Director of Software Engineering, Manufacturing Operations

Protolabs, Maple Plain, MN

The role

The Director of Manufacturing Operations Technology leads the strategy, architecture, and execution of the technology that powers manufacturing across all Protolabs factories — spanning Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), Enterprise Systems (ES) integration, manufacturing capabilities, machine operations, and logistics. This role owns the technology strategy for our factories and partners closely with Operations to assess, strategize, and lead the technology organization on the future needs of the business.

All jobs

Director of Software Engineering, Manufacturing Operations

Protolabs, Maple Plain, MN

Posted pay

$169K–$225K

a year

Compared with similar jobs

This base pay is below the median for director-level software engineering jobs in other US places.

Median: $239K a year
Other jobs in the group: 228

We compare the middle of each posted range. This is base pay as posted. The group does not include this job.

Location: Maple Plain, MN
Work type: Hybrid
Level: Director+, manager
Posted: 16 days ago
Last check: 56 min ago
Job type: Software engineering

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Protolabs

Open tech jobs: 12
With posted pay: 50%

About Protolabs: funding, hiring and pay

Protolabs

About Protolabs: funding, hiring and pay

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The role

What you will do

Own and evolve the multi-year technology strategy and roadmap for manufacturing operations, covering MES, ES, manufacturing capabilities, machine operations, and logistics across all factories
Be the primary contact for the Chief Operating Officer and his team. Partner to assess current-state technology, identify gaps and opportunities, and co-develop the strategy for future manufacturing technology needs
Lead, hire, and develop a multi-team organization of engineering managers and their direct reports (software engineers, quality engineers, and technical product managers), setting priorities and providing technical and organizational direction across teams
Direct the design, development, and support of software that drives manufacturing execution, machine operations, and logistics workflows across all factory locations
Establish and govern standards, architecture, and integration patterns for MES and ES platforms to ensure consistency, scalability, and reliability across factories
Set overall project and portfolio priorities across the manufacturing technology teams, balancing new capability development, platform modernization, and ongoing operational support
Build and maintain strong working relationships with factory, supply chain, and logistics stakeholders to align technology investment with operational needs
Drive process improvement and quality initiatives across the manufacturing technology organization, including software quality, release practices, and production support
Represent manufacturing operations technology in cross-functional and executive discussions, translating strategy into actionable plans for engineering managers and their teams
Mentor and develop engineering managers, building organizational capability and succession depth across the manufacturing technology function
Stay abreast of how manufacturing capabilities are evolving and what technologies are available for us to learn from or integrate with to advance our manufacturing capabilities

What you need

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering, or related field; advanced degree a plus10+ years of progressive software engineering leadership experience, including significant experience within manufacturing, industrial, or operations technology environments
Demonstrated experience leading and developing other engineering managers/people leaders — not only individual contributors — across multiple teams
Experience with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and enterprise systems (ES/ERP) integration in a multi-site manufacturing environment
Experience partnering directly with Operations/factory leadership to define and execute technology strategy
Experience leading software organizations using agile development practices at scale
Experience working with and building global teams across the Unites States, Europe, and India
Proven track record delivering technology strategy and roadmaps that span multiple factories or business units
Proficiency or strong understanding of CI & CD practices like automated tests, builds, and deployments
Proven experience working at a high technical level of all phases of programming activities
Deep knowledge of Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and enterprise systems (ES), and how they integrate with machine operations and logistics
Working knowledge of manufacturing capabilities, machine operations, and shop-floor technology across factory environments
Understanding of logistics and supply chain systems as they relate to manufacturing operations
Strong strategic and analytical skills; able to translate operational needs into a technology roadmap
Executive-level communication skills; able to influence and align Operations leadership and other senior stakeholders
Strong people-leadership skills; experience building, coaching, and scaling engineering management teams
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent initiatives across distributed teams and factory locations
Demonstrated history of staying current on best practices in manufacturing technology and software engineering.

Director of Software Engineering, Manufacturing Operations

The role

Director of Software Engineering, Manufacturing Operations

The role

What you will do

What you need

Physical Demands

Work Environment

Pay and benefits

About Protolabs

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Protolabs

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