Manufacturing Design Supervisor

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Manufacturing Design Supervisor

Department: Design

Updated: 9/27/2025

Job Summary

Design Supervisor is a multifaceted role that combines technical expertise in SolidWorks computer-aided design (CAD) with strong leadership and project management skills. The design manager is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the CAD department, ensuring projects are completed efficiently, accurately, and to the highest standards.

Duties and Responsibilities

People and Project Management

• Team Leadership: Supervise, mentor, and guide a team of CAD designers, drafters, and technicians. This includes providing constructive feedback, conducting performance reviews, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and excellence.
• Workflow Optimization: Lead the CAD design team to optimize workflows and enhance productivity. This involves developing and implementing best practices and standards for all CAD operations.
• Resource Allocation: Manage project workflows and resource allocation, ensuring the optimal use of the team's time and skills to meet project deadlines and goals.
• Collaboration: Act as a liaison between the CAD department and other departments (e.g., engineering, manufacturing, sales, and marketing) to ensure seamless integration and alignment of CAD initiatives with broader project goals.
• Standard Operating Procedures: Develop and maintain SOP of the department.

Technical and Software Management

• CAD Standards and Best Practices: Establish, maintain, and enforce departmental standards for CAD software, techniques, and tools. This ensures consistency and quality across all projects.
• Software and Hardware Procurement: Manage the departmental budget for procuring and updating CAD software, hardware, and other necessary tools. This includes evaluating and implementing new technologies to enhance the department's capabilities.
• Data Management: Oversee the use of SOLIDWORKS PDM, to manage and control all product development data. This involves maintaining a single, secure data vault, ensuring proper version control, and preventing data loss.
• Technical Support and Training: Provide advanced technical support and training to the CAD team on SOLIDWORKS and related software. This ensures the team is proficient and stays up to date with the latest software updates and modeling techniques.

Manufacturing and Production:

• Process Optimization: Identifying and implementing improvements to the manufacturing workflow to increase efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance product quality.
• Tooling and Fixture Design: Designing and developing specialized tools, molds, and fixtures used in the production process.
• Quality Control: Establishing and monitoring quality control standards to ensure products meet specified requirements. This includes conducting inspections and tests.
• Supply Chain Management: Working with suppliers to source materials and components, ensuring timely delivery and quality.

Quality Control and Process Improvement

• Quality Assurance: Conduct regular reviews and audits of CAD designs to ensure accuracy, adherence to project requirements, and compliance with industry standards and regulations.
• Design for Manufacturing (DFM): Designing products in a way that simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces costs, and improves efficiency.
• Process Documentation: Develop and maintain documentation for all CAD-related processes, standards, and procedures to ensure consistency and facilitate training.
• Continuous Improvement: Continuously evaluate and improve processes to enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving industry.
• Budget Management: Work with senior management to develop and operate within an annual department budget, ensuring the effective use of financial resources.

Essential Skills and Qualifications

• Technical Proficiency: Extensive, hands-on experience with SOLIDWORKS and its related products, including SOLIDWORKS PDM, SOLIDWORKS Manage, and various simulation and analysis tools. Knowledge of other CAD software is also beneficial.
• Leadership and Management: Proven experience in managing and mentoring a team, with strong communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.
• Strategic Planning: The ability to think strategically and align departmental goals with broader organizational objectives.
• Project Management: Excellent organizational skills to manage multiple projects simultaneously, track timelines, and ensure deliverables are met.
• Knowledge of Manufacturing Processes: A solid understanding of design principles, materials, and manufacturing processes is crucial to create practical and manufacturable designs.

Qualifications

• Education: A bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as mechanical engineering, industrial design, manufacturing engineering, or product design.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in CAD software (SolidWorks) is essential. Knowledge of manufacturing processes (e.g., CNC machining, welding).
• Soft Skills: Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, communication skills, and the ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
• Experience: Previous experience in product development, manufacturing, or a related field, and experience in a supervisory or leadership role.

Work Environment

• This is a working manufacturing and production facility. As such this is a hot, dusty, loud area, and there are always moving parts. Caution and attention to your surroundings need to always be at the front of your mind as safety always starts with you.
• Primarily office-based with frequent engagement across departments and production teams

Travel

• May require occasional travel (<10%) for training, recruiting, or compliance functions.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee required to use hands and fingers to handle or feel. The employee is required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms. Talk and hear to communicate with others. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Disclaimer

The above statements are not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the duties and responsibilities of the job described, nor are they intended to be such a listing of the job requirements. Rather, they are intended to describe the general nature of the job. inExhaust reserves the right to revise or change job duties and responsibilities as the need arises. This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.

This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the responsibilities and qualifications required for this position. It is not all-inclusive, and the supervisor may be required to perform other duties as needed.