Regional Director of Engineering - North America

North America Director of Engineering

Location: Hybrid in Alsip, IL, average 2–3 days per week.

Compensation: $170,000 – $220,000 per year.

About the role: Griffith Foods is hiring a North America Director of Engineering to provide strategic leadership and direction to our engineering teams in North America. This key leadership role will drive the development and implementation of engineering strategies, standards, and best practices to support the company's growth objectives and ensure the delivery of high‑quality, innovative products and solutions. The Director will lead a regional engineering organization, develop and execute business‑critical projects, commercialise new technologies, and advance our mission to blend care and concern to nourish the world.

• Develop and execute a North‑American Regional Engineering strategy aligned with the Global Engineering strategy and the company's overall business objectives, market trends, and customer needs.
• Harmonise regional investment strategies and technical platforms to enable business objectives and speed to market.
• Lead and mentor a diverse team of engineering professionals across the U.S., Canada & Mexico, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate closely with cross‑functional teams—including product development, R&D, operations, supply chain and sales—to drive product innovation, optimise processes, and deliver superior customer solutions; integrate environmental considerations into product design, manufacturing processes, and supply chain operations.
• Drive continuous improvement in environmental performance through data‑driven analysis, monitoring and reporting of key metrics.
• Ensure capital requests comply with relevant policy and guidelines and deliver against business objective and expectations.
• Implement and incorporate Lean and TPM (Early Management) methodologies to continuously improve project and plant performance.
• Partner with senior leadership to define and prioritise engineering projects, resource allocation and investment decisions to achieve business objectives and maximise ROI.
• Act as a champion of a culture of safety, quality and compliance within the engineering organization, ensuring adherence to relevant regulations, standards and best practices.
• Cultivate strong relationships with key stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, partners and industry organisations, to drive collaboration, innovation and strategic partnerships.

• Enjoy collaborating with senior leaders to determine engineering strategy and priorities consistent with business objectives.
• Feel fulfilled by coaching and developing early‑career engineers to realise their full potential.
• Are inclined toward continuous improvement and utilising TPM and Lean tools and methodologies to drive improvement.
• Bring a deep understanding of process and packaging engineering and the relationship between equipment, process and product identity.
• Crave personal and professional development and the opportunity to engage with industry leaders and represent Griffith at industry conferences.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, preferably chemical, mechanical or electrical engineering.
• 10years of progressive leadership experience in engineering roles, including at least 5years in engineering team and people leadership experience.
• Background in Lean Manufacturing and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) methodologies.
• Previous experience in food/CPG or pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 25% regionally (U.S., Canada, Mexico).
• Willingness to work on‑site in Alsip, IL up to 3 days per week when not traveling.
• Current unrestricted authorization to work in the United States; work‑visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

• Experience in multi‑site or regional or engineering leadership.
• Master’s degree in engineering or a related field, or an MBA.
• Experience integrating new plants or processes and commercialising new products.
• PE license or professional designation.
• Experience interacting with and influencing senior leaders.

• Medical, Rx, Dental,…