Manager, Manufacturing & Test Engineering
Status: Exempt (salaried)
Department: Operations
Position Summary
The Manager, Manufacturing & Test Engineering leads a multidisciplinary engineering team supporting Plug Power’s production operations. The Manager is accountable for the performance, development, and retention of the team while providing technical leadership across manufacturing and test engineering activities.
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
· Lead, develop, and mentor a team of test engineers, process engineers, and manufacturing engineering technicians; establish development plans, structured onboarding, and internship opportunities while supporting hiring, performance management, and retention.
· Own the manufacturing engineering ticketing system and establish clear response and closure expectations, first-responder responsibilities, escalation paths, and reporting on backlog, cycle time, and recurring issues.
· Partner with Production leadership to continuously align engineering priorities with the build schedule and floor constraints; define, track, and communicate team performance metrics and KPIs.
· Own and manage the operating and capital budgets for the process and test engineering functions, including spend forecasting, prioritization, and justification of capital requests.
· Own the development, maintenance, and lifecycle management of production test assets, including digital and physical test systems; ensure test coverage, repeatability, calibration, and measurement system integrity.
· Drive standardization of test platforms across product lines, including hardware architecture, instrumentation, software structure, calibration, and documentation; provide technical direction for LabVIEW and Python-based test and data analysis tools.
· Manage external vendors and integrators for test fixtures, stands, and programs that exceed internal capability, from requirements definition and proposal evaluation through execution and acceptance testing; use production test data to identify recurring failure modes and drive corrective action.
· Own manufacturing process documentation, including work instructions and standard operating procedures; drive the verification and maintenance of current documentation and ensure ERP routings and bills of material accurately support manufacturing execution.
· Direct time studies, labor standards, line balancing, and capacity analysis to support throughput and staffing decisions; lead tooling and fixture design, procurement, and maintenance programs.
· Own control plans, PFMEAs, and JHAs for production processes; drive Lean and 5S implementation, including Kaizen events, standard work, and visual controls, and lead continuous improvement projects targeting cycle time, first-pass yield, scrap, rework, cost, and ergonomics.
· Partner cross-functionally with R&D, Supply Chain, Warehouse, Quality, and Production on new product introduction, manufacturability, testability, material flow, BOM structure, component availability, nonconforming material disposition, corrective action, and process capability.
- Represent Plug Power in a professional manner at all times and in all interactions
- Perform all other duties as assigned
Education and Experience
· 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, including hiring, goal setting, performance management, coaching, and development of 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 and interpreting engineering drawings, electrical schematics, P&IDs, and process documentation; 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.
· Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to present to leadership and translate technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders.
- Exempt employees are expected to work as many hours as is necessary to complete their job responsibilities. This may require they work more than eight hours a day and more than five days or 40 hours per week.
Pay Rate:
$114,000.00 - $185,250.00
We offer a fantastic total rewards package at Plug, and a brief summary is below:
✓Base salary is determined on a number of factors including but not limited to education, experience, skills, and geography. These factors are considered when making an offer of employment. If you are interested in this position, we’d ask that you apply.
✓The above pay range, may not take into account local geographic pay variations. If there is an applicable geographic differential, a member of the HR team can discuss that with you.
✓Health, Dental & Vision Insurance eligibility starting from the first day of hire
✓401(k) with 5% company match
✓Bonus eligibility
✓Paid time off including vacation, personal and sick time
✓Paid Holidays
✓Wellness Reimbursement Program
✓Potential to apply for Tuition Reimbursement
✓Employee Referral program
✓Employee Assistance Program
Plug Power Inc. is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
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