James Custom Engineer Supervisor

Position Title: James Custom Engineering Lead / Supervisor Location: Minden, NV Reports to: Vice President of Services Job Description The James Custom Engineering Lead / Supervisor leads a team of 3 to 6 engineers who design and engineer one-of-a-kind speakers for James by Sonance customers. Working side by side with the James Custom Service Specialist, this role turns a customer’s custom request into a bespoke speaker design that is built in our Minden factory. It is a service few companies in our industry offer. Why This Role Exists Custom and bespoke speaker work for our James by Sonance brand moves fast. Most projects run a short 5- to 10-day engineering life cycle, much shorter than typical engineering, so the work depends on a team that understands the design intent, turns the idea into a concept, and then moves toward the production floor. This role owns that flow. It is accountable for the technical capability and mechanical accuracy of the Custom Engineering team and for aligning with Production on manufacturability and schedule. It is a deliberately hands-on leadership role. You’ll guide a small team of Custom Engineers through design decisions, work shoulder to shoulder with the James Custom Service Specialist, who leads day-to-day customer communication, and partner with Production team leads and Procurement to turn each design into a speaker we can build well. You’ll own technical accuracy and on-time delivery and keep every custom project moving from customer request to the production floor. Key Responsibilities Team Leadership & Management Manage, mentor, and develop 3 to 6 Custom Engineering team members, including junior engineers, with a focus on technical capability and mechanical engineering accuracy. Oversee staffing needs and participate in hiring; plan, schedule, and lead Custom Engineering meetings to coordinate team efforts. Oversee product design and flow from customer request through to production, keeping projects moving without stalling; keep status, risks, decisions, and next steps visible to everyone involved. Production Coordination Work alongside Production team leads to verify designs and confirm they can be built well and repeatably; assess manufacturability early and take design adjustments back to the engineer with a clear ask and a reason. Develop proper routing hours and manufacturing lead times for custom products, and confirm them before a design is released. Identify and source non-stocked and non-standard components, partnering with Procurement as needed. Engineering Process Management Partner with the James Custom Service Specialist to keep customer requests and responses on track within SLA; day-to-day customer communication is handled with the Specialist rather than by this role. Develop new engineering requests into team projects and assign them to the right engineers. Monitor team productivity metrics and response times against the 5- to 10-day custom cycle. Ensure concept drawings and production drawings are completed, and ready for production, within the established SLA timelines. Technical Leadership Conduct feasibility studies on custom product requests and convert them into formal dealer quotes; generate and validate custom product costing. Lead design reviews for custom products to ensure quality and feasibility. Participate in New Product Development (NPD) initiatives and coordinate team training with NPD to build knowledge of design, engineering, and new product designs. Provide technical guidance on product specifications, including weights and mounting solutions, coverage requirements, and general product performance questions. Evaluate external inquiries and direct them to the appropriate department when they are not a fit for James Custom Engineering. Qualifications & Skills Experience: Bachelor’s degree in engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, or related field), or equivalent experience. Proficiency with 2D and 3D CAD software, with AutoCAD an…

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