James Custom Engineer Supervisor

Description 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 and SolidWorks required.
• Experience with product development processes and engineering change management; background in custom or engineer-to-order product development a plus.
• Manufacturing knowledge, including ERP product structure (Items, BOMs, and routings), and experience working with Production teams on routing hours, lead times, and build feasibility; experience identifying and sourcing non-standard components a plus.
• Audio speaker engineering and design experience, with an understanding of acoustic principles and audio performance metrics, a plus; Lean / Six Sigma or similar continuous improvement training a plus.

Skills:

• Mechanical engineering judgment - able to review designs for technical accuracy and manufacturability, and to guide engineers through design decisions.
• Follow-through & accountability - organized and relentless follow-through; holds schedules and owners accountable while keeping relationships strong.
• Decision-making under pressure - makes sound calls quickly on design, feasibility, and lead time in a fast-paced, short-cycle environment.
• Communication - excellent written and verbal communication, including the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Team leadership - builds trust by working alongside engineers and the Production floor, earning the credibility to hold people to commitments.

Success in the First 6 Months

Months 1-3:

• Build working relationships with the Custom Engineering team, the James Custom Service Specialist, Sales, Production team leads, and Procurement.
• Assess each engineer’s technical strengths and gaps and set a development plan for the team.
• Get embedded in the custom production flow and understand current routing, lead time, and sourcing practices.
• Establish a clear view of every active custom project, its owner, and its status.

Months 4-6:

• Consistently hit the 5- to 10-day custom cycle and the concept and production drawing SLAs.
• Have a repeatable design-to-production check in place, so routing hours, lead times, and manufacturability are confirmed before release.
• Show measurable improvement in design accuracy, with fewer production questions and reworks on custom builds.
• Have a reliable approach for sourcing non-stocked and non-standard components.

Ideal Team Member

• Hungry, Humble, and Smart – embodies the Sonance team culture
• Strategic thinker with the ability to execute tactically
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a competitive drive to win
• High integrity, trustworthiness, and a commitment to doing the right thing
• Resilient and composed under pressure
• Inspiring leader who motivates others through action & vision

Sonance is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where innovation thrives through authentic partnerships