Director of Engineering

Position Overview

The Director of Engineering provides strategic and operational leadership for engineering, manufacturing engineering, tooling and project engineering functions within an aerospace manufacturing environment. This role is accountable for aligning engineering execution with business objectives, driving cost-effective product realization, ensuring regulatory compliance and delivering scalable, high-performance engineering operations across the full product lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Set and execute the engineering vision and strategy to support growth, operational excellence and customer commitments.
• Oversee all engineering staffing, capacity planning and performance metrics, including NPI timelines, NREs and production readiness.
• Lead cost and risk evaluation for new programs, re‑quotes, tooling strategies and major capital or ROI initiatives.
• Ensure timely escalation and resolution of engineering issues impacting delivery, quality, cost or compliance.
• Drive shop‑floor efficiency improvements through manufacturing engineering leadership and tooling optimization.
• Establish and maintain engineering KPIs aligned with business objectives, regularly reporting to executive leadership.
• Partner with the Quality Engineer to lead supplier engineering oversight, continuous improvement and risk reduction initiatives.
• Monitor BOM accuracy, tooling status, delivery performance, expedited requests and past‑due engineering actions.
• Support Business Development through technical input, quoting collaboration, customer engagement and new business pursuit.
• Champion clean, safe and organized engineering and production environments with visible accountability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, plastics engineering or a related technical field required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of five or years of engineering experience within plastics manufacturing, preferably in an aerospace or highly regulated environment.
• Proven leadership experience managing cross-functional engineering teams, including manufacturing engineering, tooling and project engineering.
• Demonstrated success in New Product Introduction (NPI), product lifecycle management and scaling production operations.
• Strong knowledge of plastic injection molding processes, tooling design and manufacturability principles.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems (IQMS preferred) to support production planning, cost control and resource management.
• Proficiency with CAD software such as CATIA and/or SolidWorks for product and tooling design.
• Working knowledge of AS9100 standards and aerospace regulatory compliance requirements.
• Track record of driving cost reduction, process optimization and continuous improvement using Lean, Kaizen, or similar methodologies.
• Strong project and program management capabilities; PMP certification preferred.
• Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization.
• High level of emotional intelligence with demonstrated ability to coach, mentor and develop engineering talent.
• Certified Engineering Manager (CEM) credential preferred.

Key Strengths

• Strategic leadership with the ability to align engineering initiatives to business growth and operational goals.
• Expertise in managing complex aerospace manufacturing programs from concept through production and sustainment.
• Strong background in plastics engineering, injection molding and tooling optimization.
• Proven ability to lead high-performing, cross-functional teams and drive organizational effectiveness.
• Advanced project and program management skills, including risk mitigation, resource planning and execution discipline.
• Deep understanding of New Product Introduction (NPI) and product lifecycle management.
• Results-driven mindset with a focus on cost reduction, efficiency and scalable engineering operations.
• Strong knowledge of AS9100 standards, quality systems and regulatory compliance in aerospace environments.
• Effective communicator with the ability to influence stakeholders and build collaborative partnerships across departments.
• Continuous improvement champion with hands-on experience in lean manufacturing, Kaizen and process optimization.
• Data-driven decision-maker with strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• High emotional intelligence with a demonstrated ability to coach, mentor and develop talent.

About Aris Amplify

This search is being conducted by Aris Amplify, a Charles Aris Inc. company. We specialize in connecting top-tier talent with growth-oriented companies across the country in accounting and finance, engineering and operations, sales and marketing, and HR and executive support — all on a contingent basis. We are committed to creating meaningful connections between exceptional talent and dynamic organizations through a focused, efficient and personalized recruiting process. Learn more about our approach at charlesaris.com/aris-amplify-recruiting-services.