Eric Sandberg
A former manufacturing engineering leader who built a recruiting business.
"I never really left manufacturing engineering. I just changed which manufacturing problems I solve."
Connect on LinkedInI loved manufacturing engineering. So why did I start recruiting engineers?
After 30 years as an Automation Engineer, Engineering Manager, and Director of Manufacturing Engineering — the pivot into recruiting wasn't a departure. It was a recognition.
I loved designing machines, programming PLCs and robots, and watching ideas come to life on the production floor. That's where I thrived — solving problems, creating systems, and delivering results. I probably never should have tried to climb too far away from being a hands-on builder.
"As I moved into higher leadership roles, I realized something important about myself: I'm an empath first."
When I was told, "You need to make your team work every weekend this summer," my instinct wasn't authority — it was humanity. That may not have fit every executive expectation. But it taught me something. The kind of leader I am thrives closest to the floor — where machines run and teams build.
That clarity is exactly why I now help companies hire Engineering Managers and Directors who actually belong in those seats.
Engineers believe data changes minds. I learned something different.
I was already studying persuasion, systems thinking, and human behavior obsessively. Over the years, I built a network I genuinely cared about. They weren't contacts — they were friends. We solved real manufacturing problems together.
I enjoyed connecting innovative vendors with colleagues facing complex challenges. And I realized: I've been doing this for years. Connecting people with solutions. Connecting talent with opportunity.
Trust moves people.
Connection moves people.
Purpose moves people.
30 Years Building. Now Building Teams.
Automation Engineer
Designing machines, programming PLCs and robots, watching ideas come to life on the production floor.
Engineering Manager
Leading teams closest to the floor — where machines run and teams build.
Director of Manufacturing Engineering
Driving results across operations, building systems, and developing engineering leaders.
Founder, EPS Connects
Connecting engineering talent with the companies that need them most.
"I still build. Just not machines anymore. Now I build engineering teams."
Six years in, it feels exactly right — working with purpose, flexibility, and alignment with what matters most.