Engineering Manager

With over 80 years as an industrial technology leader, Kennametal Inc. delivers productivity to customers through materials science, tooling and wear-resistant solutions. Customers across aerospace, earthworks, energy, general engineering and transportation turn to Kennametal to help them manufacture with precision and efficiency. Every day approximately 8,700 employees are helping customers in more than 60 countries stay competitive. Kennametal generated $2 billion in revenues in fiscal 2022. Learn more at www.kennametal.com. Follow @Kennametal: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Job Title: Engineering Manager
Location: Huntsville, AL

Summary

The engineering manager supports the Huntsville Kennametal plant by managing and directing departmental personnel in a way that implements needed capital projects, maintenance of plant documents, and non-project support to operations.  Efficient operation of the department helps ensure effective utilization of capital expenditures and timely delivery of deliverables.  He/she is responsible for improving the cost effectiveness of the department, reducing capital project costs, improving timeliness of project completion and installation of assets that follow set standards and comply with all regulatory governed agencies.

The Engineering Manager is responsible for providing leadership, guidance, and direction to employees focusing on process system cost reductions, increased capacity and productivity, improved reliability, and reduced product variation to maximize the production of high-quality products safely, in an environmentally sound and cost-effective manner to meet the overall goals.

Essential Job Functions

1. Manage departmental project execution in a way that meets or project requirements. Activities include but are not limited to:
   • monitoring and assessing project priorities.
   • providing internal or outsourced resources to accomplish tasks.

• • expedite strategic capital projects.

• provide visible leadership with team members and subcommittees facilitating sound design and construction objectives to implement projects in a safe manner.
• network and with off-site contacts for benchmarking best practices implementing as appropriate.
• actively participate in capital expenditure discussions to drive for optimum project execution and performance.

2. Manage departmental operations and personnel to encourage and organize the team with regard to:
   • management of departmental expenses within budget.
   • oversee depart personnel & contractors to ensure successful project execution.

• • manages departmental legal issues (including in-house contractor contracts as well as licensing and secrecy agreements).
  • provide resources to support plant information systems and initiatives.
  • responsible for stimulating departmental employee growth and development, in a way that retains employees for current and future facility / company needs.  Activities include but are not limited to:
    • • providing varied work experiences for development of personnel
      • recommending the best individual at each opportunity based upon merit.
      • interviewing and recommending candidates for hiring, coaching, and mentoring direct reports.
      • utilizing the PPM process while encouraging all exempt personnel to utilize the PPM process.
  • take the initiative to continue his/her development in knowledge of the engineering, operations (e.g. maintenance and operations), marketing, sales and corporate personnel to develop a broader understanding of company’s business.

3. Improve the plants infrastructure, reliability, and plants physical assets.  Assess infrastructure needs and develop long-term plans that increase the reliability of the Huntsville plant assets.

4. Provide a safe and environmentally sound facility through the implementation of expense and capital projects and using engineering best practices and the Kennametal standards.

5. Directly manage Huntsville plant’s capital expenditure budget process to create positive affect both Operations and Maintenance departmental budgets.  Actively participate in CAPEX projects in a way that lowers the total cost of ownership and improves our plant safety performance.  This includes but is not limited to, interaction with departmental managers and the plant manager as needed to ensure that our plant capital project needs are met and are properly aligned with our corporate objectives.  Participate in planning and managing capital projects.  Activities include but are not limited to:
   • recommending approval of capital projects.
   • providing long term direction to plant personnel and management on needs for capital expenditures.
   • participating in the process for the development of Anticipated Funding Expenditures.
   • providing personnel to assist in the scoping, justification, design, construction, startup of capital projects.
   • reviewing process and project proposals to ensure that the objectives for the effort can be obtained safely with minimal cost, and that the change justifies the cost and effort required.  Examples include changes for increased capacity, reduced operating cost, new product introduction, quality improvements, raw material qualification, environmental compliance, and safety improvements. 

6. Insuring the overall EHS performance. Activities include but are not limited to monitoring performance as measured by the OSHA recordable rate, actively participating on the Executive Safety Committee, providing leadership, guidance, and direction. Conducting safety meetings with operating personnel to discuss safety, environmental and housekeeping issues, promoting timely completion of plant action items, providing visible safety leadership, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations. Actively participating on the plant emergency response team as an emergency director, attending plant safety meetings, completing required safety training, and promoting and improving safety, health, environmental and security performance.

7. Meet or exceed the business objectives of the plant.  Activities include but are not limited to monitoring performance relative to the expense budget, holding direct reports accountable for controllable spending in their areas, taking an active role in the annual budget process, ensuring compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley, maintaining and improving plant customer service and product quality, participating in plant improvement efforts, and promoting continuous improvement of the productivity, reliability, safety, quality and effectiveness of the systems and processes.

8. Manage the process improvement operations to improve the productivity, reliability, safety, and quality of the production processes, providing personnel to support capital improvement efforts. Partnering with technology and sourcing teams to ensure the timely completion of manufacturing trial requests and responsive feedback on capacity and sourcing issues.

9. Provide guidance to the Quality Team to ensure the adequacy of plant quality systems to remain ISO certified and support and promote the training and development of new and existing employees.

10. Maintain a good work environment / culture.  Foster efficiency, effectiveness, and high morale.  Activities include but are not limited to:
    • maintaining an open-door policy.
    • promoting a sense of family among employees.
    • promoting diversity at our sites.
    • ensuring that all employees are treated fairly and equitably.
    • work jointly with the human resources department.

11. Other duties as assigned.

Education / Certification

A bachelor’s degree in engineering, chemistry or similar field of study is required.  A strong background in chemistry and equipment operations is preferred.  An advanced degree or MBA is a plus but is not required. 

Experience and Skills

Ten or more years of related experience is required.  Experience in operations or other technical roles is required.  Knowledge of SAP enterprise software, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Outlook is required.

Supervisory Responsibility

Overall, the engineering manager has responsibility for company employees and imbedded contractors.

 

 Kennametal Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. As such, it is the policy of Kennametal Inc. to afford equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, veteran status, or other protected status, group, or characteristic under federal, state, and/or local law or regulation. It is Kennametal Inc.'s policy to comply with all applicable laws and regulations.