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Join us for an in-depth conversation with John Lembke, a manufacturing engineering manager with over a decade of experience in factory digitization, lean manufacturing, and ERP integrations. John shares his proven strategies for hiring high-performing engineering teams, scaling production rapidly, and building effective manufacturing processes. From his early days around ice-making machinery to leading 60% capacity increases, John offers practical insights that engineering managers and job seekers alike will find invaluable.

Main Topics:

• Hiring Best Practices: Use skill histograms to identify team gaps and write focused, targeted job descriptions.
• Interview Strategies: Ask questions that evaluate both technical skills and cultural fit.
• Common Hiring Mistakes: Avoid hiring people just like yourself and using vague or generic job descriptions.
• Candidate Advice: Use the STAR method to structure responses and present your experience clearly.
• ERP & MES Systems: Understand the role of enterprise resource planning and manufacturing execution systems in operations.
• Production Scaling: Apply practical strategies to rapidly increase production capacity.
• Manufacturing KPIs: Track key performance indicators to monitor quality and efficiency.
• Leadership Philosophy: Leverage lessons from endurance sports to build mental resilience and lead with intensity.

About the guest: John Lembke is a manufacturing and operations leader with a track record of scaling production and driving process excellence. At Scythe Robotics, he boosted production capacity by 60% in 16 months and led ERP implementation to streamline operations. Previously, as Director of Manufacturing and Scaling at Phantom Auto, he built prototype production systems and integrated advanced hardware into partner vehicles. His earlier experience at Seagate, Ensign-Bickford, and GE honed his expertise in process engineering, KPI development, and cross-functional leadership. With degrees from CU Boulder and RPI, John is committed to continuous learning, mentoring, and applying innovative approaches—balanced by a passion for backpacking and endurance sports.

Links:

John Lembke LinkedIn

Scythe Robotics Website

Aaron Moncur, host 

About Being An Engineer

The Being An Engineer podcast is a repository for industry knowledge and a tool through which engineers learn about and connect with relevant companies, technologies, people resources, and opportunities. We feature successful mechanical engineers and interview engineers who are passionate about their work and who made a great impact on the engineering community.

The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment such as cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us on the web at www.teampipeline.us