Director of Software Engineering, Manufacturing Operations

Be yourself at Protolabs Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification.  We are an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to building a diverse team that feels they are valued in the workplace.  So do you feel you do not meet every single requirement but still intrigued? We encourage you to still apply!  You can help make our company even better.  We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, age, mental or physical ability, or any way you represent yourself.  We strongly believe diversity makes for more successful teams.  Why Protolabs? We are the leaders in digital manufacturing.  We hire doers, makers, and creative thinkers who tackle our roles with an entrepreneurial spirit.  Our culture is centered around meaningful work that brings new and innovative products to market at unprecedented speeds.  We are a diverse team that comes from all walks of life and take pride in our team who is smart, genuine, humble, and passionate about what we do.  It’s our people who fuel our creativity and make our culture feel like home. 

Join our team as a Director of Software Engineering, Manufacturing Operations!

This is a HYBRID role - onsite Tuesday-Thursday in Maple Plain, MN.   

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. The Director oversees multiple software development teams, each led by its own engineering manager, and is accountable for the people, platforms, and roadmap that keep our factories running and scaling.  

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 Bring:

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. 

What's In It For You:

We offer a competitive salary and total rewards package

We offer amazing benefits including but not limited to:

Health Insurance: Traditional OR High Deductible plan

Flexible Spending Accounts

Health Savings Account (including employer contributions)

Dental and Vision

Basic and Supplemental Life Insurance

Short-Term and Long-Term Disability

Paid caregiver leave

You will receive at least 3 weeks of PTO + Wellness + Holiday Pay + Volunteer Hours

401k with company match and immediate vest

Employee Stock Purchase Program at a discounted rate

Matching grants through Protolabs foundation

And More!

Proto Labs maintains ITAR-compliant operations in all of our United States based facilities.  Due to ITAR regulations, this role is only open to U.S. Citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders) or foreign nationals granted refugee or asylee status.  Individuals with temporary visas (e.g. E, F-1, H-1, H-2, L, B, J, TN or OPT) are not eligible for hire in this role. Proto Labs, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer Physical Demands: While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use a computer keyboard, monitor and mouse, telephone and printer; reach with hands, and arms, talk, see and hear.  The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, stoop or kneel and must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.Work Environment: Indoors (A/C); nonsmoking; the majority of this job function is performed in an office setting requiring normal safety precautions. However, there may be job duties that require the employee to spend time in the manufacturing areas exposed to machinery and noise; eye protection occasionally required. Occasionally works in outside weather conditions. Occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and in high, precarious places and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, risk of electrical shock and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.