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.

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.