The Senior Director, Engineering provides strategic and technical leadership for engineering, product development, cost reduction, product improvement, and commercialization. This role establishes engineering priorities, directs technical resources and investments, and leads complex programs that strengthen the base business and enable future growth. The position is accountable for engineering talent, departmental budgets, project governance, manufacturing support, and external technical partnerships.
You Will Have the Opportunity to Make Great Things Happen!
Engineering Strategy and Innovation
- Defines and leads engineering and next-generation product development opportunities that support the 3-5 year innovation pipeline and business growth priorities.
- Integrates consumer, marketplace, technical, operational, and business insights into engineering strategies, technology roadmaps, and project plans.
- Identifies emerging technologies, concepts, materials, processes, and product features for potential use in existing operations and future products.
- Establishes the scope, cost, timing, resource requirements, development path, and expected business value for engineering and innovation opportunities.
- Advances open innovation and external technology scouting to improve products, processes, speed to market, and business performance.
Portfolio, Project Management, and Governance
- Leads the engineering portfolio, including product development, product improvement, cost reduction, and operational initiatives.
- Refines and implements stage-gate and project governance processes that prioritize opportunities based on strategic fit, technical feasibility, business potential, financial return, risk, and speed to market.
- Develops and communicates project schedules, milestones, resource plans, risks, decisions, and departmental priorities.
- Ensures clear reporting on project status, timelines, financial performance, and resource needs to business and senior leadership.
- Establishes engineering standards and procedures for project management, cost estimating, capital planning, prototyping, technical documentation, and commercialization.
Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement
- Partners with Manufacturing and Operations to improve process capability, product quality, productivity, cost, reliability, and safe operations.
- Confirms project assumptions and production variables, including run rates, scrap levels, material performance, quality parameters, and capital requirements.
- Applies engineering, statistical, Lean, and continuous improvement methods to resolve complex technical challenges and improve business performance.
Financial and Resource Management
- Owns departmental capital and expense budgets and ensures performance within approved financial targets and procedures.
- Develops and manages program economics, including product costs, prototyping costs, project capital, timing, and expected financial returns.
- Allocates engineering resources across priorities and recommends investments based on business need, technical risk, capacity, and expected value.
Leadership and Talent Management
- Leads, develops, and engages engineering and technical professionals responsible for product development, commercialization, and operational support.
- Establishes aligned objectives, provides ongoing coaching and feedback, and completes performance and development reviews.
- Drives workforce planning, selection, onboarding, succession planning, and retention while building a collaborative, accountable, and results-oriented engineering culture.
External Partnerships and Intellectual Property
- Builds and manages relationships with vendors, suppliers, technical experts, research partners, and industry innovators to advance priority engineering initiatives.
- Partners with Legal to develop intellectual property landscapes and strategies and protect confidential technical information.
You Will Love It Here If…
- You listen, learn, and evolve
- You thrive in a fast-paced environment
- You put safety first, always
- You are passionate about collaboration, teamwork, and achieving shared goals
- You believe in treating all people with respect, operating ethically, and growing a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace
- You are committed to improving our impact on local communities and creating positive experiences
