and operational priorities

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical field from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of 8-10 years of engineering experience, including progressive leadership responsibility in manufacturing environments
• Demonstrated experience leading engineering teams and driving operational improvements in manufacturing.

Preferred Qualifications

• Aerospace manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• Experience in aerospace fasteners manufacturing environments.
• Experience leading capital investment projects and manufacturing modernization initiatives.
• Advanced certifications in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or related operational excellence methodologies are a plus.

Benefits/Salary:

The position includes competitive wages and a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance (medical, dental, vision), excellent 401k matching program, paid holidays and vacation. Howmet Aerospace curates a strong working environment through opportunities for career progression, community engagement activities, and flexible schedules contingent upon role and location. The salary range for this position is $140k to $200k.