Manager, Manufacturing & Test Engineering 

Status: Exempt (salaried) 

Reports To: Director, Manufacturing Engineering 

Position Summary 

The Manager, Manufacturing & Test Engineering leads the test engineering, process engineering, and manufacturing engineering technician functions supporting Plug Power’s production operations. The Manager directs a team of approximately twelve, including process engineers, test engineers, a test software developer, and manufacturing engineering technicians, and is accountable for the performance, development, and retention of that team while contributing personal technical depth to the work. 

The position owns the responsiveness of engineering support to the production floor, drives standardization across test platforms and manufacturing documentation, and partners closely with Production, R&D, Supply Chain, Warehouse, and Quality to align priorities and deliver measurable improvements in quality, throughput, and cost. 

Core Duties and Responsibilities 

Team Leadership and Development 

• Lead, develop, and mentor a team of test engineers, process engineers, and manufacturing engineering technicians; establish individual development plans for junior staff and structured onboarding for new team members 

• Own the manufacturing engineering ticketing system: set response and closure expectations, establish the technician group as first responders with clear escalation paths to process and test engineering, and report on backlog, cycle time, and recurring issue themes 

• Partner with Production leadership to set and continuously realign engineering priorities against the build schedule and floor constraints 

• Develop and manage the engineering intern program within the function, including project scoping and mentorship assignment 

• Own and manage the operating and capital budgets for both the process engineering and test engineering functions, including spend forecasting, prioritization, and justification of capital requests 

• Define, track, and communicate team performance metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) 

Test Engineering 

• Own the development, maintenance, and lifecycle management of all production test assets, including digital test (device I/O interfacing) and physical test (flow rate measurement, pressure decay, and similar functional verification) 

• Drive standardization of test platforms across product lines — hardware architecture, instrumentation, software structure, calibration, and documentation — to a common, sustainable baseline 

• Provide technical direction to the LabVIEW software developer and to engineers building Python-based test and data analysis tools; ensure consistent practices for code structure, revision control, and documentation 

• Manage external vendors and integrators for test fixtures, stands, and programs that exceed internal capability: define requirements, evaluate proposals, oversee execution, and conduct acceptance testing 

• Ensure test coverage, repeatability, and measurement system integrity; use production test data to identify recurring failure modes and drive corrective action 

Process Engineering 

• Own the development and maintenance of work instructions and standard operating procedures; drive the current initiative to bring all work instructions to a verified, current state 

• Own ERP routing accuracy and maintenance; lead the verification and subsequent restructuring of bills of material to better support manufacturing execution 

• Direct time studies, labor standards, line balancing, and capacity analysis to support throughput and staffing decisions 

• Own control plans, process failure mode and effects analysis (PFMEA), and job hazard analyses (JHAs) for production processes 

• Lead tooling and fixture design, procurement, and maintenance programs 

• Drive Lean and 5S implementation on the floor, including Kaizen events, standard work, and visual controls 

• Lead continuous improvement projects targeting cycle time, first-pass yield, scrap, rework, and ergonomics 

Cross-Functional Coordination 

• Coordinate with R&D on new and changing product designs to ensure manufacturability, testability, and production readiness 

• Partner with Supply Chain and Warehouse on material flow, BOM structure, and component availability 

• Partner with Quality on nonconforming material disposition, corrective action, and process capability 

• Always represent Plug Power in a professional manner in all interactions 

• Perform all other duties as assigned 

Education and Experience 

Required 

• BS in Engineering or a STEM-related discipline 

• 7+ years of engineering experience in a manufacturing or production environment, including a minimum of 3 years directly managing engineers and/or technicians as a formal people leader 

• Demonstrated ownership of the full people management cycle: hiring, goal setting, performance management, coaching, and the development of junior engineers, technicians, and interns 

• Hands-on experience with production test systems, including test stand or fixture development, electronic instrumentation, and data acquisition 

• Electronics experience including reading schematics, sensor and instrumentation selection, and troubleshooting electrical and electronic test hardware 

• Experience developing and maintaining manufacturing process documentation, including work instructions and standard operating procedures 

• Demonstrated application of structured problem-solving methods such as 8D, 5-Why, or DMAIC 

• Experience managing external vendors or integrators through requirements definition, execution, and acceptance 

• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, electrical schematics, P&IDs, and process documentation 

• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to present to leadership and translate technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders 

Preferred 

• Degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Industrial, or Manufacturing Engineering; MS a plus 

• Experience leading a team of eight or more, or managing across two or more distinct engineering disciplines 

• Working knowledge of LabVIEW and/or Python sufficient to direct and review the work of test software developers 

• Hands-on experience with ERP/MRP systems, including routing maintenance and BOM structure 

• Experience with PFMEA, control plans, time studies, and labor standards 

• Lean or Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or higher) 

• Experience owning a departmental operating or capital budget and building capital investment justifications 

• Experience managing a production support ticketing or work order system against defined response and closure targets 

• Background in electromechanical assembly, fuel cell, or other complex hardware manufacturing environments