Job Description

Title: Engineering Manager 

Comp: $130,000–$150,000 + Annual Bonus

Location: Ossian, IN

Our client is seeking immediate assistance in identifying a candidate for a direct hire Engineering Manager position. 

Responsibilities:

• Lead and mentor a team of Mechanical Engineers, Electrical Engineers, and a Detailer responsible for custom machine design
• Design, develop, and review custom automated machinery using 3D CAD software (Inventor preferred)
• Drive clean-sheet machine design projects from concept through manufacturing, assembly, testing, and customer delivery
• Review engineering drawings, mentor engineers, and ensure projects remain on schedule and meet quality standards
• Architect complete machine systems including mechanical components, conveyors, motors, pneumatics, hydraulics, controls integration, sensors, and safety systems
• Serve as the technical bridge between Mechanical and Electrical Engineering teams
• Assist with project scheduling, workload balancing, and engineering resource planning
• Participate in project management activities from order kickoff through machine completion
• Support factory acceptance testing (FAT), machine commissioning, and occasional customer troubleshooting
• Provide technical leadership during cross-functional project meetings and executive-level project updates
• Develop engineering standards, documentation, and design best practices
• Remain hands-on by solving complex engineering challenges and supporting machine builds when necessary
• Travel occasionally (<10%) for customer visits, FATs, or equipment support

Required Skills (Must Have):

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering 
• Minimum 5 years of engineering leadership experience mentoring, coaching, reviewing work, and leading engineering teams
• 10+ years of overall Mechanical Engineering experience in custom machine design
• Strong experience designing custom automated equipment or industrial machinery
• Proficiency with Autodesk Inventor (preferred) or SolidWorks
• Experience designing complex mechanical systems including pneumatics, hydraulics, conveyors, motors, and automation components
• Experience creating engineering standards, technical documentation, or design manuals
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and machine assembly
• Excellent communication and leadership skills with the ability to work across engineering, manufacturing, and executive leadership

Preferred Skills (Nice to Have):

• Experience integrating mechanical systems with PLCs, controls, and electrical systems
• Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and commissioning experience
• Machine testing, troubleshooting, and validation experience
• Experience designing packaging machinery or Form-Fill-Seal (FFS) equipment
• Background in bulk material handling or heavy industrial equipment
• Experience supporting industries such as mulch, soil, insulation, seed, fertilizer, agricultural products, or similar bulk materials
• Familiarity with industrial safety standards and machine guarding practices
• Leadership style focused on empowering experienced engineers rather than micromanaging