Team: Operations
Subteam: Engineering
Classification: Exempt 
Job Type: Salary, Full-time
Location: Butner, NC
Annual Salary: $143,600-$165,700*

OVERVIEW:

Nugget®, a direct-to-consumer kids furniture brand, is looking for an experienced Director of Engineering to lead our team of engineers to design awesome new machines and tools that facilitate efficient manufacturing methods of our products. You will plan and direct the activities of the Engineering, Tooling & Maintenance teams to ensure our assembly lines are well maintained, ergonomic, and productive. If you have experience as a Director of Engineering looking for the next step in your career, excited to roll up your sleeves to develop out-of-the-box solutions that help us to continually improve our manufacturing/assembly processes - we’d love for you to apply!

What is Nugget? We are an industry-leading, fun-loving Play company (est. 2014) that brings homes to life with bold play and big imaginations. We design, develop, manufacture, sell, and ship our part-toy, part-furniture products (The Nugget^Ⓡ - The Original Play Couch™ - and Chunk™ - The World’s First Play Ottoman™) with a team of ~100 Nuggeteers in Butner, North Carolina (just outside of Durham) and Atlanta, GA. And we’re just getting started — in both 2020 and 2021, Inc. Magazine named us the fastest-growing manufacturing company in the United States, and we have new stuff up our sleeves. We’re proud to continue the industrial legacy of North Carolina, and to make kids furniture for growing imaginations.

ABOUT THIS ROLE:

• You’ll build and lead teams that are trusted to design, develop, manufacture and implement new or revised production processes to ensure the efficient and safe production of our products. 
• You’ll select and implement systems, technology and tools to effectively manage Nugget’s Engineering, Tooling and Maintenance teams, while ensuring integration with other Nugget departments across the company.    
• You’ll learn and specialize in manufacturing equipment and methods.
• You’ll specify requirements and procedures for new and existing equipment and manufacturing processes. 
• You’ll purchase and own the installation and qualification of new equipment and upgrades to our production lines.  
•  You’ll conduct tests through all stages of production to improve efficiency and control our production methods and processes.  
• You’ll provide ongoing leadership support, performance management, regular Check-ins and 1:1’s, semiannual Reviews, and guidance for your team to develop and grow in their roles.
• You’ll develop and perform change control and qualification activities.
• You’ll ensure production processes and procedures are in compliance with regulations.
• You’ll collaborate with cross functional partners such as Manufacturing, Product Development, Finance, Supply Chain, and Business Operations to accomplish organizational objectives and ensure alignment
• You will complete regular Check-Ins, participate in 1:1 conversations, and complete Self Reviews within Nugget’s 15Five platform to ensure consistent communication and feedback are shared

ABOUT YOU:

• You have 7+ years of experience in Manufacturing/Production Engineering, including 3+ years of leadership experience.
  • Bonus: You have experience creating and owning Engineering budgets
• You have a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or 15+ years of directly related experience. 
• You have a demonstrated ability to fluently read, write, understand and communicate technical documents in English
• You excel in providing clear and effective communication and guidance to your team, fostering teamwork and maintaining strong interpersonal relationships, prioritizing empathy and inclusivity
• You are an experienced leader, with a proven track record of successfully managing and inspiring cross-functional teams
• You have previous experience/best practice working with continuous improvement/lean tools (e.g. Six Sigma, 5-S, Lean Manufacturing)
• You prioritize safety and have experience implementing safety systems and policies
• You thrive in a continually evolving workplace, modeling a high level of adaptability and flexibility, which positively impacts your team’s culture
• You have experience in developing new and innovative manufacturing and assembly methods and processes.
  • Bonus: You have experience integrating automation into production lines
  • Bonus: You have experience in JIT manufacturing operations
  • Bonus: You have experience managing Maintenance teams
• You can uncover root causes to difficult problems and evaluate the pros and cons, risks and benefits of different solution options by using multiple and diverse sources when solving problems
• You can secure and deploy resources effectively and efficiently and are persistent in accomplishing objectives despite obstacles and setbacks
• You can makes sound decisions, even in the absence of complete information, relying on a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment
• You can effectively build formal and informal relationship networks inside and outside the organization, drawing upon those relationships to exchange ideas, resources, and know-how 
• You approach work with a “no job is too small” attitude, and have a curious mind - always willing to learn and grow your imagination