Site Manufacturing Engineering Operations Manager, TN Engineer
ERMCO Distribution Transformers · Waddell, AZ
- Level
- Manager
- Team
- Production
- Degree
- Required (or equivalent experience)
- Experience asked
- 12+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 23 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A management production role at ERMCO Distribution Transformers (industrial) in Waddell, AZ. A successful candidate brings deep manufacturing leadership experience, an engineering or technical background, strong change-management capabilities, and proven success in high-growth or startup environments.
- They ask for
- 12+ years · degree required (or equivalent experience)
- Tools it names
- Lean, Root cause
- Day to day
- relocation help
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Production Engineer roles in the US: typical posted base $115k–$158k.
Median of the low and high ends of 226 live postings that list pay, out of 720 production engineer openings in the US, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Arizona plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 11 other live production postings in Arizona.
- Experience asked
- More than usual (12+ vs 5+)
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Team leadership 67%
- ✓ Lean 58%
- Tooling 42%
- ✓ Root cause 33%
- Automation 33%
- Six Sigma 33%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Production team at ERMCO Distribution Transformers
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
Full description from ERMCO Distribution TransformersAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Job Summary
The Site Manufacturing Operations Manager plays a critical leadership role in ERMCO’s new Phoenix, AZ facility. Reporting directly to the General Manager, this role provides oversight and leadership across all areas of plant operations, including fabrication, core manufacturing, assembly, testing, and production support functions. This leader will be responsible for all three shifts and will guide Area Managers, Supervisors, and production teams to ensure safety, quality, and productivity targets are consistently met.
Because this is a new plant startup, the Site Manufacturing Operations Manager will be heavily involved in establishing production processes, building teams, implementing training, and aligning workflows with the established operations at ERMCO’s Dyersburg, TN facility. Significant travel to Dyersburg will be required for onboarding, knowledge transfer, and alignment of manufacturing standards.
A successful candidate brings deep manufacturing leadership experience, an engineering or technical background, strong change-management capabilities, and proven success in high-growth or startup environments.
This position is located in Waddell, AZ. Relocation assistance will be provided.
Responsibilities
Key
Qualifications
- ✓High school diploma or equivalent required; technical degree or certification in manufacturing, engineering, or related field strongly preferred.
- ✓Minimum of 12 years of manufacturing leadership experience , ideally in electrical transformer manufacturing or a related i
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Overview
About ERMCO Electric Research and Manufacturing Cooperative, Inc. (ERMCO) was founded in 1964 by three electric cooperatives with a mission to deliver reliable transformers to rural communities often overlooked by larger manufacturers. Headquartered in Dyersburg, Tennessee, the company quickly established itself as an innovator—becoming the first U.S. plant exclusively designed to produce single-phase pad-mounted transformers.
Over the decades, ERMCO has expanded its capabilities and footprint through facility growth, strategic acquisitions, and continued investment in innovation. ERMCO designs and manufactures a comprehensive portfolio of liquid-filled distribution transformers, including single-phase and three-phase pad-mounted and pole-mounted transformers, supported by a full range of components such as amorphous and silicon steel transformer cores, fuses, bushings, disconnect switches, and circuit breakers.
Today, nearly 3,500 employees across eight sites in North America support the company’s role as a leader in powering energy grids to meet evolving customer demand. Now more than ever, ERMCO is positioned to be the industry’s Most Valued Partner.
About ERMCO’s Arizona Facility
Electric Research and Manufacturing Cooperative, Inc. (ERMCO) is expanding into the Greater Phoenix market with a new 566,121-square-foot manufacturing facility in Waddell. The site will strengthen ERMCO’s Three-Phase transformer production and create new opportunities to advance automated manufacturing capabilities.
This marks ERMCO’s first expansion west of the Mississippi River. Operational readiness is underway, with the first transformer set to be manufactured in 2027.
ERMCO is offering long-term career opportunities across engineering, skilled trades, and operations. Team members at this facility will help build scalable processes, embed best practices, and drive alignment across the enterprise—playing a key role in shaping how work is done at ERMCO both locally and companywide.
Leadership & Daily Operations
- •Lead daily production activities across all shifts, ensuring adherence to schedules, quality standards, and safety expectations.
- •Facilitate daily SQDC meetings, driving discussion and accountability for Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost.
- •Promote a safe, positive, and productive work environment while modeling ERMCO’s cultural values.
People Leadership & Team Development
- •Lead, mentor, and develop Area Managers and Department Supervisors, strengthening leadership bench strength.
- •Drive associate engagement by championing enthusiasm, ownership, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
- •Oversee recruiting, hiring, onboarding, training, performance evaluations, coaching, and corrective actions.
Startup & Cross-Site Collaboration
- •Travel extensively to the Dyersburg, TN facility for onboarding, process alignment, and training.
- •Collaborate with Dyersburg leadership to transfer best practices, operational standards, and manufacturing methods.
- •Assist in developing and launching all new production workflows for the Phoenix facility.
Operational Excellence
- •Continuously analyze and improve processes to maximize efficiency, output, and product quality.
- •Drive Lean Manufacturing initiatives, root cause analysis efforts, and continuous improvement projects.
- •Monitor key performance metrics, including labor utilization, scrap, rework, scheduling adherence, and cost performance.
Quality & Safety Assurance
- •Ensure that all products meet or exceed industry standards and customer expectations.
- •Partner with Quality to resolve nonconformances and implement corrective actions.
- •Enforce strict safety protocols and support a proactive safety culture across the plant.
Resource & Cost Management
- •Monitor manufacturing costs, minimize waste, and optimize resource utilization, including non-personnel costs by department.
- •Oversee equipment upkeep, preventive maintenance schedules, and calibration compliance.
- •Collaborate with Area Managers and the General Manager to develop capital budgets and justify CapEx initiatives.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- •Partner with Supply Chain, Inventory Control, Training, Quality, Safety, Maintenance, Engineering, and HR to support plant performance.
- •Communicate effectively with all levels of the organization, as well as with service providers and equipment suppliers.