Engineering Design Manager Jobs in Tennessee
Engineering Design Manager jobs in Tennessee are in active demand, concentrated in automotive and advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense, and industrial engineering sectors, with openings at every level from project lead through senior director. Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville are the primary hiring hubs, home to established employers like Volkswagen Group of America, Lockheed Martin, and Tennessee Valley Authority that consistently staff engineering design manager roles. The most sought-after specialties in the state are product development, systems engineering, and process design. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 17+ Engineering Design Manager jobs
With commitments to safety, operational excellence, and continuous improvement, ERMCO is at the forefront of supporting grid modernization and energy transition. Our vertically integrated operations, customer-focused culture, and investment in people and technology make ERMCO the Most Valued Partner for delivering resilient, sustainable power infrastructure for the future.
Job Summary
Responsibilities:
- Communicate project objectives which address the overall strategic business goals of the organization, sponsor, and portfolio.
- Provide guidance and motivation to project teams and successfully align the team to the customer needs by establishing milestones, goals, and objectives based on input from all functional areas and key stakeholders.
- Coordinate business requirements gathering, documentation and stakeholder approval.
- Convert requirements into tasks and determine task priorities for individual team members and the project.
- Review project schedules with functional project managers to identify and coordinate resources necessary to meet project requirements, as defined by the project scope.
- Ensure project scope deliverables and costs are agreed upon by the stakeholders.
- Balance the cost, schedule, and time frames against the project requirements.
- Proactively drive tasks to completion in accordance with the project schedule to ensure work is on-track and on-budget to meet or exceed expectations.
- Define and manage resource capacity and time tracking.
- Recognize potential problem areas to identify and implement alternative solutions.
- Serve as escalation point to define and mitigate overall project risk through conflict and issue resolution with the project team and stakeholders.
- Manage the project change control processes to ensure alignment of scope, schedules, budgets, and resources based on approved changes.
- Provide regular updates to key stakeholders on project performance status, variances to plan, and identification of issues, risks, and corrective actions taken as necessary.
- Drive relevant, concise, and effective project communication through a variety of mediums to diverse audiences, ensuring relevance and effectiveness of delivery.
- Act as de facto liaison between Design Engineering and other cross functional teams in relation to project intake, prioritization, progress, and completion.
- Responsible for quantifying the project's Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and managing the work within scope, schedule, cost, and quality constraints.
- Participate in the exchange of ideas and information within the Design Engineering team along with the company at large.
- May perform other related duties and responsibilities as assigned.
- BS degree in Industrial, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- 7-10 years of progressively responsible experience actively leading projects of medium size and/or scope with complex matrixed teams.
- Ability to travel up to 25% of the time
- Acquired knowledge and experience in a manufacturing, shop floor environment, with product design and manufacturing execution systems.
- Experience working with project management software including MS Teams and Project.
- Master the ability to influence and motivate teams without direct authority to complete work in a timely manner.
- Advanced soft skills, highly organized with an acute attention to detail.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Must be analytical, self-motivated, creative, and efficient at problem solving
- Be collaborative in driving decisions and able to deal with all levels of management and stakeholders.
Let’s Build the Future Together
Join ERMCO and TRANSFORM your career!
With commitments to safety, operational excellence, and continuous improvement, ERMCO is at the forefront of supporting grid modernization and energy transition. Our vertically integrated operations, customer-focused culture, and investment in people and technology make ERMCO the Most Valued Partner for delivering resilient, sustainable power infrastructure for the future.
Job Summary
Responsibilities:
- Communicate project objectives which address the overall strategic business goals of the organization, sponsor, and portfolio.
- Provide guidance and motivation to project teams and successfully align the team to the customer needs by establishing milestones, goals, and objectives based on input from all functional areas and key stakeholders.
- Coordinate business requirements gathering, documentation and stakeholder approval.
- Convert requirements into tasks and determine task priorities for individual team members and the project.
- Review project schedules with functional project managers to identify and coordinate resources necessary to meet project requirements, as defined by the project scope.
- Ensure project scope deliverables and costs are agreed upon by the stakeholders.
- Balance the cost, schedule, and time frames against the project requirements.
- Proactively drive tasks to completion in accordance with the project schedule to ensure work is on-track and on-budget to meet or exceed expectations.
- Define and manage resource capacity and time tracking.
- Recognize potential problem areas to identify and implement alternative solutions.
- Serve as escalation point to define and mitigate overall project risk through conflict and issue resolution with the project team and stakeholders.
- Manage the project change control processes to ensure alignment of scope, schedules, budgets, and resources based on approved changes.
- Provide regular updates to key stakeholders on project performance status, variances to plan, and identification of issues, risks, and corrective actions taken as necessary.
- Drive relevant, concise, and effective project communication through a variety of mediums to diverse audiences, ensuring relevance and effectiveness of delivery.
- Act as de facto liaison between Design Engineering and other cross functional teams in relation to project intake, prioritization, progress, and completion.
- Responsible for quantifying the project's Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and managing the work within scope, schedule, cost, and quality constraints.
- Participate in the exchange of ideas and information within the Design Engineering team along with the company at large.
- May perform other related duties and responsibilities as assigned.
- BS degree in Industrial, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- 7-10 years of progressively responsible experience actively leading projects of medium size and/or scope with complex matrixed teams.
- Ability to travel up to 25% of the time
- Acquired knowledge and experience in a manufacturing, shop floor environment, with product design and manufacturing execution systems.
- Experience working with project management software including MS Teams and Project.
- Master the ability to influence and motivate teams without direct authority to complete work in a timely manner.
- Advanced soft skills, highly organized with an acute attention to detail.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Must be analytical, self-motivated, creative, and efficient at problem solving
- Be collaborative in driving decisions and able to deal with all levels of management and stakeholders.
Let’s Build the Future Together
Join ERMCO and TRANSFORM your career!
See All 17 Engineering Design Manager Jobs in Tennessee
Find roles in Tennessee that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find JobsEngineering Design Manager Jobs by City in Tennessee
Where Tennessee roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Engineering Design Manager Job Market in Tennessee
A snapshot from current Tennessee openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Retail
- Technology & Software
- E-Commerce & Online Marketplaces
- Consulting & Professional Services
What Tennessee Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in engineering design manager jobs across Tennessee.
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, industrial, or related engineering discipline required
- Professional Engineer license issued or recognized in Tennessee preferred for senior roles
- Five or more years of engineering experience with at least two in a supervisory capacity
- Demonstrated experience managing full design lifecycles from concept through production release
- Proficiency with CAD platforms such as SolidWorks, CATIA, or AutoCAD widely required
- Strong cross-functional collaboration skills with manufacturing, quality, and program management teams
Engineering Design Manager Jobs in Tennessee: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a engineering design manager in Tennessee?
The most direct path is earning a bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline, gaining several years of hands-on design or project engineering experience, and moving into a team lead role. While engineering design manager is not a state-licensed position on its own, holding a Professional Engineer license from the Tennessee State Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners significantly strengthens candidacy for senior roles. Many Tennessee employers in automotive and aerospace prioritize candidates who have both the PE credential and direct program management experience.
Which companies hire engineering design managers in Tennessee?
Employers hiring engineering design managers in Tennessee right now include Amazon, Akima, and Mesa Associates, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Tennessee's concentration of automotive assembly, defense contractors, and utility infrastructure means demand for this role is distributed across both large corporations and tier-one suppliers throughout the state.
Which Tennessee cities have the most engineering design manager jobs?
Nashville, Knoxville, and Oak Ridge lead Tennessee for engineering design manager openings. Nashville drives volume through its corporate headquarters and growing advanced manufacturing corridor, Chattanooga benefits from Volkswagen's assembly plant and a dense supplier ecosystem, and Knoxville draws demand from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the broader Tennessee Valley energy sector.
Are there remote engineering design manager jobs in Tennessee?
Yes, but they're rare. Engineering design managers typically oversee physical design processes, lab environments, and on-site teams, which limits full remote flexibility. About 0% of engineering design manager openings tied to Tennessee are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, and those tend to be in systems-level or program management roles where the hands-on design work is delegated to the team rather than performed directly by the manager.
How can I get hired as a engineering design manager in Tennessee with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry point is securing a design engineer or project engineer role at a Tennessee manufacturer or defense contractor, then building toward a lead position over several years. Volkswagen's operations in Chattanooga and TVA in Knoxville both recruit entry-level engineers through structured new-grad programs. Lateral moves from adjacent roles like quality engineer, manufacturing engineer, or CAD designer are common stepping stones, and pursuing the EIT credential through the Tennessee State Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners early in your career signals readiness for the management track.
Where can I find and apply to engineering design manager jobs in Tennessee?
You can find and apply to engineering design manager jobs in Tennessee on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings across the state. Find roles that fit your background and apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 17 Engineering Design Manager Jobs in Tennessee
Find roles in Tennessee that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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