Director of Design Engineering

Head of Design Engineering and Project Management
Direct Hire – Findlay, OH – Posted May 20

Overview
Lead the design engineering and project management functions, overseeing a team of managers and engineers to achieve revenue and profitability goals.

Responsibilities

Strategic Team Leadership:

Supervise, mentor, and lead a high‑performing team of managers across engineering and internal project management to hit key business objectives.

Inner-Department Communication & Consistency:

Improve communication between departments, break down silos, and drive organizational consistency across all teams under your purview.

Process Optimization (Sales to Customer Service):

Critically review, design, and establish seamless internal workflows and procedures from the initial sales handoff through engineering and customer service.

Internal Capital & Systems Projects:

Lead major internal initiatives, acting as the driving force behind software implementations, CapEx improvements, and potential facility upgrades.

Cross‑Functional Alignment & Meetings:

Establish and lead regular staff meetings to keep teams aligned, while serving as the central liaison to senior management on project status, risks, and progress dashboards.

Customer‑Facing Escalations:

Serve as the primary champion for customer satisfaction by directly handling escalated customer issues and providing a closed‑loop feedback system for field observations.

Operational & Schedule Prioritization:

Partner closely with operations and scheduling to actively prioritize the production calendar, making the necessary adjustments needed to keep projects moving.

Financial & Budgetary Control:

Oversee the engineering budget, manage project scope risks, and maintain strict accountability for documenting and following up on price adjustments.

Optimized Product Design:

Ensure all products are strategically designed for maximum efficiency in engineering, manufacturing, and installation while maintaining standards that serve internal and external stakeholders.

Culture, Safety & Sales Support:

Run your departments with a sharp focus on safety and employee engagement, assist the sales team with technical product presentations, and provide back‑up leadership support when needed.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree, ideally in a technical or operations field.

At least five years of similar engineering or operations leadership experience.

Experience working in low‑volume, high‑mix, custom manufacturing environments.

Experience overseeing direct and indirect reports.

Project management experience, including budgets and timelines.

Strong mechanical aptitude.

Proven track record of continuous improvements.

Working knowledge of ERP systems.

Microsoft Office skills, including Excel.

Preferred Skills (Not Required)

MBA.

Power BI.

Benefits

Three‑tier medical plan with HSA contribution.

Dental and vision benefits.

401(k) with employer match.

Paid holidays and PTO.

Tuition reimbursement.

Bonus potential.

Why Work Here

Diverse business mix supplying a growing industry.

Every project is different – no repeat work.

Potential for future advancement opportunities.

Excellent work schedule with minimal weekend work.

Casual work environment; jeans allowed daily.

Location and Work Arrangement
Findlay, OH. No relocation available for this position. No hybrid or remote work available.

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