Manufacturing Engineering Manager

Hayward Holdings Inc. (NYSE "HAYW") is the largest manufacturer of residential swimming pool equipment in the world, with a significant presence in the commercial pool market that is continuously growing. Hayward designs, manufactures, and markets a full line of residential and commercial pool and spa equipment including pumps, filters, heating, cleaners, salt chlorinators, automation, lighting, safety, flow control, and energy solutions at our company-owned facilities. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Hayward also has facilities in Tennessee, Arizona, and Rhode Island as well as Canada, Spain, France, Australia, and China.

The Manufacturing Engineering Manager is responsible for leading the manufacturing engineering function to support safe, efficient, and high‑quality production of Hayward’s residential and commercial pool and spa products and industrial flow control products. This role provides both strategic and hands‑on leadership, driving process excellence, capital deployment, automation, and new product introductions while developing and mentoring a team of manufacturing engineers.

This position partners closely with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Maintenance, Product Management and Product Engineering to deliver continuous improvement, cost reduction, and scalable manufacturing solutions aligned with Hayward’s values of Care, Respect, Lead, and Grow.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a multi-disciplined engineering team, setting clear priorities and performance expectations.
• Foster a culture of safety, accountability, continuous improvement, and technical excellence.
• Conduct regular 1:1s, performance reviews, and career development discussions with team members.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-morale culture within the team.
• Provide guidance on technical challenges.

Manufacturing Process & Automation:

• Lead the development, implementation, and optimization of manufacturing processes for low‑to‑medium volume assembly, injection molding, blow molding, plastic machining operations, product testing, and packaging operations.
• Drive automation initiatives, including equipment specification, justification, design review, qualification, and commissioning.
• Ensure robust, repeatable, and scalable manufacturing processes that meet quality, safety, and cost targets.

Continuous Improvement & Lean Manufacturing:

• Champion Lean Manufacturing, SPC, and data‑driven problem‑solving methodologies.
• Identify and execute projects focused on cycle time reduction, waste elimination, yield improvement, and cost savings.
• Utilize performance metrics and reports to track progress and sustain gains.

New Product Introduction (NPI)

• Support all new product introductions from concept through production ramp‑up.
• Partner with Product Engineering to ensure manufacturability, equipment readiness, and smooth transitions to production.

Capital Equipment & Vendor Management

• Lead capital equipment planning, ROI justification, sourcing, and implementation.
• Interface with external vendors and suppliers to procure high‑quality equipment, tooling, and fixtures.
• Manage project timelines, budgets, and supplier performance.

Facility & Layout Optimization

• Support plant layout design and facility reconfiguration to improve material flow, safety, space utilization, and productivity.
• Collaborate with Operations and Maintenance on long‑term capacity and infrastructure planning. Manage project timelines, budgets, and supplier performance.

• BS degree in mechanical, industrial, plastics, or related engineering discipline required.
• 7+ years of progressive manufacturing engineering experience in a production environment.
• 3+ years of people leadership or engineering management experience required.
• Technical experience with injection molding, thermoplastics material, and plastics welding and assembly methods and equipment.
• Demonstrated experience with automation, tooling, fixtures, and assembly equipment.
• Proven success leading cross‑functional projects and managing multiple priorities.
• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and Statistical Process Control.
• Experience with CAD tools (e.g., SolidWorks, AutoCAD).
• Experience with ERP systems, bill of materials and route structuring as well as product costing methods.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and manufacturing planning/reporting tools.
• Strong project management and problem‑solving skills. Advanced
• Collaborative leadership style with the ability to influence across functions.

Physical Requirements:

• Must be willing and able to travel (domestic and international)
• Must be able to sit for extended periods of time.
• Regularly required to stand, walk, talk and hear.

Work Environment:

While performing the duties of this job, an employee is typically an office setting, frequently works in manufacturing area near moving mechanical parts and will be exposed to fumes, dust, water and airborne particles. The noise level is moderate to noisy in production areas. Safety glasses and shoes are required on the production plant floor.

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