Hardware Engineering Manager

Overview

The Hardware Engineering Manager is responsible for leading a team of hardware engineers and executing engineering projects that support released products across the Wyatt product portfolio at the Santa Barbara, CA site. The role combines people leadership, technical oversight, and project execution, with a strong focus on sustaining engineering, product improvements, reliability, supply-chain continuity, and resolution of complex product issues.

The manager will build and develop engineering capability by hiring, coaching, and mentoring engineers, while providing the technical judgment and structure needed for effective execution. A strong mechanical engineering background is preferred, particularly experience with precision instrumentation, electromechanical systems, manufacturing processes, and design for reliability and manufacturability.

This role works closely with Manufacturing/Operations, Quality, Service, Supply Chain, and other Engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage sustaining engineering projects for released hardware products.
• Manage, hire, coach, and mentor hardware engineers.
• Provide technical leadership for mechanical design, troubleshooting, and system-level issues.
• Drive product improvements in reliability, quality, manufacturability, serviceability, and cost.
• Lead root-cause investigations and corrective actions for product and manufacturing issues.
• Oversee engineering changes, design updates, and component substitutions.
• Support component obsolescence, alternate sourcing, and supply-chain continuity projects.
• Partner with Operations, Quality, Service, Supply Chain, and Engineering to resolve product issues.
• Ensure appropriate design reviews, verification, risk assessment, and engineering documentation.
• Manage project priorities, resources, schedules, risks, and technical escalations.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related engineering discipline.
• Relevant engineering experience developing or supporting physical products.
• Demonstrated experience leading engineering projects and teams from problem definition through implementation and verification.
• Experience working with released products in a production or manufacturing environment.
• Strong problem-solving skills and demonstrated ability to lead root-cause investigations.
• Experience with engineering change control, configuration management, and/or PLM systems.
• Strong organizational, project-management, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively across Engineering, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Service organizations.
• Demonstrated interest and ability in managing, coaching and developing engineers.

Preferred

• Mechanical Engineering degree or significant mechanical engineering experience.
• Prior engineering management, technical-lead, or people-leadership experience.
• Experience hiring, onboarding, and mentoring junior engineers.
• Experience with scientific instrumentation, analytical instruments, optical instruments, or complex electromechanical products.
• Experience with CAD tools and mechanical design/documentation.
• Familiarity with electronics, PCB assemblies, embedded systems, and multidisciplinary hardware integration.
• Experience with reliability engineering, verification testing, failure analysis, and design-for-manufacturing/design-for-assembly.
• Experience managing component obsolescence, alternate sourcing, and supply-chain engineering projects.
• Familiarity with Six Sigma, Lean, or other structured continuous-improvement/problem-solving methodologies.