Senior Manufacturing Engineer
No salary listed
Expert
Bachelor's, Master's
High Point, NC, USA
In PersonOccasional travel between regional manufacturing facilities, typically less than 20%.
Manufacturing & Process EngineeringManufacturing Engineering
About the job
Requirements
- A bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Industrial, Mechanical, or a related engineering discipline is required.
- At least 10 years of progressive manufacturing engineering experience is required, including ownership of significant process, equipment, automation, or capital projects from definition through sustained production.
- Demonstrated improvements in safety, quality, throughput, process capability, labor efficiency, or cost in a production environment are required.
- Advanced working knowledge of lean manufacturing, standard work, line balancing, mistake proofing, and structured problem solving is required.
- Ability to interpret manufacturing performance data and develop practical equipment specifications, capacity models, work instructions, and process controls is required.
- Knowledge of APQP, PFMEA, control plans, MSA, SPC, capability analysis, PPAP, and launch or transfer readiness appropriate to customer requirements is required.
- Applied experience with ISO 9001 and ability to translate quality-system requirements into effective process controls, documentation, and validation evidence are required.
- Working understanding of mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, robotics, PLC, HMI, and CNC systems sufficient to assess issues and collaborate with technical specialists is required.
- Strong project leadership and business judgment, including capital justification, return-on-investment analysis, risk management, and cross-functional coordination, are required.
- Clear communication skills and ability to coach and influence plant teams while building shared ownership of improvements are required.
- Proficiency with engineering and business tools used for data analysis, project tracking, technical documentation, and presentations is required.
- Ability to travel occasionally between regional manufacturing facilities, typically less than 20% of the time, is required.
Responsibilities
- Partner with plant leaders to prioritize engineering initiatives based on safety, quality, delivery, cost, capacity, and workforce needs.
- Analyze production performance, including OEE, cycle time, throughput, scrap, downtime, and labor utilization, to identify constraints and deliver measurable improvements.
- Lead process design, optimization, and standardization for new, existing, and transferred products across a variety of materials and manufacturing technologies.
- Apply lean manufacturing, value stream analysis, line balancing, mistake proofing, and structured root cause analysis to improve flow, reduce variation, and prevent recurring issues.
- Develop and validate process flows, standard work, setup parameters, changeover methods, capacity models, and production controls with the teams who use them.
- Lead equipment, automation, and capital projects from requirements and business case development through supplier selection, installation, validation, and sustained production.
- Establish equipment acceptance criteria and coordinate testing to verify safety, quality, production rate, reliability, maintainability, and integration.
- Coordinate with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, EHS, IT/Controls, suppliers, and integrators to manage project scope, schedule, cost, and technical risks.
- Support product launches and production transfers by assessing manufacturability, equipment capability, process risk, and production readiness.
- Partner with Quality and program teams on APQP, PFMEA, control plans, capability studies, MSA, SPC, PPAP, and applicable customer and quality-system requirements.
- Incorporate machine safety, guarding, ergonomics, and efficient material flow into equipment, tooling, workstation, and layout improvements.
- Coach plant engineers, supervisors, maintenance teams, and operators; coordinate training and complete documented handoffs for new or modified equipment and processes.
- Support audits and corrective actions, verify improvements remain effective, and share proven practices across TSM facilities.
Desired Qualifications
- An advanced degree in a related engineering field is preferred.
- Automotive manufacturing experience, including customer requirements, production launches, and structured quality systems, is preferred.
- Experience supporting IATF 16949 and VDA requirements in an automotive supply-chain environment is preferred.
- Experience across multiple manufacturing processes, products, or facilities is preferred.
- Background in metal fabrication or forming, tube and wire products, seating or furniture mechanisms, foam, converting, assembly, or related discrete manufacturing is preferred.
- Experience applying statistical methods to process performance is preferred.
- Formal auditor training or lead-auditor experience is preferred.
About the company
HSM is a privately held global manufacturer that started with coiled springs for furniture and bedding and expanded into vertical integration, including wire drawing and polyurethane foam. It serves transportation, packaging, and specialty manufacturing with end-to-end in-house processes that control the supply chain from raw materials to finished parts. It differentiates itself by offering multiple capabilities under one roof and growing through strategic acquisitions, such as entering bus seating with the C.E. White Company. Its goal is to be a reliable global partner that provides integrated, end-to-end manufacturing solutions and maintains steady, long-term relationships with industrial customers.
Company Size
501-1,000
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Hickory, North Carolina
Founded
1944
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- VICTA Lite launched in 2026, targeting lighter transit seats and longer EV range.
- Barberton, Ohio opened in June 2025, adding induction-tempered spring-wire capacity and 16-18 jobs.
- HSM won Hickory's 2026 Legacy Award, strengthening local recruiting and customer credibility.
What critics are saying
- Revelio showed HSM headcount fell to 1,460 in March 2026, signaling pressure.
- Active job postings dropped 14.8% in 2026, and hiring velocity cooled to 22 monthly.
- A failed VICTA Lite launch lets larger bus-seat rivals commoditize HSM Transportation.
What makes HSM unique
- Since 1944, HSM vertically integrates wire, metal, seating, and automation in Hickory.
- HSM exclusively manufactures C.E. White school-bus seats, controlling aftermarket parts and replacements.
- Atlantic Automation's 2024 North Carolina expansion broadened HSM's engineered components platform.
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Benefits
- Health Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- 401(k) Retirement Plan
- 401(k) Company Match
- Paid Vacation
- Paid Holidays
- Professional Development Budget
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Employee Discounts