Reliability and Maintenance Engineering Manager - Manufacturing

Electric Research and Manufacturing Cooperative, Inc. (ERMCO) is the leading manufacturer of distribution transformers and engineered electrical solutions, serving electric utilities, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), and industrial customers across North America. Headquartered in Dyersburg, Tenn., ERMCO delivers reliable, high-quality products that power homes, businesses, and communities across North America. 

With commitments to safety, operational excellence, and continuous improvement, ERMCO is at the forefront of supporting grid modernization and energy transition. Our vertically integrated operations, customer-focused culture, and investment in people and technology make ERMCO the Most Valued Partner for delivering resilient, sustainable power infrastructure for the future.

The Manager of Manufacturing Engineering, Reliability & Maintenance, is a key member of the Pole Plant Leadership Team, leading the Manufacturing Engineering and Maintenance Teams, reporting to the Pole Plant General Manager.   This role is responsible for designing, sustaining, and improving equipment reliability, asset performance, and engineering rigor to ensure the plant’s ability to maintain Most Valued Partner Status with our customers, while working collaboratively with the Pole Plant Leadership team.  

Success in this role will be measured by owning and implementing a capital equipment strategy that supports ERMCO’s mission to be the Most Valued Partner to our customers.   This will include managing the capital pipeline, optimizing uptime and efficiency of current processes and investigating new equipment/processes to support growth initiatives.  

• Own overall equipment reliability, asset health, and physical system integrity—not just response activity.
• Design and sustain maintenance and reliability systems where uptime and stability are the default, driving to preventive, predictive and planned maintenance.  
• Use data and KPIs to guide decisions related to downtime, asset utilization, and maintenance effectiveness.

• Ensure manufacturing engineering and maintenance systems exist to enable flow, throughput, quality, and safety.
• Apply Operations Science principles (Factory Physics, Theory of Constraints), lean system design, reliability engineering, and statistical thinking to improve system performance.
• Engineer solutions that reduce complexity, eliminate waste, and prevent downstream disruption.
• Present new technologies/systems and processes that support safe operations and profitability growth.  

• Model ERMCO’s POWER Values: People, Ownership, Winning, Excellence, and Relentless Determination.
• Demonstrate conscious leadership during instability by remaining calm, avoiding reactivity, and asking system‑level questions before adding labor, parts, or complexity – while having a strong bias to action.  
• Ensure safety, dignity, and psychological safety are non‑negotiable operating conditions.

• Lead improvement initiatives through the application of various Lean Tools that translate to quantifiable results.  
• Embed learning routines that build problem‑solving capability within engineering and maintenance teams.
• Partner cross‑functionally to ensure sustained improvement and share best practices.  

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical field required.
• Progressive leadership experience in manufacturing engineering, reliability engineering, and/or maintenance leadership within a manufacturing environment.
• Proven experience designing and sustaining reliable production systems—not just responding to failures.

• Strong working knowledge of:
• Reliability engineering and asset lifecycle management
• Preventive and predictive maintenance systems
• Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma and flow‑based system design
• Statistical thinking, root cause analysis, and data‑driven decision making
• Experience implementing developing and implementing automation in a manufacturing environment.  

• Demonstrated ability to lead through complexity and instability with clarity, composure, and systems thinking.
• Comfortable holding high standards while supporting people through disciplined, well‑designed processes.
• Strong collaboration skills across Engineering, Operations, Quality, and Project Management functions.

At ERMCO, your ideas matter, your growth is supported, and your impact is real. Whether you’re building on early career experience or launching your professional journey, you’ll have the opportunity to learn, contribute, and grow in a manufacturing environment that values innovation and collaboration.