Engineering Leader

You’re the go-to problem solver who everyone around you comes to with their hardest problems. You’ve excelled. You’ve delivered. And you’ve led in a way that matters, but you know there’s more. You know there’s a possibility of building something better.

You’ve seen glimpses of this. It’s the thrill that comes when a team delivers at its best. When a group of highly capable individuals comes together to deliver something far better than any of them could deliver alone. And when they become better versions of themselves in the process.

But you’ve also seen just how rare this is in most environments. Bureaucracies bury it. Tech-forward startups chase it but can’t sustain it. Most companies simply don’t have the capability, patience, or belief to develop world-class leaders while building the right systems.

But what if there was an alternative?

What if there was a place where you could help to build an environment where this level of execution is the norm, not an exception? A place where you can deliver impactful projects, develop systems that directly enable a meaningful vision, and build an exceptional team in the process. And where your personal growth accelerates at the same time. Where you’re challenged and supported to become the best version of yourself, so you can make a meaningful impact today, and an even greater one tomorrow.

That’s what we have here.

At PJ Wallbank Springs (PJWS), we build precision spring assemblies that live inside some of the world’s most demanding products. We’ve been successfully doing it for over 40 years.

But we’re not satisfied. Our sights are higher.

We’re redefining what great looks like for small and mid-scale manufacturing, both within PJWS and beyond, as we continue to grow into new business, technologies, and application segments through our parent company, Wallbank Industrial. We’re rebuilding and revitalizing the industrial base that helped build this country and doing it in a way that elevates people and community.

This is a difficult journey we’re on, but it’s a deeply meaningful one, and it’s arguably the perfect place for a highly capable Engineering Leader to take ownership, earn accountability, and apply themselves to make a difference.

We have the right structure, vision, and leadership team in place. And we’re making progress now. But what we’re missing is an Engineering Leader who can help us take it to the next level.

Someone who leads from first principles, who thrives when the stakes are high, and who knows that their best work and their greatest growth are still ahead.

Someone who leans in when a team or system isn’t at full potential. Who is eager to understand what’s broken and fix it. For good.

Someone who gets energy when things get tough, and who views these challenges as opportunities to hone and apply their capability to make things better for the people around them.

And someone with the vision and capability to build an excellent engineering function within PJWS, and beyond. Possibly including leading additional functions at PJWS, leading engineering as a central function within Wallbank Industrial as we scale, or leading engineering (or other functions) at future Wallbank Industrial entities.

This isn’t most roles. It’s not right for most people.
But for the right person, there’s no better place.

We move fast. We expect a lot. And we give the right people space to lead, take ownership, and make a difference. If you’ve been waiting for the chance to make a step change in your leadership development and apply your capabilities to build something exceptional, then this is your chance. Particularly if you realize that you don’t already have all the answers, and if you’re hungry to work alongside an exceptional team to learn, make mistakes, and figure it out along the way.

The team that is making this vision possible includes our VP of Engineering, Brandon Bartneck . He has taken a few different paths in his career across engineering, business development, and business leadership, and he’s chosen to be here because he believes it’s the best place to apply his full capability to build something that matters. To shape the next generation of manufacturing leaders and systems that last.

What Makes Us Different?
We have a clear set of beliefs. And we’re in a position to act on them.

We believe that:

• Manufacturing should be a force for good (not poor people practices and layoffs). That means focusing on people and performance rather than sacrificing one for the other.
• Great businesses are built by great people, which means both hiring exceptional talent and developing it to its full potential. The foundation of our success is attracting, developing, and retaining hungry, humble, smart people who share our values and our drive to build something meaningful.
• Growth and impact come from the relentless pursuit of better, through coaching, feedback, and real execution. People develop fastest when they’re trusted with meaningful responsibility, held to a high standard, and supported to deliver. We invest deeply in our people because their growth strengthens our teams, our systems, and our business.
• Results matter, but how those results are achieved matters just as much. Performance isn’t just what gets done, but how we lead, learn, and improve along the way.
• For a capable Engineering Leader, few things are more meaningful than applying and expanding your full capability to build systems, products, and people that move manufacturing forward. To create tangible, lasting impact in the real world. Not to disappear inside a bureaucracy or chase theoretical work divorced from production reality.

We pair this perspective with a successful legacy business, providing the opportunity to reinvent and improve, while laying the foundation for future growth.

The Role
You’ll own the full system of how engineering operates, including people, processes, and performance. You’ll be expected to build capability, drive clarity, and ensure reliable execution across product, process, machine, and manufacturing engineering.

• Lead and Develop People
  • Build a high-performing engineering team that drives the organization forward.
  • Coach engineers to improve judgment, technical depth, and cross-functional effectiveness.
  • Drive hiring, onboarding, and career growth for our team.
  • Model our leadership traits: care about people, think like an owner, continuously learn and grow, drive for results, lead with intention, and show passion for impact.
• Drive Continuous Improvement
  • Identify recurring issues in how we design, launch, and improve products, and drive systemic, lasting solutions. Either directly or through the team, fix these issues.
  • Elevate engineering performance. Assure that our launches and continuous improvement execution are world-class.
  • Make an impact through cost reduction, quality improvement, and capacity improvement, driven by engineering execution.
  • Successfully oversee the execution of a highly complex and transformational new product launch.
• Implement and Optimize Systems
  • Own the engineering systems that make execution predictable.
  • Improve how the team plans, executes, and delivers with clarity and speed.
  • Align engineering, manufacturing, quality, and commercial functions so everyone is rowing in the same direction.
• Contribute Strategically
  • Partner with senior leadership to connect engineering work to business priorities and measurable outcomes.
  • Shape and implement the long-term roadmap for engineering capabilities, tools, and structure.
  • Make engineering a true competitive advantage, not just a support function.

What Success Looks Like
Within six months:

• Engineering is running like it should. Quickly, effectively, and proactively.
• The right problems are getting solved, and they stay solved.
• The team has clarity on priorities, purpose, and how their work connects to the bigger picture.
• The standard for excellence is high, and it comes through in the quality of the work.
• Launches are smooth, and issues are handled early with sound judgment.
• Team members are clearly growing technically, cross-functionally, and as leaders.
• You’ve built a stable system that others can trust, which delivers results and develops people at the same time.
• It’s clear across the business that engineering is driving progress and shaping PJWS’s future.

What We’re Looking for
Someone who can think and operate at a high level of engineering judgment. Who can connect deep technical understanding with sound decision-making, clear communication, and a bias for action.

You’ll bring:

• A strong mechanical engineering foundation, with the ability to balance cost, performance, and manufacturability.
• Proven experience leading projects or teams. Owning results, not just managing tasks.
• A track record of improving systems: tools, workflows, or structures that make the team faster or better.
• Experience working across manufacturing, quality, and commercial functions to deliver complex products.
• Comfort making decisions with incomplete data and adjusting quickly as new information comes in.
• Clear, confident communication with both technical and non-technical audiences.
• A player-coach mentality. Hands-on when needed but focused on building capability in others.

What sets you apart:

• You develop people, not just manage them.
• You think in systems and drive toward root cause.
• You take ownership of results.
• You move fast.
• You seek responsibility and grow through it.
• You love solving meaningful problems that matter to the business and the people in it.
• You lead with humility, curiosity, and intention.
• You raise the standard everywhere you go.

Nice to have (but not required):

• Background in spring systems, powertrain, or automotive manufacturing.
• Experience with SolidWorks and engineering documentation (GD&T, DVP&R, DFMEA).
• Familiarity with APQP, PPAP, or similar product launch methods.
• Exposure to quoting, customer interaction, and business-level decision-making.

Competitive Compensation and Benefits
The compensation package will be attractive to the candidate possessing the experience, qualifications, and ability to deliver exceptional value to the company. We offer competitive pay, incentive, and benefits, including healthcare and a 401(k) plan with a company match, providing a compensation package comparable to companies much larger than we are.

Location
The position is based in scenic Port Huron, Michigan, the Maritime Capital of the Great Lakes, and is located on the shores of Lake Huron, with activities such as boating and time on the beach. This position will need to be on-site to integrate product design with our manufacturing processes, but it comes with workplace flexibility to be hybrid at times to meet both business and family/personal needs.

Community Involvement
We’re building more than products. We’re building people. This starts by investing in early-career engineers who are the future of our business. Whether that’s through the robotics practice field at our facility or the STEAM program at the local high schools that we helped fund. We’re giving local talent a compelling reason to stay or return to their hometown, knowing they can have a legitimate career with big impact.

If you want to help define what world-class engineering looks like in a small, fast-moving, and growing company, this could be your next step.

Apply now and take the next step in your leadership journey.

It is the policy of PJ Wallbank Springs, Inc. to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to any legally protected status, such as race, color, ethnic status, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status.