Production Engineering & Test Manager
About the job
- A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in an Engineering discipline.
- A minimum of 2–5 years’ experience in Production Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or Technical Project Management.
- Demonstrated team leadership experience.
- Strong working knowledge of AS9100 and regulated manufacturing environments.
- Experience in high-reliability microelectronics product design and manufacturing.
- Proven experience in materials, process design, optimisation, and industrialisation.
- Experience implementing lean manufacturing principles.
- Exposure to data analytics or digital manufacturing technologies.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and ERP/MRP systems.
- Security Cleared (SC) or ability to obtain clearance.
- Willingness and ability to travel as required for business needs.
- Lead the Engineering & Test team to deliver against Safety, Service, Quality, Delivery, and Cost KPIs.
- Design, implement, and optimise production flow lines to improve throughput, reduce waste, and enhance process stability.
- Drive lean manufacturing transformation initiatives using Value Stream Mapping, 5S, Standard Work, Kaizen, SMED, and Visual Management.
- Provide engineering support to Manufacturing and Quality to ensure production continuity and technical robustness.
- Lead root cause analysis using 8D, Fishbone, FMEA, and SPC, ensuring corrective and preventive actions.
- Improve yield, cycle time, and cost efficiency through data-driven process optimisation.
- Develop and maintain production engineering roadmaps aligned to business strategy.
- Champion digitisation, AI adoption, and data analytics within Production Engineering and Test.
- Identify and implement AI-enabled solutions for predictive maintenance, process optimisation, automated inspection and test, yield analysis, and capacity modelling and planning.
- Promote data literacy and evidence-based decision-making within the engineering team.
- Ensure AI deployment aligns with governance, compliance, cybersecurity, and ethical standards.
- Collaborate with IT, Operations, and external partners to integrate smart manufacturing technologies.
- Ensure compliance with EHS policies and regulatory requirements.
- Maintain housekeeping and workplace organisation standards.
- Strengthen engineering procedures, documentation, and configuration control in line with AS9100.
- Ensure production and test processes meet aerospace and high-reliability standards.
- Support customer audits and regulatory reviews.
- Act as Engineering Lead for nominated products, processes, and improvement projects across the product lifecycle.
- Lead capital investment projects for equipment, automation, and process capability enhancement.
- Interface with external suppliers and partners for technical development and equipment improvement.
- Ensure test strategies are robust, repeatable, and aligned to product reliability requirements.
- Set measurable SMART objectives aligned to strategic priorities.
- Lead, coach, and develop Production and Test Engineers.
- Drive accountability, high standards, and performance discipline.
- Build capability through structured development plans and succession planning.
- Ensure effective resource planning and team resilience.
- Delegate effectively and empower engineers to own outcomes.
- Foster continuous improvement, innovation, and proactive problem-solving.
- Collaborate with Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, R&D, and Programme Management.
- Align engineering priorities with operational and commercial objectives.
- Support NPI transitions from design to volume production.
- Engage technically with customers, design partners, and suppliers.
- Represent Production Engineering during technical reviews and audits.
- Support continuous improvement initiatives across the supply chain.
- Experience with MCM, Thick Film Hybrid, and PCBA technologies.
- Experience implementing AI or advanced analytics within manufacturing.
- Capital equipment specification and commissioning experience.
About the company
Spectrum Control designs and manufactures high-reliability RF/microwave, microelectronics, EMI protection, power, and secure-systems solutions for defense, aerospace, commercial, and industrial customers. Its products include RF/microwave and millimeter-wave components, EMI filters and interconnects, power supplies for harsh environments, and secure hardware and software for trusted communications. The company differentiates itself as a global, one-stop provider with a broad catalog and in-house design, manufacturing, and integration across multiple high-reliability domains. Its goal is to deliver dependable, high-performance components and systems that enable safer communications, robust power delivery, and protected information systems for critical applications worldwide.
Company Size
N/A
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Fairview, Illinois
Founded
1968
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Greenbriar announced September 29, 2026, backing engineering, product development, and manufacturing expansion.
- IMS 2026 launches cut lead times by 50% and shrink board-space requirements.
- Rich Sorelle said turnover fell from 30 percent to 5 percent, strengthening execution.
What critics are saying
- Greenbriar closes by Q1 2027; regulatory delay or failure could disrupt hiring and planning.
- Defense and aerospace customers buy slowly; missed design wins delay revenue for years.
- Heavy exposure to high-reliability end markets leaves Spectrum vulnerable if Pentagon spending weakens.
What makes Spectrum Control unique
- Spectrum Control builds engineered RF components, subsystems, and custom signal-conditioning solutions.
- Its SCi Blocks and DirectRF modules compress EW, radar, and SIGINT front ends.
- Filtered Connector Express integrates pin-by-pin EMI filtering directly inside connector entry points.
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Benefits
Flexible Work Hours
Paid Vacation
Health Insurance
Pension Scheme with 6% Employer Contributions
Life Insurance
Employee Assistance Programme
Continuous Development and Career Progression Opportunities
Company News
Greenbriar Equity Group has agreed to acquire Spectrum Control from AEA Investors. Financial terms were not disclosed. Founded in 1981, Spectrum develops and manufactures radio frequency components and subsystems for defence and high-reliability industrial markets. The company provides solutions for signal protection, conditioning, and processing across aerospace, defence, space, and commercial applications. Spectrum will continue under president and CEO Rich Sorelle and its existing management team. Under Greenbriar's ownership, the company plans to invest in engineering capabilities, product development, customer relationships, and manufacturing operations. Greenbriar is a middle-market private equity firm with over $15bn in assets under management. AEA Investors, founded in 1968, manages approximately $19bn in assets. The transaction is expected to close by Q1 2027, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
Greenbriar nears $1.8 billion Spectrum Control purchase. September 27, 2026 at 1:33 PM PDT Buyout firm Greenbriar Equity Group LP is nearing a deal to acquire radio frequency and microwave components-maker Spectrum Control for more than $1.8 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. The private equity firm prevailed over industrial companies to acquire Spectrum Control from rival buyout firm AEA Investors, the people said.
Spectrum Control adds dual-channel RF SiPs. Spectrum Control has introduced the SCi Blocks(TM) family of dual-channel block converter RF+ SiPs for high-channel-density RF and microwave systems. Available as a downconverter, upconverter or transceiver, the devices support 18 GHz to 26 GHz and 26 GHz to 40 GHz operation, include RF conversion, filtering, gain control, power regulation, RF detection and temperature monitoring, and provide 26 dB digital gain control in 0.5 dB steps with 300 ns attenuator settling and 1 μs band-select switching. Designed for applications such as EW/SIGINT, radar, aerospace and defense and test systems, the 30 mm^2 surface-mount packages help reduce board space, discrete component count and integration effort.
Spectrum Control adds filtered D-Sub connectors. Spectrum Control has introduced D-Sub Filtered Connectors as part of its Filtered Connector Express(TM) series, giving engineers a way to configure custom filtered connectors with per-pin selective loading through an online tool. The connectors are available in 9-, 15-, 25-, 37- and 50-pin shell sizes with four termination options and selectable filter types and capacitance, allowing filtering to be integrated at the connector entry point instead of using discrete components. Designed for applications including military and aerospace systems, industrial equipment, cellular base stations and medical electronics, a single connector can replace up to 128 discrete filters to reduce board space and system complexity.
Wideband RF transceiver card targeting multi-mission EW payloads showcased at AOC 2025. December 10, 2025 NATIONAL HARBOR, maryland. Spectrum Control is showcasing a 16-channel wideband radio-frequency transceiver card at AOC 2025 that is intended to condense electronic warfare, radar, and signals-intelligence front ends into a single 3U module. The DirectRF card combines eight transmit and eight receive paths on one 3U VPX plug-in, with the goal of giving system designers a common building block for different mission profiles, the company says. The module covers roughly 0.1 to 36 GHz and is built to handle wide slices of spectrum at once, which is aimed at receivers and transmitters that must watch for many signals or threats in parallel rather than tuning across bands, according to the statement. An Intel Agilex 9 field-programmable gate array (FPGA) on the card provides local signal processing and control so that some detection, filtering, or beam-control tasks can occur on the module instead of in a separate processor, Spectrum Control says. The design supports synchronization across multiple cards so that integrators can build out larger arrays for beamforming or direction finding without custom hardware, the company adds. The company describes the module as aligned with the Sensor Open Systems Architecture, or SOSA, Technical Standard, as well as VITA 49.2 profiles, which is intended to help primes and subsystem suppliers plug the card into existing modular open-systems racks and reuse the same RF front end across airborne, naval, and ground platforms.