How to hire a manufacturing engineering manager

How to hire a manufacturing engineering manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step manufacturing engineering manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a manufacturing engineering manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new manufacturing engineering manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a manufacturing engineering manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The manufacturing engineering manager hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a manufacturing engineering manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a manufacturing engineering manager that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of manufacturing engineering managers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Manufacturing Engineering Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Manufacturing Engineering Manager	Architectural and engineering managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities in architectural and engineering companies.	$38-74
   Research And Development Director	A research and development director spearheads and oversees the research and development initiatives and projects in a company. It is their duty to set goals and guidelines, establish timelines and budgets, direct and manage different departments, liaise with internal and external parties, gather and analyze data to implement solutions against problem areas, and utilize expertise in developing strategies to optimize company operations... Show more	$45-96
   Research And Development Manager	A research and development manager is responsible for supervising project development procedures to support business operations and identify business opportunities that would pave the way for more revenue resources and profits. Research and development managers monitor the production plans from the conceptualization to the final outputs, inspecting inconsistencies and flaws in every phase and revising strategies as needed to achieve the required specifications and requirements... Show more	$37-83

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Continuous Improvement
   • Lean Manufacturing
   • Project Management
   • Sigma
   • Lean Six Sigma
   • Product Development
   • Process Improvement
   • ISO
   • Product Quality
   • Process Control
   • CAD
   • CNC
   • Cost Reduction
   • Process Engineering

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage engineering changes with product engineering on the introduction of new product launches using PFMA analysis and DFM principles.
   • Manage technical staff, work with marketing group to define research projects, define opportunity windows and establish schedules.
   • Lead facility design and layout to meet JIT principles and company's evolving quality system with SPC monitoring and reporting.
   • Manage and monitor machinery maintenance to comply with ISO preventive maintenance guidelines.
   • Lead business intelligence infrastructure stabilization efforts resulting in above goal sigma scores.
   • Implement industry standards for manage service provisioning and delivery across carrier-class fiber-optic network.

   More manufacturing engineering manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your manufacturing engineering manager job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A manufacturing engineering manager can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, manufacturing engineering managers' average salary in florida is 45% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level manufacturing engineering managers 48% less than senior-level manufacturing engineering managers.
   • Certifications. A manufacturing engineering manager with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a manufacturing engineering manager's salary.

   Average manufacturing engineering manager salary

   $112,535yearly

   $54.10 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level manufacturing engineering manager salary

   $81,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average manufacturing engineering manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$160,795	$77
   2	Nevada	$133,120	$64
   3	Pennsylvania	$110,730	$53
   4	Michigan	$110,729	$53
   5	Arizona	$110,591	$53
   6	Massachusetts	$110,313	$53
   7	Texas	$106,835	$51
   8	North Carolina	$103,251	$50
   9	Maryland	$102,917	$49
   10	Oregon	$101,896	$49
   11	Utah	$100,081	$48
   12	Minnesota	$98,601	$47
   13	Georgia	$96,588	$46
   14	Indiana	$96,454	$46
   15	Missouri	$95,112	$46
   16	Wisconsin	$94,598	$45
   17	Virginia	$94,306	$45
   18	New Mexico	$92,427	$44
   19	Colorado	$91,156	$44
   20	Kansas	$88,043	$42

   Average manufacturing engineering manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$182,408	$87.70	679
   2	Apple	$171,242	$82.33	179
   3	Rivian	$163,342	$78.53	15
   4	Harley-Davidson	$161,898	$77.84	8
   5	Intuitive Surgical	$159,934	$76.89	19
   6	Nikola Motor	$156,611	$75.29
   7	Varian Medical Systems	$153,483	$73.79
   8	Tesla	$153,375	$73.74
   9	NetApp	$153,341	$73.72	16
   10	Motor Coach Industries	$152,852	$73.49
   11	Applied Materials	$149,834	$72.04	58
   12	John Crane	$149,778	$72.01	1
   13	Koch Industries	$148,156	$71.23	7
   14	Lucid Motors	$147,397	$70.86	53
   15	Cisco	$145,992	$70.19	221
   16	First Solar	$145,782	$70.09	31
   17	Gillette	$144,298	$69.37
   18	Henny Penny	$144,039	$69.25
   19	Micron Technology	$142,419	$68.47	36
   20	Parker Hannifin	$141,009	$67.79	54

4. Writing a manufacturing engineering manager job description

   A manufacturing engineering manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a manufacturing engineering manager job description:

   Manufacturing engineering manager job description example

   If youre looking for a special place to build or grow your career, youve found it. Whether youre an experienced professional, a recent college graduate or somewhere in between, IDEX is a place where you can apply your existing skills and learn new ones in an environment where you can make an impact.
   
   With interesting opportunities in engineering, marketing, sales, supply chain, operations, HR, finance, and more across more than 40 diverse buisnesses around the globe, chances are, we have something special for you.
   
   Put your leadership skills to work at Micropump! If you have a desire to lead and work as part of a team and like to identify and solve complex problems our Manager of Manufacturing Engineering may be the role for you! This role reports to our Director of Operations. The Manufacturing Engineering Department is responsible for design, integration, and system and process improvements. This position reports to the Operations Director and is responsible for the following tasks:
   
   Direct the work of Manufacturing Engineers and Engineering support staff to accomplish the goals and objectives of the department. Conducts employee one-on-one meetings and routing team meetings to align goals and expectations to achieve the overall objectives of the department and Micropump. Conduct performance evaluations, remove barriers to career advancement opportunities, and provide on-going feedback to staff members for continuous improvement.
   
   In coordination with the Operations Director, develop strategy and vision for the overall manufacturing operation, process capabilities to support growth of the business.
   
   Develop the strategy for executing improvement projects while owning the result of Productivity and Capex process; understand cost and impact to business and to customers. Direct administrative activities directly related to manufacturing engineering; lead and participate in root cause countermeasure and continuous improvement activities to determine root-cause of failures using statistical methods, recommend changes in design, tolerances or processing methods. Incorporate new methods and processes to improve existing operations, ensure documentation is complete, and hold staff members to deadlines. Leads project teams and may perform project tasks.
   Support Quality in ISO compliance and annual audits. Partner with Design Engineering to support and industrialize NPI (new product introduction) programs. Collaborate with Operations and Product Engineering staff to sustain high-quality precision parts and on-time delivery to customers. Identify opportunities and implement changes to improve products or reduce costs using knowledge of fabrication processes, tooling, and production equipment, assembly methods, quality control standards, or product design, materials, and parts. Follow procedures and apply project management skills to complete established projects; move identifies and evaluates solutions for improved productivity. Moves product, tool, and equipment developments from initial concept through to final production. Provide technical expertise or support related to complex manufacturing challenges. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology including principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various parts. PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods. DESIGN Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and methods involved in producing precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT Knowledge and application of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources. MECHANICAL Knowledge of machines and tools, including their design, use, repair, and maintenance. COMPLEX PROBLEM SOLVING; JUDGEMENT AND DECISION MAKING - Identify complex problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions. Consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate course of action. DEDUCTIVE REASONING The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. MATHEMATICS AND MATHEMATICAL REASONING Knowledge and application of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications. The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem. NEAR VISION The ability to see details at close range PROBLEM SENSITIVITY AND SOLUTION GENERATION The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong and select a solution that makes the most sense ANALYZING DATA OR INFORMATION Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts. ORGANIZING, PLANNING AND PRIORITIZING WORK Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize and accomplish your work and the work of the department EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION, AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS Bachelor of Science Degree in Manufacturing Engineering; plus 7-10 years practical experience; Masters degree in Business Administration or other, preferred Minimum 5 years experience managing a team Knowledge of pump and small frame motors is preferred. Practical knowledge and use of Microsoft Office Suite, ERP (JD Edwards), and Manufacturing Intelligence Software (Hertzler). Regular and reliable. Must be authorized to work in the United States and have lawful access to controlled technology as required for this position. Are you ready to join a different kind of company where our people, our culture, and our commitments are centered around providing trusted solutions that improve lives around the world? IDEX is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Affirmative Action Employer. IDEX gives consideration for employment to qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other consideration or protected category made unlawful by federal, state or local laws (Minorities/Females/Protected Veterans/Disabled). Required qualifications: Legally authorized to work in the United States Preferred qualifications: At least bachelor's degree or higher 18 years or older

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5. Post your job

   To find the right manufacturing engineering manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with manufacturing engineering managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit manufacturing engineering managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your manufacturing engineering manager job on Zippia to find and recruit manufacturing engineering manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting manufacturing engineering managers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new manufacturing engineering manager

   Once you've found the manufacturing engineering manager candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a manufacturing engineering manager?