About The Role

Lead the Advanced Manufacturing Engineering team and the plant's advanced manufacturing technology agenda, identifying, developing and industrializing optimal, cost-effective manufacturing processes, methods and technologies for finishing operations in accordance with product specifications and quality standards. Direct the evaluation, down-selection, validation and industrialization of new technologies for finishing and composite manufacturing processes; ensure the construction and communication of technical data packages that support problem solving and decision-making; and drive improvements to production processes, methods and controls. Act as the technical authority and people leader of the area, setting direction and priorities, managing the project portfolio, developing talent and ensuring that technology implementation supports the safety, quality, cost, productivity and operational excellence objectives of the organization. The role is accountable for delivering mature, validated finishing technology to the plant.

Key Responsibilities

Perform and enforce all duties in compliance with TPI policies and aligned to TPI values of safety, operational excellence, commitment, integrity and leadership.
Lead the Advanced Manufacturing Engineering team: set direction, plan, prioritize and assign workload and projects, and ensure on-time execution of the area work plan and objectives.
Understand internal and external customer requirements, manufacturing process KPIs and controls, and translate them into the team's project portfolio, technical standards and priorities.
Define, approve and lead engineering test plans to evaluate and down-select new technology, equipment or methods for a production environment.
Lead the industrialization and implementation of new manufacturing processes, methods, equipment and controls, ensuring validation, documentation and effective hand-off to Engineering/Production.
Ensure the team analyzes, interprets and summarizes data from trials, validations and technology qualifications to support decision-making; review and approve technical data packages before release.
Drive the application of data analytics, statistical process control (SPC) and AI / machine-learning tools to qualify new processes and technologies, establish process capability baselines and verify that implemented solutions hold; ongoing process monitoring remains with Production and Process Engineering.
Act as technical referent for finishing technology and process design, providing engineering expertise to Production, Quality, Tooling, Maintenance, Process and Product Engineering.
Lead root-cause investigations and the implementation of corrective and preventive actions for deviations identified during trials, validation and technology implementation.
Own the area's technology, automation, digitalization and cost-reduction project pipeline for finishing processes, prioritizing initiatives by impact on safety, quality, cost and productivity.
Manage, coach, develop and evaluate the Advanced Manufacturing Engineers, providing mentoring, technical leadership and performance feedback, promoting competency development and knowledge transfer.
Build training, succession and development plans for the area, and participate in the selection and onboarding of new team members.
Manage the relationship and performance of technology suppliers and external partners, including technical negotiation and follow-up of deliverables and technical requirements.
Participate in the definition of capital investment plans, installed capacity and long-term technology roadmaps for the plant and the AMT organization.
Communicate project status, risks and results to management and cross-functional stakeholders and escalate critical risks and deviations in a timely manner.
Administer engineering change control, traceability of technical information and compliance with applicable customer and organizational requirements.
Comply with and promote the Internal Work Regulations and the Mission, Vision and Values of the organization.
Contribute to the maintenance and continuous improvement of the Management Systems (ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001), promoting customer focus, risk-based thinking and operational excellence.

Scope, Dimensions and Workload Indicators

Function scope: advanced manufacturing engineering for finishing processes and technology, from process development and technology down-selection through industrialization, validation and hand-off to Production.
Team: Advanced Manufacturing Engineers, plus technicians and engineering interns as assigned.
Project portfolio: multiple concurrent projects executed with internal resources, other TPI plants, corporate AMT and external technology suppliers.
Budget: participates in the definition and follow-up of the area's capital and expense budget and in the justification of technology investments, within established authorization levels.
Geographic reach: finishing processes at the plant, with interaction with other TPI sites in Mexico and the US (travel up to 25%).
Workload indicators: number and complexity of active projects, on-time project delivery, technology maturity progression, process capability demonstrated at validation and hand-off, savings and productivity gains delivered by implemented projects, team competency development, and safety and quality performance of implemented solutions.

Technical Competencies

Manufacturing process development, optimization and industrialization for composite and finishing operations.
Composite material processing and inspection.
Design and execution of engineering test plans and technology down-selection.
Statistical process control (SPC), process capability studies and measurement system analysis.
Data analytics applied to manufacturing process improvement (Power BI, Minitab, SQL or equivalent).
AI / machine-learning tools applied to process monitoring, defect detection and quality improvement.
Root cause analysis and structured problem solving (RCA, 5 Why, Ishikawa, DOE).
Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma and continuous improvement methodologies (Kaizen, SMED, Poka-Yoke, 5S).
Project management of multiple concurrent engineering projects, including scope, schedule and cost control.
Interpretation of drawings, BOMs and technical specifications; geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T).
CAD 3D modeling and technical documentation (SolidWorks, CATIA or equivalent).
PDM/PLM systems, technical document control and Microsoft Office.
Development of work instructions, process standards and training material.
Capital project justification, cost-benefit analysis and business case preparation.

Soft Competencies (Leadership)

Team leadership, people management and accountability for results.
Talent development, coaching and mentoring.
Strategic and systems thinking.
Decision making under uncertainty and with incomplete data.
Change management and ability to influence without authority.
Effective communication and executive presentation skills.
Negotiation and conflict resolution.
Cross-functional collaboration and teamwork.
Emotional intelligence, self-awareness and active listening.
Delegation and priority management.
Analytical and critical thinking.
Attention to detail and quality orientation.
Innovation, creativity and continuous improvement mindset.
Bias for action, results orientation and drive to succeed in a fast-paced setting.
Adaptability and resilience.
Integrity, ethics and role-modeling of the organization's values.

Minimum Requirements

Education: B.S. degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing or Industrial Engineering, or Engineering Technology, required. Postgraduate studies in engineering management, manufacturing or business administration are a plus.

Experience: Minimum 5-8 years of relevant manufacturing experience (composites or finishing operations preferred), including at least 2 years leading engineering teams, projects or personnel. Experience with composite material processing and inspection preferred. Experience applying data analytics, SPC and AI / machine-learning tools to manufacturing process improvement preferred.

Certifications (desirable): Lean Six Sigma (Green or Black Belt), CAPM / PMP, SPC, GD&T, SolidWorks (CSWA or CSWP), Kaizen, SMED, Poka-Yoke, data analytics or machine-learning certification, internal auditor ISO 9001 / 14001 / 45001.

Language: Advanced English (verbal and written), required for interaction with customers, corporate teams and other TPI sites.

Other requirements: Willingness to travel within the US and Mexico (up to 25%). Availability to be on the factory floor for long periods of time and to work across shifts when required.