Head of Manufacturing Engineering

You will define and execute the engineering strategy for manufacturing and sustaining operations, ensuring efficiency, quality, productivity, and on-time delivery. The position leads all engineering functions to support new product launches, technology expansion, and long-term competitiveness.

This role requires close collaboration with Operations, R&D, Supply Chain, Quality, and Product Management to ensure the site is fully equipped—organizationally, technically, and financially—for high-volume, sustainable manufacturing.

Location/Region: This is a SR Manager-level role and requires onsite presence in Chesterfield, MO

Sound Interesting?

Here’s what you’ll do:

Lead the scale‑up of manufacturing operations to support a business exceeding $100M in annual production, ensuring capacity, capability, and operational readiness align with growth objectives.

Own and govern the effective deployment of a site operating budget in excess of $50M, ensuring resources are utilized efficiently, investments are value‑driven, and cost performance meets or exceeds business targets.

Develop and execute the manufacturing and sustaining engineering strategy to improve throughput, yield, and productivity while reducing COGS through Lean principles and continuous improvement initiatives.

Provide strategic and operational leadership to manufacturing and sustaining engineering teams, ensuring robust technical support across all production activities.

Drive disciplined capital and operational expenditure planning, ensuring alignment with long‑term growth, production ramp‑up, and return‑on‑investment objectives.

Lead cross‑functional teams to deliver new product introductions from prototype through volume manufacturing, ensuring cost, quality, and schedule commitments are met or exceeded.

Own engineering responsibility within the Product Life Cycle (PLC) process for all products manufactured at the site.

Ensure health, safety, and environmental excellence by embedding compliance and risk management into all engineering and manufacturing activities.

Review and act on production, quality, financial, and delivery metrics to ensure operational targets are consistently achieved.

FINANCIAL & OPERATIONAL IMPACT

Direct accountability for manufacturing performance supporting $100M+ in annual production output.

Responsible for the efficient and cost‑effective management of a site operating budget exceeding $50M, including staffing, capital planning, and operational expenses.

Significant impact on site profitability, investment effectiveness, and long‑term operational sustainability.

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Reports directly to the Head of Site Operations and works in close partnership with:

Research & Development Engineering

Supply Chain

Quality Assurance

Product Management

Do you qualify?

University degree in Engineering or Natural Sciences; MBA or equivalent business qualification strongly preferred

Experience & Skills

Minimum 5 years in senior disciplinary leadership roles; global experience preferred

10+ years in product or manufacturing engineering environments

Proven experience scaling manufacturing operations and managing large operational budgets

Strong background in mechatronic systems, medical technology, and complex system architecture

Demonstrated success in Lean manufacturing, design‑to‑cost, and operational excellence

Strong financial acumen, strategic thinking, and cross‑cultural leadership capability

Work Authorization Requirement:

This position requires unrestricted authorization to work in the United States. This role is not eligible for current or future employment visa sponsorship or visa transfers.

We have amazing benefits to support you as an employee at ZEISS!

Medical

Vision

Dental

401k Matching

Employee Assistance Programs

Vacation and sick pay

The list goes on!

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of requirements, duties, or responsibilities. The Company reserves the right to interpret, amend, or otherwise modify, in whole or in part, any job description at any time, at its sole discretion.

Your ZEISS Recruiting Team:

Maria Khalil

Zeiss provides Equal Employment Opportunity without unlawful regard to an Applicants race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender, marital status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military or veteran status, citizen status, sexual orientation, pregnancy (includes childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical condition), genetic predisposition, carrier status, gender expression or identity, including transgender identity, or any other class or characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law of the employee (or the people with whom the employee associates, including relatives and friends).