Director of Manufacturing Architect

Littelfuse is one of America’s Best Mid-Sized Companies (Forbes) and has been named one of the Best Places to Work in Illinois (Best Companies Group) for 11 consecutive years. With its global headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, USA, Littelfuse is a leading, global manufacturer of electronic components serving more than 100,000 end customers across industrial, transportation, and electronics end markets. We have more than 17,000 employees with operations in 15 countries. From semiconductors to sensors… switches to fuses and more… we produce billions of electronic components that help our customers empower a sustainable, connected, and safer world. In 2021, Littelfuse had net sales of $2.1 billion.

Are you a seasoned manufacturing leader with a passion for driving innovation? We are seeking an experienced Director of Manufacturing Architect to join our team and spearhead the development of our cutting-edge manufacturing platform for our innovative smart power module products. In this leadership role, you will work closely with our development engineers to architect and optimize the manufacturing infrastructure for our new product platforms. Your strategic vision and hands-on expertise will be instrumental in ensuring the seamless integration of advanced technologies and efficient workflows to support the production of our high-performance smart power modules

About the Job

• Provide strategic direction and oversight in the development, design, and planning of new equipment and machine layouts, workflows, and safety precautions to maximize the utilization of our plant and manufacturing facilities.
• Serve as the primary point of communication between development, support/service, application departments, as well as with customers, providing executive-level guidance and decision-making.
• Lead the evaluation and recommendation of strategies for sourcing and investment planning, ensuring alignment with the company's long-term goals.
• Direct the steering of internal and external development partners to meet relevant project deliverables, including aspects of transfer activities from external OSAT manufacturing to in-house production lines (from wafer-level to fully assembled smart power module devices).
• Define the design requirements for consideration in pre-production development phases to enable a technical base for future control parameters (to meet customer/end-user requirements).
• Oversee the evaluation and recommendation of advanced manufacturing technologies to improve operational capabilities and meet required control parameters.
• Ensure compliance with established industry safety, design, and manufacturing standards and guidelines, and drive the implementation across the organization.
• Spearhead cost optimization initiatives through full automation and enhanced efficiency to deliver automotive-grade products, setting the strategic direction for the team

About You

• Master's degree in manufacturing engineering, mechanical/electrical engineering, industrial engineering, or a related field. Alternatively, candidates with a bachelor's degree and structured professional training and experience will be considered.
• Minimum 10+ years of experience in architecting and optimizing fully automated manufacturing lines in the field of electronics, power electronics, or a similar high-volume manufacturing environment, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• Professional background shall include manufacturing expertise from industries such as telecommunication, aerospace, automotive, or performance electronics with demanding standards and requirements on quality, reliability, and traceability.
• Extensive understanding of electrical system design, inverter systems, and/or power modules to support component selection, recommend safety considerations, and ensure compliance with relevant standards.
• Proven track record in developing and managing (guiding, monitoring, leading) internal and outsourced program resources, with a demonstrated ability to build and lead high-performing teams.
• Successful track record in managing technical ambiguity, working through influence to develop support in the organization, and supporting the fulfillment of business requirements.
• Demonstrated success in working in a matrix organization with global stakeholders, and the ability to navigate complex organizational dynamics.
• Strong problem-solving skills, adaptability to new situations, and a passion for cross-functional collaboration, with the ability to inspire and motivate the team.
• Excellent English skills (written and verbal) and the ability to support the implementation of robust communication and collaboration tools for remote teams.

If you are an accomplished Director of Manufacturing Architect with a proven track record in leading and optimizing manufacturing processes for innovative products, we encourage you to apply for this exciting opportunity to shape the future of our smart power module production.