Director, Manufacturing and Test Engineering

General Overview

Job Title: Director, Manufacturing and Test Engineering 2
Functional Area: Engineering (ENG)
Career Stream: Engineering (ENG)
Role: Director 2 (DR2)
Job Code: DR2-ENG-MFTS
Job Band: 13
Direct/Indirect Indicator: Indirect

Summary

Celestica is looking for a dynamic, high-velocity Director of Manufacturing and Test Engineering to lead our Advanced Engineering and Process Development teams.

This is a critical leadership role responsible for bridging the gap between cutting-edge product technology roadmaps and full-scale manufacturing execution. While our product design teams define what we make, your team will design, optimize, and deploy the advanced processes and equipment required to build it.

This position is a key succession-role located in Richardson, TX, tasked with expanding our regional manufacturing footprint (including Fort Worth and Austin) and driving global standardizations with our high-volume manufacturing bases, such as Thailand. The ideal candidate brings deep technical knowledge in semiconductors, advanced packaging, and PCBs, combined with an assertive, execution-oriented leadership style capable of matching the rapid life cycles of the AI-driven tech market.

Key Responsibilities

• Advanced Process & Equipment Development: Identify, scope, and manage customer-specific process and equipment development projects from concept to full production launch. Break physical and manufacturing barriers to deliver next-generation AI-enabling hardware.

• DFX & Collaboration: Partner closely with internal Product Design groups (HPS) and external customers early in the design phase. Evaluate, optimize, and negotiate tradeoffs for Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Assembly (DFA), and Test (DFT) to deliver cost-optimized, flawless manufacturing solutions.

• Thermal & Material Innovation Execution: Oversee Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) focused on high-power ASIC thermal modeling, liquid Thermal Interface Materials (TIM) application, signal integrity (CPO/Chip Package Optics), and material science interactions (micro-level pitch spacing, advanced soldering).

• System Integration Growth (L11/L12): Drive manufacturing and test strategies tailored for large, complex Level 11 (L11) integration and next-generation rack-level solutions.

• Operational Excellence & Urgency: Instill a strong culture of accountability and velocity. Transform development timelines from traditional 12-month cycles down to aggressive 5-to-9-month windows without sacrificing quality or safety.

• Global Standards & Succession: Manage the phased talent transition and succession planning for retiring legacy teams. Establish best practice standards, provide global application support, and build out the Greater Dallas engineering hub.

Knowledge/Skills/Competencies

Technical Competencies

• Semiconductor & Advanced Packaging Expertise: Deep understanding of large ASIC packages, silicon thermal dynamics, substrate warpage, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and tight-pitch PCB manufacturing.

• Advanced Thermal Management: Familiarity with high-power cooling methodologies, thermal dissipation modeling, and liquid/pre-formed thermal interface materials.

• Testing Methodologies: Exposure to complex test architectures, including elevated temperature burn-in testers, functional testing, and optimizing capex/environmental footprints for test spaces.

Leadership & Enabling Competencies

• Velocity-Driven Leadership: A proven track record of driving projects with an intense sense of urgency. Ability to move teams past a "lab/academic" mindset into fast-paced commercial execution.

• Project & Financial Management: Ability to lead high-value, multi-functional engineering projects with direct accountability to executive leadership. Strong financial acumen to ensure engineering delivery meets required ROI and benchmarking goals.

• Assertive Stakeholder Management: Excellent negotiation and presentation skills to effectively manage relationships with Tier 1 hyperscale customers, suppliers, and internal global site leaders.

Typical Experience

• Experience: 15+ years of relevant engineering leadership experience within semiconductor, advanced electronic assembly, or hardware manufacturing environments.

Typical Education

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Physical Demands

• Environment: Standard office and advanced manufacturing lab environment.

• Travel: Up to 25% travel (domestic and international), including key sites like San Jose, California and Thailand.

Notes

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities of the position. Employees are held accountable for all duties of the job. Job duties and the % of time identified for any function are subject to change at any time.