Manufacturing Engineering Manager

Teledyne FLIR · Milpitas, CA

Level: Manager
Team: Manufacturing
Base pay: $142k–$189k
Industry: Aerospace & defense
Posted: 2 days ago

The role in 30 seconds

A management manufacturing role at Teledyne FLIR (aerospace & defense) in Milpitas, CA. Recruit, hire, train, and develop technical staff to support current and future manufacturing requirements.

Tools it names: Lean, Root cause, Automation, Tooling, EHS / safety
Base pay: $142k–$189k

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

At a glance

Promotion path mentioned

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Your game plan for this job

Most people just hit Apply. Do these first and you show up with someone on the inside.

1
Find 2–3 people on the Manufacturing team at this site
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply most.
2
Send a short, curious note
Ask about the work, not for a referral. We write it for you.
3
Have a 15-minute chat
Good questions for this role:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
4
Apply, ideally with a referral
Ask if they'd refer you or introduce you to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link and tell them the day you apply.
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.

About the role

Be visionary

Teledyne Technologies Incorporated provides enabling technologies for industrial growth markets that require advanced technology and high reliability. These markets include aerospace and defense, factory automation, air and water quality environmental monitoring, electronics design and development, oceanographic research, deepwater oil and gas exploration and production, medical imaging and pharmaceutical research.

We are looking for individuals who thrive on making an impact and want the excitement of being on a team that wins.

Job Description

The Manufacturing Engineering Manager is responsible for leading manufacturing engineering and supporting day-to-day production floor operations. This role provides technical and operational leadership across manufacturing processes, equipment, New Product Introduction (NPI), quality, EHS, RMA activities, cost improvement, and continuous improvement initiatives. The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader with a broad manufacturing background who can effectively manage people, processes, and technical challenges while working cross-functionally to improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and overall manufacturing performance.

Manufacturing Engineering & Floor Operations

•Provide technical leadership and engineering support for day-to-day manufacturing and production floor activities.
•Oversee the development, implementation, and optimization of manufacturing processes, equipment, tooling, and production methods.
•Troubleshoot manufacturing issues and drive effective solutions to minimize production disruptions.
•Identify manufacturing bottlenecks and implement solutions to improve productivity, efficiency, and product flow.
•Ensure manufacturing processes are properly documented, controlled, and consistently executed.
•Partner with production teams to improve operational performance and manufacturing readiness.

Show full description ↓

Team Leadership

•Lead, develop, and mentor a team of manufacturing engineers and technicians.
•Recruit, hire, train, and develop technical staff to support current and future manufacturing requirements.
•Provide technical direction, coaching, and support in resolving complex manufacturing issues.
•Establish team priorities and ensure engineering resources are aligned with production and business needs.
•Promote a culture of accountability, teamwork, safety, quality, and continuous improvement.

New Product Introduction (NPI)

•Lead manufacturing engineering activities associated with New Product Introduction from development through production release.
•Partner with design engineering and other cross-functional teams to ensure products are designed for efficient and reliable manufacturing.
•Develop and manage manufacturing readiness plans, schedules, resources, and project deliverables.
•Ensure manufacturing processes, equipment, tooling, materials, documentation, quality requirements, and supply chain needs are ready for production.
•Identify and resolve manufacturing risks prior to production release.
•Manage the transition of new products from development into full production.

Process Improvement & Cost Reduction

•Lead Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives across manufacturing operations.
•Identify opportunities to reduce manufacturing costs, improve cycle times, increase throughput, and eliminate waste.
•Analyze manufacturing data and operational metrics to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
•Develop and implement process improvements that enhance quality, productivity, and manufacturing efficiency.
•Drive corrective and preventive actions to address recurring production issues.

Quality

•Partner with Quality and Operations to ensure products and manufacturing processes meet established specifications and quality standards.
•Support the development and improvement of manufacturing quality systems, procedures, and controls.
•Investigate manufacturing and product quality issues and drive root cause analysis and corrective actions.
•Support manufacturing audits, inspections, and compliance activities.
•Analyze quality data and trends to identify opportunities to reduce defects and improve product performance.
•Support the investigation and resolution of customer quality concerns.

Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS)

•Promote a safe working environment across manufacturing operations.
•Support compliance with applicable environmental, health, and safety requirements.
•Identify potential manufacturing hazards, assess operational risks, and coordinate corrective actions.
•Partner with appropriate teams to ensure equipment, manufacturing processes, and work practices meet established safety requirements.
•Incorporate safety considerations into new equipment, manufacturing processes, and NPI activities.
•Reinforce a strong safety culture throughout manufacturing operations.

RMA & Product Returns

•Provide oversight and technical support for Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) and returned-product activities.
•Ensure returned products are properly received, evaluated, tracked, and dispositioned.
•Partner with engineering, quality, customer service, and operations teams to investigate product failures and return issues.
•Analyze RMA and failure data to identify recurring trends and root causes.
•Drive corrective actions designed to improve product quality and reduce preventable returns.
•Ensure accurate documentation and tracking of returned products and their disposition.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

•Work closely with Production, Design Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Customer Service, and other functional teams.
•Coordinate activities across departments to resolve production issues and eliminate operational bottlenecks.
•Communicate manufacturing risks, priorities, and improvement opportunities to key stakeholders.
•Support business objectives