Sr Manager of Manufacturing Engineering

Company and Opportunity Overview

WNA’s vision is to be a leading entrepreneurial player in terms of market share, agility, and game-changing solutions. WNA is a solution provider, creating value along the supply chain of our customers, from online purchase to their customers.

WNA is headquartered in the Charlotte Metro Area, North Carolina. With around 500 employees and ~$200M of sales, WNA focuses on the retail and distribution market segments with marquee customers such as Walmart, Amazon, and the majority of large grocers and retailers.

In addition to being the largest manufacturer of shopping carts in North America, WNA has three additional main product segments as well as a Service business, providing turnkey solutions for customer guidance (Access Systems), Shelving & Fixtures, and Material Handling products.

Access Solutions provides sophisticated customer guidance and loss prevention systems for major retailers. With German-engineered products and a strong installed base, this segment focuses on protecting existing market share while expanding into adjacent opportunities in smart retail, autonomous store technology, and digital integration.

Additionally, WNA offers a range of digital solutions integrated into our products, including advanced shopping cart containment systems, smart exit gate technology, and innovations for autonomous and semi-autonomous retail stores. We are continuously expanding and enhancing our digital offerings to meet evolving customer needs and drive industry advancement.

WNA is part of the Wanzl Group, headquartered in Germany, and has 12 plants in 8 countries, providing comprehensive, solutions-driven service and expert knowledge of local markets for customers across the globe through their 360° service.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage a team of 5-10 Engineers, CAD Designers, & Engineering Technicians
• Drive LEAN implementation / LEAN transformation.

• Recommend and manage capital projects from concept through appropriation process, to project management and implementation for current production improvement.

• Select, develop, and train the Manufacturing Engineering Team

• Provide needed technical support and lead shop floor problem solving using world-class problem-solving methodologies.
• Create and maintain shop floor layouts, fostering material flow optimization.
• Creating and maintaining Manufacturing BOMs and Routings in ERP system
• Support Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) driven by R&D

• Support Industrialization in developing & implementing new production methods/processes.
• Process Capability Studies
• Standard Work Analysis, for both Direct and Indirect Labor
• Create test protocols, document and track results.
• Support for Operations, support for Tooling and Maintenance, Look for Efficiency Projects to increase Capacity, OEE, Reduce costs (Labor, Material, OH, etc.) and drive projects in consequence, review PMs, Cycle Times analysis, Downtime analysis.
• Develop Set-up technicians.

Skills and Experience:

• BS in Engineering from an accredited university
• Minimum of 5 years engineering experience in a Manufacturing Environment, Design/R&D, & demonstrated engineering project leadership experience.
• LEAN and Six Sigma training preferred.
• Experience implementing LEAN Manufacturing projects.
• Proficient in use of software - CAD (SolidWorks), MS Project, MS Office, etc.
• Strong problem solving / analytical skills including identifying potential problems and developing effective solutions.
• Demonstrated Leadership skills.
• Minimal travel