The Role
Leads the configure-to-order engineering team for truck beds and service bodies, overseeing custom quoting, NPD, product upgrades, VAVE, design reviews, validation, and engineering changes. Establishes modular product architecture, PLM governance, BOM and revision control, digital-thread processes, and standardized configurator rules. Manages team development, budgets, technical decisions, cross-functional alignment, and regulatory compliance while improving quote turnaround, process continuity, and product reuse.
Summary Generated by Built In
Senior Engineering Manager — CM Truck (Configure-to-Order)About the Role
We're looking for a Senior Engineering Manager to lead our CM Truck configure-to-order (CTO) engineering team. This role owns day-to-day leadership across new product development (NPD), value-analysis/value-engineering (VAVE), product upgrades, custom orders, and quoting for our truck bed and service body product lines.
This is a highly visible leadership role central to our engineering reorganization — you'll help operationalize a company-wide 2027 operating model built around standardization, digitization, and a fully connected digital thread (CPQ → PLM → ERP → CAD).
What You'll DoTeam Leadership & Continuity
- Lead the CM/CTO engineering team day-to-day, directly developing two team leads: one focused on custom orders & quoting, one on NPD & product upgrades
- Build a resilient team with documented processes, cross-trained backups, and no single points of failure
- Own coaching, assignments, and performance management; recommend promotions and role definitions
Custom Orders & Quoting
- Drive custom-order throughput and quote turnaround for CM opportunities
- Ensure quoting expertise is documented, repeatable, and not dependent on any one person
- Provide accurate, competitive cost-estimating and quoting inputs
NPD, Product Upgrades & VAVE
- Own delivery of NPD programs and product upgrades across truck-bed product lines
- Embed value-analysis/value-engineering (VAVE) as an ongoing capability — part-count reduction, cost-down, reuse-first design
- Drive modular architecture and promote recurring solutions into the standard catalog
Technical Leadership
- Serve as the technical lead for CM product decisions within enterprise standards
- Chair design reviews covering safety, regulatory compliance, DFM/DFA, and sourced-design
- Maintain engineering-change (ECN) discipline and product validation rigor
Process & Systems
- Implement CM processes on the company's shared digital-thread architecture
- Establish PLM as the CM source of truth
- Maintain part-numbering, BOM structure, revision control, and configurator rules
Financial & Cross-Functional
- Own CM engineering cost performance and spend within an approved budget envelope
- Recommend headcount, tooling, and contractor needs
- Partner with Operations, Commercial/Sales, and IT to align CM with enterprise standards
- Translate Voice-of-Customer input into CM design requirements
Required
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline (or equivalent experience)
- Engineering leadership/supervisory experience in configure-to-order and/or NPD manufacturing environments — truck equipment, upfitting, or comparable vocational products strongly preferred
- Demonstrated experience leading NPD programs, VAVE initiatives, product upgrades, and custom quoting from concept through production
- Strong grounding in DFM/DFA, design reviews, BOM/part-numbering, and ECN/change management
- Working knowledge of digital-thread systems (CPQ, PLM, ERP, CAD) and modular/standardization strategy
Preferred
- Familiarity with applicable regulatory frameworks (e.g., FMVSS) and multi-stage manufacturing
- Experience building teams and processes that eliminate single points of failure
- Strong systems-thinking with the ability to balance standardization with CTO configurability and NPD speed
- CM custom orders, quoting, NPD, and upgrade processes are documented with proven backups — no single points of failure
- Both direct-report leads are operating effectively with documented methods and cross-trained backups
- A CM coverage map is in place and maintained
- PLM is established as the CM source of truth
- NPD stage-gates are delivered on plan, quote turnaround is protected, and measurable progress is made on modular reuse and VAVE
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent experience
- Engineering leadership or supervisory experience in configure-to-order and/or new product development manufacturing environments
- Experience leading new product development programs, VAVE initiatives, product upgrades, and custom quoting from concept through production
- Knowledge of design for manufacturability and assembly, design reviews, BOM and part numbering, and engineering change management
- Working knowledge of digital-thread systems including CPQ, PLM, ERP, and CAD
- Experience with modularization and standardization strategies
- Familiarity with applicable regulatory frameworks such as FMVSS and multi-stage manufacturing
- Experience building teams and processes that eliminate single points of failure
- Strong systems-thinking and ability to balance standardization with configurability and NPD speed
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The Company
What We Do
Contract Manufacturer, L.L.C., doing business as CM Trailers, is a privately-held manufacturer of heavy duty trucks and trailers. The company specializes in producing horse, stock, cargo, and utility trailers, serving customers throughout the United States.
