Director Field Engineering

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The Director, Field Engineering provides strategic leadership for Austin Powder Company's engineering organization and capital project portfolio across North America. This position is responsible for the planning, development, and execution of projects at our manufacturing assets, commercial distribution sites, and strategic capital investments supporting the company's long-term growth objectives.
The Director leads a multidisciplinary engineering/project team and ensures that all projects are executed safely, efficiently, and in compliance with applicable regulatory and company requirements. The role supports the company projects related to facility expansion, process improvements, manufacturing modernization, infrastructure upgrades, process safety initiatives, and strategic capital investments.
This position collaborates closely with executive leadership, commercial, manufacturing, SHES, supply chain, and external stakeholders to improve safety, reliability, production capability, quality, cost efficiency, and site utilization while supporting the manufacture and use of industrial explosives in a safe and responsible manner.

• Demonstrate and promote Austin Powder's mission, vision, values, and commitment to safety.
• Lead, develop, mentor, and retain a high-performing team of project engineers, engineering managers, project managers, and technical specialists.
• Establish engineering standards, project execution methodologies, and best practices across all company facilities.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, technical excellence, and safety leadership.

• Manage a portfolio of capital projects ranging from site improvements and equipment upgrades to major manufacturing facility expansions.
• Oversee all phases of project execution, including concept development, feasibility studies, scope definition, budgeting, design, procurement, construction, commissioning, startup, and closeout.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary engineering efforts involving mechanical, electrical, controls, instrumentation, civil, structural, and process engineering disciplines.
• Ensure project deliverables meet stakeholder requirements and operational objectives.
• Lead project reviews and provide regular updates to executive leadership and key stakeholders.
• Provide engineering leadership supporting Process Safety Management (PSM), Management of Change (MOC), and Hazard and Operability Studies (HAZOP)
• Ensure all projects comply with applicable OSHA, ATF, EPA, NFPA, NEC, environmental, transportation, and local regulatory requirements.
• Promote continuous improvement in safety performance across all engineering and construction activities.

• Lead project governance processes, including stage-gate reviews, capital authorization requests, and executive project reporting.
• Ensure capital projects are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with approved scope.
• Monitor and report portfolio performance, schedule adherence, budget status, capital forecasts, and project risks.
• Partner with executive leadership to develop long-term engineering, infrastructure, and manufacturing strategies.
• Evaluate existing and future manufacturing and distribution facility needs and recommend expansion, consolidation, or modernization initiatives.
• Support site selection activities for new manufacturing, distribution, and operational facilities.
• Identify opportunities for operational efficiency, automation, energy reduction, and manufacturing optimization.
• Develop and manage annual engineering and capital budgets.
• Prepare capital expenditure requests, business cases, financial justifications, and project approval packages.
• Manage project forecasts, committed costs, change orders, and contractor expenditures.
• Ensure effective utilization of engineering resources and external consulting services.

• Establish and maintain relationships with engineering firms, equipment manufacturers, contractors, consultants, and other service providers.
• Lead technical evaluations, contractor selection, bid reviews, and contract negotiations.
• Ensure contractor safety, quality, schedule, and performance expectations are consistently…