Manager, Manufacturing Engineering and NPI

DDN Storage is seeking great candidates to join our dynamic team of passionate customer-enabling technologists!

This is an incredible opportunity to be part of a company that has been at the forefront of AI and high-performance data storage innovation for over two decades. DDN Storage is a global market leader renowned for powering many of the world's most demanding AI data centers, in industries ranging from life sciences and healthcare to financial services, autonomous cars, Government, academia, research and manufacturing.

"DDN's A3I solutions are transforming the landscape of AI infrastructure." – IDC

“The real differentiator is DDN. I never hesitate to recommend DDN. DDN is the de facto name for AI Storage in high performance environments” - ~ Marc Hamilton VP, Solutions Architecture & Engineering | NVIDIA

DDN Storage is the global leader in AI and multi-cloud data management at scale. Our cutting-edge storage and data management solutions are designed to accelerate AI workloads, enabling organizations to extract maximum value from their data. With a proven track record of performance, reliability, and scalability, DDN Storage empowers businesses to tackle the most challenging AI and data-intensive workloads with confidence.

Our success is driven by our unwavering commitment to innovation, customer-centricity, and a team of passionate professionals who bring their expertise and dedication to every project. This is a chance to make a significant impact at a company that is shaping the future of AI and data management.

Our commitment to innovation, customer success, and market leadership makes this an exciting and rewarding role for a driven professional looking to make a lasting impact in the world of AI and data storage.

The Manager, Manufacturing Engineering and NPI will be responsible for overseeing the manufacturing engineering function and driving the successful introduction of new products into production as well as management oversight to the document control team. This position reports to the VP of Operations and can be remote or onsite in Chatsworth, CA. 

Key Responsibilities:

Manufacturing Engineering Leadership:

• Lead manufacturing engineering team in optimizing production processes, enhancing efficiency, and driving continuous improvement initiatives.
• Develop and implement strategies to streamline manufacturing operations, reduce costs, and improve product quality and reliability.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Production, Quality, Supply Chain, and Engineering, to identify and address manufacturing challenges and opportunities.

NPI Project Management:

• Oversee the operational aspect of NPI projects, from development to production, ensuring alignment with release timelines, quality standards, and product requirements.
• Lead the planning, execution, and monitoring of strategic programs within the Operations department, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and objectives.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive program plans, outlining key milestones, deliverables, dependencies, and resource requirements.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to execute NPI projects effectively, managing risks, mitigating issues, and driving continuous improvement throughout the process.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for program-related inquiries, concerns, and escalations, facilitating timely resolution and effective communication.
• Evaluate and optimize existing NPI processes and workflows to streamline operations and improve efficiency.

Document Management:

• Manage document control policies, procedures, and workflows to ensure the effective creation, review, approval, distribution, and retention of documents.
• Oversee the PLM team and system, ensuring timely updates and accurate record-keeping.
• Identify opportunities for automation, standardization, and best practice adoption to enhance productivity.
• Identify opportunities for process optimization and efficiency gains within the Operations department, driving initiatives to streamline workflows and enhance productivity.

Regulatory Compliance:

• Ensure product compliance with regulatory requirements, industry standards, internal quality management systems and customer specifications.
• Stay abreast of relevant regulations and standards, providing guidance and support.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Serve as a liaison between Engineering, Operations, and other departments to ensure seamless communication and collaboration on NPI and manufacturing engineering initiatives.
• Facilitate regular meetings and status updates to keep stakeholders informed of project progress, risks, and mitigation strategies.
• Foster a culture of teamwork and collaboration, leveraging diverse expertise and perspectives to drive innovation and problem-solving.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in STEM or related field.
• Extensive experience in manufacturing engineering and NPI roles within the technology industry, with a strong track record of success in leading cross-functional teams and driving project execution.
• Solid understanding of manufacturing processes, NPI methodologies, regulatory compliance, documentation management.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with a focus on driving results and continuous improvement.
• PMP certification or equivalent project management credentials are highly desirable.
• Must have 2 recent years of experience as a line manager and experience in electro-mechanical manufacturing.

DDN has a very strong orientation towards these 4 characteristics and any successful employee will demonstrate these capabilities: 

Self-Starter - Takes independent action to identify and solve problems. Seeks out relevant information needed to make decisions. Gets involved with new initiatives. 

Success/Achievement Orientation - Delivers quality results consistently. Targets, achieves (or exceeds) measurable results. Sets challenging goals, focuses on critical priorities, and is accountable. 

Problem Solving - Recognizes problems and responds with a systematic assessment that identifies and addresses cause of issue. Practical, realistic, and resourceful. 

Innovative - Builds and improves key business processes that enhance the effectiveness of DDN. Generates new ideas, challenges the status quo, and solves problems creatively.

DataDirect Networks, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender, sex stereotyping, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.