How to hire a production engineering manager

How to hire a production engineering manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step production 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 production engineering manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new production engineering manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a production engineering manager do?

Post a production engineering manager job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The production 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

   Hiring the perfect production engineering manager also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents production engineering manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Production Engineering Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Production Engineering Manager	Architectural and engineering managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities in architectural and engineering companies.	$32-64
   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:

   • Production Engineering
   • Continuous Improvement
   • R
   • Lean Manufacturing
   • Process Improvement
   • Sigma
   • Test Procedures
   • CAD
   • Production Schedules
   • Production Lines
   • Kaizen
   • Cost Reduction
   • Jigs
   • Production Operations

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Establish KPI s per processes to assure the objectives accomplish.
   • Manage product allocation and inventory through MRP software and communicate technical specifications.
   • Manage state-of-the-art extrusion plant with single screw and twin screw technology and co-extrusion capability.
   • Manage workflow and oversee strict cleanroom operations, assuring compliance with FDA specifications including labeling and packaging traceability.
   • Manage QA for research orient development efforts and for high visibility, production focuse development efforts tie to revenue generation.
   • Prepare KPI reports and present at executive meetings.

   More production engineering manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your production engineering manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A production engineering manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, production engineering managers' average salary in vermont is 39% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level production engineering managers earn 50% less than senior-level production engineering managers.
   • Certifications. A production engineering manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a production engineering manager's salary.

   Average production engineering manager salary

   $96,688yearly

   $46.48 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level production engineering manager salary

   $68,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average production engineering manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$143,597	$69
   2	Washington	$135,220	$65
   3	Nevada	$130,811	$63
   4	Connecticut	$118,091	$57
   5	Oregon	$117,737	$57
   6	Texas	$116,218	$56
   7	New Jersey	$115,290	$55
   8	Minnesota	$113,262	$54
   9	Pennsylvania	$111,292	$54
   10	Michigan	$107,877	$52
   11	Virginia	$102,371	$49
   12	Arizona	$101,775	$49
   13	Utah	$100,429	$48
   14	New York	$100,161	$48
   15	Louisiana	$98,403	$47
   16	Oklahoma	$97,859	$47
   17	Georgia	$97,637	$47
   18	Indiana	$97,607	$47
   19	Colorado	$96,686	$46
   20	Florida	$96,289	$46

   Average production engineering manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$179,728	$86.41	897
   2	Netflix	$151,601	$72.89	21
   3	Snowflake Computing	$151,099	$72.64	12
   4	BP America Inc	$149,925	$72.08	3
   5	Yahoo	$138,668	$66.67
   6	Fruit of the Loom	$133,021	$63.95
   7	Shinola	$118,666	$57.05
   8	Morgan Stanley	$118,465	$56.95	19
   9	Tesla	$115,978	$55.76
   10	Crown Holdings	$114,569	$55.08	18
   11	Wacker Chemie	$112,229	$53.96
   12	Wright Manufacturing	$109,136	$52.47	1
   13	Goodman Manufacturing	$107,321	$51.60	1
   14	Northrop Grumman	$104,965	$50.46	225
   15	Randstad North America, Inc.	$104,800	$50.38	8
   16	National Railroad Passenger Corporation	$102,908	$49.48	1
   17	Alteryx	$100,186	$48.17
   18	Watts Water Technologies	$99,802	$47.98	7
   19	TissueTech	$99,056	$47.62
   20	Raven Industries	$98,600	$47.40

4. Writing a production engineering manager job description

   A job description for a production engineering manager role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a production engineering manager job description:

   Production engineering manager job description example

   Feld Entertainment is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting live touring family entertainment experiences that bring people together and uplift the human spirit. Properties include Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, Monster Jam , Monster Energy Supercross, Disney On Ice, Marvel Universe LIVE!, Sesame Street Live!, Jurassic World Live Tour, Kawasaki and Spin Master. Across the brand portfolio, Feld Entertainment has entertained millions of families in more than 75 countries and on six continents. Visit feldentertainment.com for more information.
   
   Successful candidates must be fully vaccinated or be qualified for a medical or religious exemption. Proof of vaccination is required and may be submitted via the Company's secure website. Florida employees may request exemption pursuant to FL House Bill No. 1-B. Fully vaccinated is defined as 14 days after the second dose of a two dose vaccine or 14 days after the single dose of a one dose vaccine.
   
   Please note that all Mitigation Guidelines for touring employees remain in effect as do any applicable venue, local, state, and/or international requirements, rules, regulations, and/or laws in territories outside of Florida.)
   
   The Engine Production Manager is responsible for overseeing the Engine Specialist in disassembling, assembling, tuning and other processes of building high performance engines. They will also manage the engine department budgets, overhead, and capital expenditures. Working with the Monster Jam Global parts department in keeping stock of all engine related parts and supplies. Develops and maintains client relationships and Identifies potential business partners.
   
   Essential Job FunctionsManage the disassembly of out-of-service engines down to bare block for inspection for reuse.Manage engine department budgets, supply needs, and capital spending needs.Oversee the disassembly of cylinder heads, timing gears, and other engine parts with attention to detail. Organize and catalog parts, while keeping track of used parts inventory for machine shop.Manages vendors on parts supply, quality, and R&D parts testing, including necessary travel.Help prep completed engines for dyno testing and oversee the dyno testing of all completed engines. Work with a team by communicating with engine assemblers and parts personnel.Other duties related to the position as assigned by supervisor.
   
   Job RequirementsHigh school diploma or equivalent GED certificate.Knowledge of GM V8 engine theory and operation required.Engine tear-down and failure experience required.High performance engine experience required.Extensive knowledge of department processes. Typically requires 5 years' experience in the related area as an individual contributor.Personal characteristics: team player, organized/detail oriented, task oriented, quick learner, self-starter, critical thinking, multi-tasking Budget minded and able to balance all aspects of the overall Monster Jam Fleet budget.Excellent and thorough documentation skills.Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Teams and Outlook.) Able to kneel, squat, climb and lift continuously throughout the workday.
   Feld Entertainment is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug Free Workplace. We are committed to providing an inclusive environment for our employees, customers, and partners worldwide. We celebrate diversity and encourage our profoundly talented workforce to express themselves proudly. Our successful business model requires different perspectives and voices so that we can create the incredible live shows we put on. Come join us and help us light up the world.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right production engineering manager for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit production engineering managers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   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 production engineering manager

   Once you've found the production 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 production engineering manager first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

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