What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Mechanical Engineering (Plumbing, HVAC and Piping) - Kansas City position at Gryphon Oakwood?
Director of Mechanical Engineering (Plumbing, HVAC and Piping) - Office-Leadership Opportunity - Kansas City
Our client is an established engineering consulting firm serving clients across the Commercial, Industrial, Institutional, Healthcare, and Mission Critical sectors. They are recognized for delivering practical, high-quality engineering solutions that balance first cost, operational efficiency, and long-term lifecycle value.
The firm is seeking an experienced Director of Engineering to provide strategic leadership to its engineering organization while driving technical excellence, operational consistency, and continued growth. This individual will play a key role in developing engineering talent, improving delivery processes, and ensuring exceptional client outcomes.
Position Summary
The Director of Engineering will oversee engineering operations within the Kansas City office, providing leadership, mentorship, and strategic direction to Engineering Managers, Technical Leads, and engineering staff. The successful candidate will ensure engineering quality, optimize resource utilization, and support the successful delivery of complex projects.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, mentor, and develop Engineering Managers, Technical Leads, and engineering staff while fostering a collaborative, high-performing culture.
- Oversee recruitment, onboarding, performance management, career development, and succession planning for engineering personnel.
- Provide strategic technical leadership, ensuring engineering quality, consistency, compliance, and adherence to company standards.
- Collaborate with Engineering Managers to forecast staffing requirements, balance workloads, and optimize resource allocation across projects.
- Monitor engineering utilization, project performance, and departmental budgets to ensure efficient project execution and alignment with business objectives.
- Partner closely with Project Management and Operations teams to ensure engineering resources effectively support project delivery.
- Champion continuous improvement initiatives, innovation, and engineering best practices across the organization.
- Participate in project planning, design reviews, turnover meetings, and operational reviews to support successful project execution.
- Promote employee engagement, technical development, and field involvement through mentoring, coaching, training, and site visits.
- Ensure engineering teams have the tools, resources, and support necessary to achieve client, project, and company objectives.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
- Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive engineering experience, including leadership responsibilities.
- Extensive knowledge of mechanical engineering principles, HVAC system design, and building systems.
- Strong understanding of applicable mechanical codes, ASHRAE standards, NFPA requirements, and local building codes.
- Experience utilizing engineering calculation and design software.
- Demonstrated experience performing value engineering, constructability reviews, and cost-conscious design evaluations.
- Proven ability to lead, mentor, and develop technical teams.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage clients, executives, and technical staff.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
- Client-focused mindset with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced consulting environment.
- Highly organized with the ability to balance strategic leadership and day-to-day operational priorities.
- Willingness to travel occasionally to project sites and client locations.
If this role matches your background and experience, please reach out to Edward Yardley (edward.yardley@gryphonoakwood.com) for a confidential call to discuss.