Lead for Design Manufacturing (DFM)

Job ID: 16000 

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Newell Brands is a leading consumer products company with a portfolio of iconic brands like Graco®, Coleman®, Oster®, Rubbermaid®, Sharpie® and Yankee Candle® - and 24,000 talented teammates around the world. Our culture is built on values in action: Integrity, Teamwork, Passion for Winning, Ownership, and Leadership. We work together to win, grow, and make a real impact—supported by a high-performing, inclusive, and collaborative environment where you can be your best, every day.

About Newell Brands

Newell Brands is a leading global consumer goods company with an iconic portfolio that includes Rubbermaid, Sharpie, Graco, Coleman, Oster, Contigo, Yankee Candle and more, serving consumers and commercial customers in 200+ countries. Engineering, Reliability & Automation (ERA) partners with product development, supply chain and operations across six business segments to build manufacturing excellence, insourcing capability and competitive cost into every new product.

Role Overview

The Manager, Design for Manufacturing (DFM) is an individual contributor leadership role that owns the development, deployment and continuous improvement of Newell’s DFM program within ERA. Working with New Product Development (NPD), Manufacturing Development & Commercialization (MDC), Operations and cross-functional teams, this role embeds manufacturability into NPD decisions where cost, lead time and supply chain risk can be most effectively shaped. This role owns the DFM review cadence: calling the reviews, setting agendas, driving cross-functional conversations to decisions and initiating escalation when a program is at risk of missing gate criteria.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

•    Manage and improve Newell DFM materials, including the Program Manual, phase definitions, RACI, KPI framework and template library.

•    Own DFM gate criteria from Idea through Launch; drive programs to meet them and deliver the DFM readiness assessment at each gate, concentrating on the decisions that most affect cost, lead time and complexity.

•    Support make-vs-buy and insourcing decisions by helping teams quantify capital, capability and risk trade-offs and grounding design choices in data.

•    Support consistent DFM application across segments while developing product-type guidance for discrete electromechanical, discrete mechanical/formed, process/batch and high-volume discrete products.

•    Act as the DFM lead on priority NPD programs during rollout; guide business teams and MDC through day-to-day execution and hold programs accountable to the DFM standard.

•    Lead cross-functional DFM reviews with Product Development, ERA, Packaging, Industrial Engineering, Plant/Production, Quality, Procurement and Finance; own the cadence, set agendas, drive reviews to decisions and initiate escalation when program timing or gate readiness is at risk.

•    Build and maintain a Subject Matter Expert (SME) network supporting DFM reviews across Product Development, MDC, Manufacturing, Quality, Packaging, Procurement, Finance and plant teams.

•    Define and maintain SME engagement guidelines for DFM reviews, including timing, cadence and role clarity by program phase.

•    Capture and codify SME guidance, lessons learned and manufacturing constraints, including closeout learnings, into DFM materials and training to continuously improve effectiveness.

•    Define, track and communicate DFM KPIs, including manufacturability risk, cost-to-target, supplier readiness, design-freeze compliance, pilot first-pass yield and skills readiness.

•    Build and deliver DFM training and develop the skills-and-training-readiness approach so operator, technician, engineering and supplier capabilities are assessed and closed before launch.

Minimum Qualifications

•    Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial or a related Engineering discipline.

•    5+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing engineering, product development or operations in consumer products or discrete/process manufacturing.

•    Experience applying DFM and/or other Design for Excellence (DFX) disciplines, such as Design for Assembly, Cost, Quality, Reliability or Supply Chain.

•    Experience with concurrent engineering and embedding manufacturability into a structured, stage-gated NPD process.

•    Experience implementing, scaling or governing a program, standard or capability across multiple sites or business units from a corporate or center-of-excellence role.

•    Working knowledge of DFM and quality tools, including DFMEA, PFMEA, process capability fundamentals and structured cost analysis.

•    Familiarity with enterprise PLM systems (e.g., PTC Windchill), engineering change process, 3D modeling and CAD/eBOM management.

•    Strong facilitation, influence and communication skills in a matrixed organization; able to explain manufacturability trade-offs to technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

•    7+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing engineering, product development or operations in consumer products or discrete/process manufacturing.

•    Advanced degree, such as an MS in Engineering or MBA, and/or certification such as Six Sigma Black/Green Belt, PMP or ASCM/APICS.

•    Direct experience supporting, scaling or governing DFM, DFX, APQP or design-assurance programs across multiple sites, functions or business units.

•    Breadth across multiple manufacturing contexts. Examples include discrete electromechanical (appliances), process/batch (candles, cleaning) and high-volume discrete (writing instruments).

•    Familiarity with AIAG APQP, PPAP, AIAG-VDA FMEA, Manufacturing Readiness Levels (MRL) and the Boothroyd-Dewhurst DFMA methodology.

Work Environment

This role operates in a fast-paced, matrixed environment spanning corporate functions, business segments and plant operations. The DFM program is scaling from center-led execution toward business-team ownership, requiring adaptable, hands-on candidates who can build standards and tools while demonstrating them on live programs. Travel to Newell manufacturing and development sites is required. Success depends on collaboration, clear communication and commitment to Newell’s values of Integrity, Teamwork, Passion for Winning, Ownership and Leadership.

“The Remote base pay range for this position is from $111,200 to $152,900. Salary will be based on prior experience related to the skills required for this position.”  

Newell Brands (NASDAQ: NWL) is a leading global consumer goods company with a strong portfolio of well-known brands, including Rubbermaid, Sharpie, Graco, Coleman, Rubbermaid Commercial Products, Yankee Candle, Paper Mate, FoodSaver, Dymo, EXPO, Elmer’s, Oster, NUK, Spontex and Campingaz. We are focused on delighting consumers by lighting up everyday moments. Newell Brands and its subsidiaries are Equal Opportunity Employers and comply with applicable employment laws. EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled are encouraged to apply.