Director of Engineering

The Director of Engineering provides strategic leadership, organizational direction, and operational management for SIGI AMS Core Product Engineering and Custom Solutions Engineering functions. This position is responsible for ensuring the efficient execution of engineering workflows that support customer orders, product enhancements, cost reduction initiatives, regulatory compliance, and lifecycle management of the company's existing product portfolio.

The Director of Engineering is accountable for maximizing the value, performance, quality, manufacturability, and profitability of Southworth's core products while ensuring custom customer requirements are efficiently engineered and delivered.

Success in this role requires a balance of technical leadership, business acumen, operational excellence, people development and cross-functional collaboration. The Director of Engineering builds organizational capability by mentoring engineering leaders, developing talent, and creating a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, collaboration, and customer focus.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering Leadership

• Lead, develop, and mentor engineering managers and technical teams across product design, manufacturing, process engineering, and quality functions.
• Develop and execute the engineering strategy for SIGI’s core product portfolio and custom engineering operations.
• Build organizational capability through people development
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators for engineering effectiveness, quality, throughput, and resource utilization.
• Align engineering objectives with company growth, profitability, customer satisfaction, and operational excellence goals.
• Build and maintain a culture of innovation, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Develop succession plans and support talent acquisition efforts to build a strong engineering organization.
• Partner with Operations, Sales, Product Management, Supply Chain, and Quality to ensure engineering priorities support business objectives.

Custom Engineering & Workflow Leadership

• Own the engineering processes that support configured, modified, and custom customer solutions.
• Ensure product designs meet customer requirements, cost targets, manufacturability standards, and quality objectives.
• Drive continuous improvement of engineering order flow, workload management, and resource planning processes.
• Champion Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), and value engineering principles.
• Lead efforts to increase engineering throughput through process improvement, standardization, and knowledge management.

Strategic Planning

• Develop and execute engineering strategies aligned with company objectives and growth initiatives.
• Lead capital planning and engineering investment activities, including equipment, tooling, automation, and facility improvements.
• Identify opportunities for technological advancement, innovation, and competitive differentiation.
• Manage engineering budgets and resource allocation.

Project Management

• Oversee engineering project portfolios, ensuring projects are completed on schedule and within budget.
• Establish project priorities and allocate resources effectively across multiple initiatives.
• Monitor project risks, milestones, and deliverables.
• Provide regular updates to executive leadership regarding project status and organizational performance.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, Purchasing, Quality, Sales, and Customer Service teams to achieve business goals.
• Collaborate with customers and suppliers on product development, technical problem-solving, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support customer visits, technical reviews, audits, and business development activities as required.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• 10+ years of progressive engineering experience within a manufacturing environment.
• 5+ years of engineering leadership experience managing engineering teams and managers.
• Demonstrated success leading engineering functions.
• Strong knowledge of engineering principles, manufacturing processes, lean manufacturing, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience managing capital projects, engineering budgets, and cross-functional initiatives.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and project management skills.

Preferred

• Master's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license or advanced technical certifications.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt, or equivalent certification.
• Experience with ERP, PLM, and CAD systems.

Technical Competencies

• Product Design & Development
• Process Improvement
• Root Cause Analysis
• Design for Manufacturability (DFM)
• Project & Program Management
• CAD, PLM, and ERP Systems

Leadership Competencies

• Develops People
• Builds Effective Teams
• Strategic Mindset
• Organizational Planning
• Change Leadership
• Business Acumen
• Decision Quality
• Continuous Improvement Leadership
• Customer Focus
• Collaboration and Influence
• Results Orientation

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Engineering order throughput and on-time completion
• Engineering quality and first-pass approval rates
• Manufacturing productivity and efficiency improvements
• Product cost savings achievements
• Employee engagement, retention, and development
• Leadership bench strength and succession readiness
• Engineering productivity and workload balance