Product Improvement Engineering Manager

Are you passionate about developing and designing best-in-class mechanical equipment? We’re hiring aManager, Product Improvement Engineering for our company’s headquarters in Bridgeton, Missouri. If you possess:

• Passion for Product Design with a focus on DFMA
• Creative outside-of-the-box design mentality
• Ability to problem solve and analyze product application issues and drive to root cause resolution

Hunter could be a great fit for you! Family owned since 1946, Hunter Engineering is the global industry-leader in wheel alignment systems, wheel balancing systems, vehicle inspection systems, and more. Hunter equipment, made in America, is approved, and used by vehicle manufacturers, tire companies, and dealers in over 130 countries. Hunter was named a 2022, 2023 & 2024 finalist for Best Places to Work award by St. Louis Business Journal.

As the Manager, Product Improvement Engineering: you will lead a cross-functional engineering team responsible for driving product performance and customer satisfaction throughout the post-launch product lifecycle. This role balances technical leadership, people development, and operational execution to ensure continuous product and process improvement.

What you will do:

• Lead and develop a cross functional engineering team through post-launch product life cycle, ensuring timely, high-quality execution of improvement initiatives.
• Own day-to-day project management, including prioritization, task management, workload balancing for multiple engineers (mechanical and electrical) and draftsmen.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with R&D, Marketing, Sales, Supply Chain, Quality, and Manufacturing to align product improvements with business, customer, and operational needs.
• Drive continuous improvement in engineering processes, development practices, and standards to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and product outcomes, within your team and cross-functionally.
• Coach, mentor, and develop team members with an emphasis on technical growth, career progression, and talent development.
• Assess and analyze projects for viability and impact that drive positive product improvements in performance, reliability, manufacturability, cost, and overall customer satisfaction.
• Utilize product design and manufacturing knowledge to ensure Product Improvement Engineers develop parts and assemblies utilizing appropriate material types and manufacturing processes.
• Guide team in troubleshooting and resolving design issues and analyze design updates to resolve manufacturing and supply chain issues in a timely manner while preserving product quality.

• Additional duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications Include:

• 5-10 years of Engineering management experience in the consumer products industry
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical or Manufacturing Engineering with a focus on Mechanical Design

• Must be a proactive, creative self-starter, and proficient with CAD (Creo preferred)
• Proficient in MS Office Suite (Project, Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Excellent time management and organizational skills
• Effective communication skills across all levels of the organization

Preferred Qualifications Include:

• 3-5 years of product or machine design experience
• Proven Project Management experience
• Experience with sheet metal design, mechanism design, machined metal parts, injection molded plastic parts, material selection, and system integration
• Value Analysis/Value Engineering (VA/VE) experience
• Manufacturing Engineering experience
• Background in Lean Manufacturing and Root Cause Corrective Action through formal or relevant experience

Hunter Fosters a Culture of:

• Innovation & Continuous Improvement
• Appreciation & Recognition
• Advancement Opportunities
• Pay for Performance

Some Benefits and Perks Include:

• Industry Leading Healthcare
• Industry Leading Profit-Sharing Plan w/ Safe Harbor Contribution
• Generous Paid Time Away
• Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Parental Leave
• Free Onsite Fitness & Recreation Center