We find and place senior talent for electronic manufacturing services companies, automotive manufacturers, and IT asset disposition firms.
Kenefick & Associates spent 25 years building one of the deepest networks in EMS recruiting. KappSearch Group added 20+ years of hands-on electronics manufacturing operations. Together, that's Kenefick & Kapp Associates, and it's all we do.
Deep network, operator experience, and a team that works only in these markets: that combination is what sets every K&K search apart.
Our Story"We don't measure success in submittals. We measure it in placements that stick."
Exclusive sector focus, not a generalist desk.
Principals who've run the operations they recruit for.
25+ years of relationships in this specific space.
Whether you're filling a critical role or exploring the market, we'll give you a direct assessment. No pitch, no pressure.
Kenefick & Kapp Associates is the result of two recruiting practices, and decades of combined experience, coming together around one conviction: specialized search produces better outcomes.
Kenefick & Associates was founded by Pat Kenefick in 2000 with a single thesis: if you know Electronics Manufacturing Services cold, you can recruit it better than anyone. Over 25 years, that thesis held, building a reputation synonymous with EMS recruiting.
KappSearch Group brought a complementary piece: 20+ years running electronics manufacturing operations before moving into recruiting in 2023, building active search relationships across EMS, Automotive Electronics, and ITAD.
The combination became Kenefick & Kapp Associates in 2026: 45 combined years in sector, five dedicated recruiters, and a practice that works exclusively in this space.
Pat Kenefick launches a practice focused exclusively on Electronics Manufacturing Services, building one of the sector's most trusted recruiting networks over the next 25 years.
Ryan Kapp brings 20+ years running electronics manufacturing operations to recruiting, building KappSearch Group around EMS, Automotive Electronics, and ITAD with a practitioner's lens.
Two practices become one team: 45 combined years in sector, five specialized recruiters, and an exclusive focus on Electronics Manufacturing, Automotive Electronics, and ITAD.
Contract manufacturing, PCB assembly, SMT operations, quality systems, supply chain. Individual contributors through executives across North American EMS operations.
OEM manufacturing and automotive electronics remanufacturing. Engineering, operations, quality, and business development roles across the full org chart, from individual contributors to executives.
Reverse logistics, refurbishment operations, data destruction, remarketing. We've placed GMs and senior leaders inside some of the most recognized ITAD brands in North America.
Our process is designed for the complexity of electronics manufacturing and technology operations, where the difference between a good hire and a great one is whether the recruiter understands what the job actually requires.
Full commitment to your search: active market mapping, direct outreach, weekly reporting, and a structured presentation process. Retained engagements deliver deeper candidate pools and faster close for GM, VP, and C-suite placements.
You pay only on successful hire. We bring the same sourcing discipline and candidate quality: active outreach into the passive market, not resume forwarding from job boards.
We learn your operation, culture, and the unspoken requirements that don't fit a job description.
Direct outreach into employed talent at target companies, not waiting for applications.
Detailed candidate summaries: background, fit rationale, and compensation context.
We stay active through offer, counter-offer, and onboarding, not just to the interview.
If you're an experienced operator or leader in EMS, Automotive Electronics, or ITAD and exploring what's next, we'll represent your background to the companies that should know you. Confidential, targeted, direct.
Submit Your BackgroundWe're not a general staffing firm with an electronics desk. Every member of this team works exclusively in Electronics Manufacturing, Automotive, and ITAD, and has the relationships to prove it.
Founder of Kenefick & Associates with 25+ years placing senior talent in EMS and ITAD. Pat's network and reputation in the industry are unmatched. He built this niche before most firms knew it existed.
LinkedIn20+ years running electronics manufacturing operations before founding KappSearch Group. Ryan brings an operator's lens to recruiting, evaluating candidates the way hiring managers do, because he's been one.
LinkedInA veteran of the Kenefick practice with deep expertise in EMS candidate sourcing and relationship management. Beverley brings continuity and credibility to every engagement she supports.
LinkedInFocused on EMS and ITAD search with a strong track record in operations and engineering leadership placements. Lee's direct outreach style produces candidates who aren't on the open market.
LinkedInBrings precision and consistency to candidate qualification and client communication. Leslie manages search execution and candidate pipelines with a thoroughness that keeps every engagement on track.
LinkedInWhether you're hiring your next operations leader or exploring what's next in your career, we'll tell you what we actually think.
Every role is a confidential engagement, so clients and exact locations stay private. Search by title, skill or region. If something fits, one click starts the conversation.
Lead manufacturing engineering and technical operations for a high-mix, low-to-medium volume contract manufacturer. Owns safety, quality, delivery and cost performance and drives lean deployment across the floor.
The site's subject-matter expert on bare-board and assembly quality: process and chemistry, failure analysis, supplier quality and defect prevention. A hands-on expert role, not PCB design.
Own and improve SMT processes in a high-mix assembly environment: yields, process windows and continuous improvement. Designed to grow into a formal leadership role within one to two years.
Program and optimize SMT placement equipment from customer CAD and BOM data, and keep technical documentation accurate and compliant.
Player-coach leading technical engineering and SMT programming. Turns incoming customer data (BOMs, CAD, Gerbers, specs) into production-ready documentation and programs.
Lead the SMT engineering function at an established EMS manufacturing site, setting process standards and developing the engineering team.
Win new contract manufacturing programs with data center, networking and AI infrastructure OEMs. A hunter role for someone who already sells EMS services into this space.
Develop new industrial OEM accounts across the Midwest for an EMS provider. Live anywhere outside California; the territory focus is the Midwest.
Grow a West Coast territory for a high-reliability contract manufacturer. Open across industries; some aerospace and defense exposure is needed.
Hunt and grow medical and industrial technology accounts for a high-reliability contract manufacturer. Comfortable leading $3M to $15M opportunities; about one-third travel.
Win new OEM customers for electronic assemblies and engineered solutions in automotive, heavy-duty and agricultural markets. Director-level hires may grow into broader site leadership.
Lead engineering assessments of a wide range of electronic devices to judge remanufacturing and repair feasibility, then carry new programs into production.
Design and improve test processes for electronic assemblies: set test requirements, build prototypes and fixtures, and release products from engineering to production.
Strategic supply chain leader for a remanufacturing operation, leading purchasing, scheduling and warehouse teams of 30+. Strategic scope matters more than industry background.
Own product engineering for remanufactured automotive components. Manager level preferred; strong engineers will also be considered. Remanufacturing experience is a plus.
We work confidential searches that never get posted. Tell us what you’re after and we’ll tell you what we’re seeing.
Tell Us What You’re Looking ForWe work a number of confidential engagements that aren’t posted publicly. If your background is in EMS, Automotive Electronics, or ITAD leadership, it’s worth a conversation.
Whether you're a client with a search to fill or a candidate exploring what's next, you'll get a straight answer.
We're a small, focused team. When you reach out, you talk to a recruiter who knows the sector. No gatekeeping, no intake forms that go nowhere.
Find Kenefick & Kapp Associates on LinkedIn for search updates, industry insight, and team news.
Candidates we represent today, presented anonymously. Find the profile you need and request the full write-up. We’ll make the introduction.
The vault only shows people ready to move now. Our wider network runs much deeper. Tell us the role and we’ll start sourcing.
Start a SearchThe vault is a snapshot. We source directly into employed, passive talent across EMS, Automotive Electronics, and ITAD for every search.