Brad Hakes
Engineering Director - Product Development and Manufacturing
- Role
- Director of Manufacturing Engineering at Novares Group
- Location
- Janesville, WI, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Brad Hakes
Engineering & Manufacturing Executive | Product Design & Development | Injection Molding & Manufacturing EngineeringI’m an engineering leader with 20+ years of experience turning concepts into high-performance, manufacturable products. My background spans product design, development, and manufacturing excellence for a Tier 1 automotive supplier, leading multi-site operations across the U.S. and Mexico. Passionate about driving innovation, quality, and operational efficiency from concept to production.Product Design & Development: I build cross-functional teams that translate customer needs into engineered solutions, from concept through launch. My work has delivered >$200M in annual revenue impact through new product introductions, tooling innovation, and advanced automation.Manufacturing & Operational Excellence: Skilled in injection molding, DFMEA/PFMEA, and capital planning, I optimize manufacturing footprints, streamline plant layouts, and lead cost-saving initiatives that drive measurable improvements in quality and profitability.Leadership & Strategy: I’ve directed engineering, manufacturing, and product management teams of 50+ across multiple sites, aligning technology roadmaps with business objectives. I’m passionate about mentoring talent, fostering innovation, and implementing continuous improvement pipelines.My mission is simple: create products and processes that outperform expectations — on time, on budget, and at scale.
Experience
Director of Manufacturing Engineering
Jul 2023 — Present · Walworth, WI, US
Manage multiple teams across multiple functional areas (injection mold tooling, robotics/automation, assembly, etc) and locations ensure on-time development and launch of new products. 8 direct reportsFunctional leadership to 6 manufacturing sites in US and Mexico for continuous improvement, capital projects, tooling replacement, plant layout and flow (40+ reports)Strategic planning/analysis for manufacturing footprint optimizationComplete capital and capacity planning activity from corporate and plant level.Support scrap reduction and efficiency improvement projects.
Education
University of Wisconsin-Platteville
BS, Mechanical Engineering
1998 — 2003
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