Lead Manufacturing Engineer, Wiring SME

Eaton’s ES AMER ARS division is currently seeking a Lead Manufacturing Engineer, Wiring SME. This hybrid role can be based out of any Eaton location within the US.

The Lead Manufacturing Engineer – Wiring Subject Matter Expert is responsible for developing, validating, and deploying manufacturing processes, equipment standards, automation solutions, and digital workflows for low-voltage switchboards and medium-voltage switchgear serving data-center applications.

This plant-focused role partners with Product Engineering, Operations, Quality, Maintenance, and suppliers to establish safe, robust, and scalable wiring processes for high-volume, high-mix production. The position provides technical leadership for new product introduction, design-for-manufacturability, process qualification, and continuous improvement while enabling plant teams to sustain daily execution and compliance with approved standards.

The expected annual salary range for this role is $113000 - $165000 a year.

Please note the salary information shown above is a general guideline only. Salaries are based upon candidate skills, experience, and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.

What you’ll do:

• Manufacturing Process : Develop and standardize manufacturing methods, process flows, standard work, visual instructions, and process controls across product families. Identify and develop the appropriate wiring strategy—including point-to-point wiring, harness-based wiring, and connector-based wiring—based on production volume, product complexity and operator expertise to improve safety, quality, delivery, and productivity.

• Equipment and Tooling : Define technical requirements for wire-processing equipment, tooling, fixtures, and operating parameters; lead equipment qualification and process validation, and establish preventive-maintenance requirements with plant teams.

• Automation and Capital Projects : Evaluate and implement appropriate automation for wire cutting, stripping, crimping, connector processing, bundling, and labeling. Support supplier selection, capital justification, installation, commissioning, and production handover.

• Product Engineering Integration : Partner with Product Engineering to translate EPLAN and other electrical-design outputs into accurate, manufacturing-ready data; promote design-for-manufacturability and standardize wire identification, connections, terminations, and labeling requirements.

• Digital Manufacturing : Define production sequences, operator instructions, quality gates, data collection, and traceability requirements within Manufacturing Execution Systems and connected shop-floor applications.

• New Product Introduction : Lead manufacturing-process development, PFMEA, pilot builds, validation, production-readiness reviews, and ramp-up activities for new or transferred products.

• Operational Support and Continuous Improvement : Resolve complex production issues through structured problem-solving and first-principles analysis; use performance data and shop-floor feedback to improve first-pass yield, process capability, equipment reliability, and labor productivity.

• Cross-Functional Technical Leadership : Coordinate with Operations, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, EHS, Product Engineering, and equipment suppliers to manage technical risks, nonconformances, and manufacturing changes.

• Standards Deployment and Operator Capability : Govern approved manufacturing standards, support plant implementation, and develop the capability of operators, technicians, and engineers to sustain compliant processes. Define and enable operator training for standard and newly introduced tools, equipment, and software, including the supporting work instructions and proficiency requirements.

Qualifications:

Required (Basic) Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering from an accredited institution

• Minimum five (5) years of experience in manufacturing engineering, including developing, validating, and deploying manufacturing processes, equipment standards, automation solutions, and digital workflows

• Minimum three (3) years of experience with electrical wiring assembly processes and wiring strategy.

• Eaton will not consider applicants for employment immigration sponsorship or support for this position. This means that Eaton will not support any CPT, OPT, or STEM OPT plans, F-1 to H-1B, H-1B cap registration, O-1, E-3, TN status, I-485 job portability, etc.

• No relocation benefit is being offered for this position.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with low-voltage switchboards, medium-voltage switchgear, data-center power-distribution equipment, or comparable engineered-to-order electrical products.

• Experience integrating electrical-design data with automated wire-processing equipment, MES, and production-traceability systems.

• Knowledge of automated cutting, stripping, crimping, reel-fed termination, connector processing, bundling, and labeling technologies.

• Experience in new product introduction, industrialization, design-for-manufacturability, capital-equipment deployment, process validation, and production ramp-up.

• Familiarity with applicable UL requirements and the manufacturing controls required to maintain product compliance.

• Working knowledge of wiring or harness-design applications, Autodesk Inventor or other 3D CAD tools, and ENOVIA 3DEXPERIENCE or comparable product-lifecycle-management systems.

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or greater preferred

Skills:

• Demonstrated experience developing and sustaining manufacturing processes, standard work, tooling, and production controls in an industrial environment.

• Practical knowledge of electrical wiring and assembly processes, including wire preparation, routing, termination, crimping, connection, inspection, and labeling.

• Proficiency in interpreting electrical drawings and engineering data using EPLAN, AutoCAD Electrical, or comparable tools, with the ability to convert design outputs into manufacturing requirements.

• Knowledge of wire-processing equipment, automation, tooling, machine setup, process qualification, and production-support practices.

• Working knowledge of Lean manufacturing, PFMEA, process controls, structured root-cause analysis, and continuous-improvement methods.

• Ability to apply engineering fundamentals, mathematics, and first principles reasoning to manufacturing and product-realization challenges.

• Effective written, verbal, and visual communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear technical standards, work instructions, process documentation, and shop-floor training materials.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with operators, technicians, engineers, plant leadership, and external suppliers in a hands-on manufacturing environment.

Success Measures:

• Standardized wiring processes, equipment specifications, and work instructions are deployed and sustained across applicable product families.

• Manufacturing performance improves through higher first-pass yield, productivity, process capability, and equipment reliability, with reduced defects, rework, and variation.

• Engineering data is transferred accurately and efficiently to production equipment and digital manufacturing systems.

• New products and process changes achieve planned readiness, validation, and ramp-up objectives.

• Plant teams demonstrate ownership of daily execution, preventive maintenance, change control, and compliance with approved manufacturing standards.

All positions may require participation in video and in-person interviews as part of the hiring process. All candidates will be evaluated based on job-related competencies, and all candidates’ privacy rights and data security will be protected in accordance with applicable laws.

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Eaton believes in second chance employment. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction history will be considered regardless of their arrest or conviction history, consistent with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the California Fair Chance Act and other local laws.

You do not need to disclose your conviction history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Eaton is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report.

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We know that good benefit programs are important to employees and their families. Eaton provides various Health and Welfare benefits as well as Retirement benefits, and several programs that provide for paid and unpaid time away from work. Click here (https://www.youreatonbenefits.com/candidates) for more detail: Eaton Benefits Overview. Please note that specific programs and options available to an employee may depend on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.