Director of Engineering

Rockstar is recruiting for a Director of Engineering for a client that operates two industrial divisions: one focused on lift systems and the other on industrial lighting. The client is an established organization with a strong commitment to engineering excellence, quality, and regulatory compliance. They are seeking a senior engineering leader to unify and drive their engineering functions across both divisions.

Job Summary

The Director of Engineering provides unified leadership, oversight, and accountability for the engineering functions of both divisions. This role serves as the senior engineering leader across both organizations, providing day-to-day coaching and support to the Engineering Managers and oversight of the Engineering Project Manager for the industrial lighting division.

The Director is responsible for new product development, product lifecycle management, engineering resource planning, and the execution of a consistent technical strategy across both companies. The role ensures alignment of engineering priorities, promotes best practices, and maintains high standards for quality, safety, and regulatory compliance.

Reporting to the Integrator and partnering closely with the Visionary, the Director of Engineering serves as the key link between executive leadership and engineering management, providing a single point of accountability for engineering performance and organizational alignment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Daily Leadership & Coaching

• Provide hands-on daily leadership, mentorship, and one-on-one coaching to the Engineering Managers of both divisions and the Engineering Project Manager for the industrial lighting division.
• Serve as the primary point of escalation for technical and operational decisions, enabling faster decision-making without waiting on executive availability.
• Execute an engineering strategy and technical vision aligned with the goals of both divisions.

Product Development & Lifecycle Ownership

• Hold ultimate ownership and accountability for new product development across both divisions, from concept through launch.
• Own the full product lifecycle—including design, engineering validation, production readiness, sustaining engineering, and end-of-life planning—for both companies’ product lines.
• Set and enforce stage-gate processes for new product introduction, ensuring engineering, quality, and manufacturing readiness at each phase.
• Make final engineering decisions on product roadmap trade-offs, ensuring alignment with company strategy, customer needs, and manufacturability.
• Serve as the key bridge between Engineering, Operations, Sales, and the Customer, making sound technical decisions while driving appropriate urgency to meet customer commitments, accelerate time-to-market, and ensure successful execution throughout the product lifecycle.

Resource & Project Management

• Oversee project prioritization, resource allocation, and budget management across both engineering teams.
• Partner with the Engineering Project Manager for the industrial lighting division to ensure project schedules, milestones, and deliverables are tracked and met.
• Identify and resolve resource bottlenecks that limit either team’s ability to take on new work.

Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing

• Foster cross-team collaboration between engineering staff of both divisions.
• Establish and maintain shared best practices, processes, and standards for engineering excellence across both organizations.
• Build a unified engineering culture that supports career growth and internal advancement for engineering staff.

Quality & Compliance

• Ensure adherence to quality standards, safety regulations, and industry best practices across all engineering operations.
• Establish and maintain robust processes for risk management and regulatory compliance.
• Ensure engineering deliverables meet customer and contractual requirements across the range of industries served by both divisions.
• Lead engineering compliance efforts by overseeing UL and other applicable regulatory certification activities, ensuring products achieve required approvals while supporting development timelines and successful product launches.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Drive continuous improvement in engineering processes, tools, and methods.
• Champion the adoption of emerging technologies that strengthen the companies’ competitive advantage.
• Report regularly to the Integrator and Visionary on engineering performance, risks, and opportunities.

Reports

• Engineering Manager for the lift systems division — leads engineering operations for that division.
• Engineering Manager for the industrial lighting division — leads engineering operations for that division.
• Engineering Project Manager for the industrial lighting division — manages engineering project schedules, deliverables, and coordination for that division.

Skills and Qualifications

Required

• Demonstrated experience managing multiple engineering managers, projects, or teams simultaneously.
• Strong track record in resource planning, budget management, and cross-functional coordination.
• Working knowledge of quality, safety, and regulatory compliance standards relevant to industrial/manufacturing engineering environments.
• Excellent coaching, communication, and organizational leadership skills.

Preferred

• Experience in lift systems, industrial lighting, or related industrial/manufacturing sectors.
• Experience operating within an EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) framework.
• PMP, PE, or other relevant professional certification.
• Experience leading engineering functions across multiple business units or sister companies.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Engineering Management, or a related technical field (or equivalent experience).
• 7+ years of progressive engineering experience, including at least 3 years in a leadership or management role overseeing engineering teams.

Physical Demands

• Prolonged periods of sitting or standing and frequent computer use.
• Ability to tour manufacturing and production areas, including navigating stairs, ladders, and uneven surfaces while observing all safety requirements.
• Occasionally lift or move materials, equipment, or prototypes up to 25 pounds.

Mental Demands

• Ability to analyze complex technical, operational, and business information and make sound decisions in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills to balance competing priorities, resources, and organizational objectives.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and teams simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail and accuracy.
• Effective leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills required to coach teams, resolve conflicts, and influence stakeholders across all levels of the organization.

Work Environment

• Primarily works in a professional office environment with frequent interaction in manufacturing and production settings.
• Regular exposure to manufacturing operations requires adherence to company safety policies and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) when appropriate.
• Frequent collaboration with cross-functional teams, including manufacturing, quality, sales, operations, and executive leadership.
• May require occasional travel to customer locations, suppliers, and industry conferences.