Head of Manufacturing Engineering

This role defines and executes the manufacturing and sustaining engineering strategy to support aggressive growth targets, operational excellence, and long‑term competitiveness. The position leads all manufacturing and sustaining engineering functions, driving productivity, cost efficiency, quality, and delivery performance while supporting new product introductions and technology expansion.

The Head of Engineering partners closely with Operations, R&D, Supply Chain, Quality, and Product Management to ensure the site is fully prepared—organizationally, technically, and financially—to support rapid scale‑up and sustained high‑volume manufacturing. This is an onsite position.

Sound Interesting?

Here’s what you’ll do:

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following:

• Lead the scale‑up of manufacturing operations to support a business exceeding $100M in annual production, ensuring capacity, capability, and operational readiness align with growth objectives.
• Own and govern the effective deployment of a site operating budget in excess of $50M, ensuring resources are utilized efficiently, investments are value‑driven, and cost performance meets or exceeds business targets.
• Develop and execute the manufacturing and sustaining engineering strategy to improve throughput, yield, and productivity while reducing COGS through Lean principles and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Provide strategic and operational leadership to manufacturing and sustaining engineering teams, ensuring robust technical support across all production activities.
• Drive disciplined capital and operational expenditure planning, ensuring alignment with long‑term growth, production ramp‑up, and return‑on‑investment objectives.
• Lead cross‑functional teams to deliver new product introductions from prototype through volume manufacturing, ensuring cost, quality, and schedule commitments are met or exceeded.
• Own engineering responsibility within the Product Life Cycle (PLC) process for all products manufactured at the site.
• Ensure health, safety, and environmental excellence by embedding compliance and risk management into all engineering and manufacturing activities.
• Review and act on production, quality, financial, and delivery metrics to ensure operational targets are consistently achieved.

FINANCIAL & OPERATIONAL IMPACT

• Direct accountability for manufacturing performance supporting $100M+ in annual production output.
• Responsible for the efficient and cost‑effective management of a site operating budget exceeding $50M, including staffing, capital planning, and operational expenses.
• Significant impact on site profitability, investment effectiveness, and long‑term operational sustainability.

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Reports directly to the Head of Site Operations and works in close partnership with:

• Research & Development Engineering
• Supply Chain
• Quality Assurance
• Product Management

Do you qualify?

Education Requirements:

• University degree in Engineering or Natural Sciences; MBA or equivalent business qualification strongly preferred

Experience & Skills

• Minimum 5 years in senior disciplinary leadership roles; global experience preferred
• 10+ years in product or manufacturing engineering environments
• Proven experience scaling manufacturing operations and managing large operational budgets
• Strong background in mechatronic systems, medical technology, and complex system architecture
• Demonstrated success in Lean manufacturing, design‑to‑cost, and operational excellence
• Strong financial acumen, strategic thinking, and cross‑cultural leadership capability

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Your ZEISS Recruiting Team:

Clara Cresswell

Zeiss provides Equal Employment Opportunity without unlawful regard to an Applicants race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender, marital status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military or veteran status, citizen status, sexual orientation, pregnancy (includes childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical condition), genetic predisposition, carrier status, gender expression or identity, including transgender identity, or any other class or characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law of the employee (or the people with whom the employee associates, including relatives and friends).