Plant Engineering Manager

Plant Engineering Manager 📍 Camden, South Carolina

We are delighted to be retained by a leading global automotive Tier 1 manufacturer to appoint a Plant Engineering Manager for their Camden, South Carolina facility.

This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for driving the full industrialization strategy across the site. The successful candidate will lead the process/manufacturing engineering function, oversee new product and equipment introductions, and champion world-class manufacturing performance through data-driven continuous improvement.

If you are a hands-on engineering leader with a passion for manufacturing excellence and a strategic vision for industrialization in a global automotive environment, this is an outstanding opportunity to make a lasting impact.

As Plant Engineering Manager, you will:

• Develop and lead the site’s industrialization strategy from vision through execution
• Build and develop a high-performing process/manufacturing engineering team
• Drive best-in-class quality, productivity, and financial performance
• Lead new product launches, process development, and equipment implementation
• Ensure robust APQP and Advanced Product Development execution
• Champion Lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement initiatives
• Drive structured problem-solving using tools such as PFMEA, Control Plans, 8D, TPM, 5S, mistake-proofing, and one-piece flow
• Manage multiple complex projects simultaneously, ensuring milestones are met on time and within budget
• Partner closely with Sales and Applications Engineering to support quotations, process development, and new business opportunities
• Build strong supplier partnerships to deliver efficient, cost-effective, and high-quality manufacturing solutions
• Continuously optimize product development and industrialization processes while maintaining compliance with TS and APQP standards

 Experience & Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Master’s preferred)
• Minimum 10 years’ experience leading diverse manufacturing/process engineering teams
• Strong background in machining, assembly, and/or testing processes within an automotive Tier 1 environment
• Experience in injection moulding and module assembly is strongly preferred
• Proven experience with APQP and Automotive Advanced Product Development processes
• Experience building and implementing successful project management systems
• Strong knowledge of complex drawings and CAD/CAM
• German language skills a plus
• Willingness to travel as needed

Technical & Leadership Capabilities:

• Proven ability to drive continuous improvement and data-based decision-making
• Strong technical problem-solving capability in complex manufacturing environments
• Demonstrated success delivering projects on time and within budget
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and collaborate at all organizational levels
• Current knowledge of advanced manufacturing technologies and best practices
• Strategic planning capability combined with hands-on execution

Personal Profile

• Self-starter with a pioneering spirit
• Comfortable in an entrepreneurial, hands-on environment
• Persistent and resilient
• Open, honest, and genuine
• Passionate about business results and manufacturing excellence
• Creative thinker with strong diplomacy and leadership presence

This is a critical leadership position offering the opportunity to drive meaningful operational impact within a well-established, growth-focused automotive manufacturer.

If you’re an engineering leader who thrives on building high-performing teams, delivering industrial excellence, and leaving a lasting mark on a manufacturing operation, we would welcome the opportunity to speak with you in confidence.


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Orion Group was founded in 1987 and is now one of the largest, independent, international recruitment companies. We have a network of 200 employees working from 24 offices, delivering a range of services – Talent Acquisition, Recruitment Outsourcing Services, Retained Search, Global Workforce Solutions, Completions & Commissioning and Materials Management – across 68 countries. As a global leader in workforce solutions, we recruit personnel across the Engineering & Technical, Office & Commercial, Scientific and Skilled Trades disciplines, for sectors including Oil & Gas, Life Science, Power & Utilities, Constructions & Infrastructure, Manufacturing and Renewables.