Director of Engineering

About the Opportunity

Our client is an innovative, growth-oriented manufacturer based in Duluth, MN, focused on designing and producing high-performance composite solutions for a wide variety of customer applications. While the organization employs fewer than 50 people, it operates with big-company discipline, high expectations, and a strong bias toward execution.

As the company continues to grow, it is investing in engineering leadership to strengthen product development, manufacturing readiness, and scalable systems across the organization.

Position Summary

The Director of Engineering is a hands-on leadership role responsible for engineering execution, new product development, and manufacturing readiness, while leading and developing the engineering team. This individual will balance daily technical involvement with strategic leadership, customer engagement, and cross-functional collaboration.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering Leadership \& Business Impact

• Lead and manage the engineering team, driving accountability to organizational goals
• Establish engineering priorities, standards, and best practices that support growth and profitability
• Provide coaching, mentorship, and performance feedback
• Balance strategic planning with hands-on execution in a fast-paced environment

Customer Engagement \& Product Development

• Serve as the senior technical liaison between customers, Sales, Operations, and Quality
• Translate customer drawings and specifications into manufacturable solutions
• Support RFQs with engineering input to ensure accurate and profitable quotes
• Participate in technical discussions and design reviews
• Assist in training Sales on product features and engineering considerations

New Product Introduction \& Project Management

• Own the product development process from concept through production launch
• Manage projects to meet cost, performance, and schedule targets
• Ensure products and processes are robust, repeatable, and scalable
• Lead the transition from development to full-scale production
• Develop and review BOMs, manufacturing instructions, tooling requirements, and quality plans

Manufacturing Engineering \& Continuous Improvement

• Oversee manufacturing engineering systems to drive efficiency and cost improvement
• Maintain strong floor presence to support launches and troubleshoot issues
• Lead tooling strategy, including design, validation, and continuous improvement
• Own capital equipment justification, installation, and implementation planning
• Apply Lean, Six Sigma, and structured problem-solving methodologies
• Partner with Operations and Quality to embed continuous improvement into daily workflows

Qualifications

Experience:

• 10\+ years of engineering leadership experience in a manufacturing environment
• Experience supporting product development and manufacturing engineering functions
• Strong background in costing, quoting, and margin management

Education \& Technical Expertise:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Materials, Manufacturing, or similar discipline)
• Experience with New Product Introduction (NPI/NPD) processes
• Strong understanding of tooling, manufacturing processes, and capital equipment
• Familiarity with quality systems and manufacturing documentation

Leadership Profile:

• Hands-on, player-coach leadership style with strong technical credibility
• Proven ability to lead teams while remaining directly involved in execution
• Effective cross-functional collaborator with customer-facing experience
• Pragmatic, action-oriented leader who thrives in a small, growth-oriented manufacturing environment

Preferred:

• Composite materials or plastics/resin manufacturing experience
• Lean / Six Sigma background
• AS9100 and/or ISO documentation experience