Head of Engineering

Director of Engineering (Head of Engineering)

Full Time Direct Hire

Base Salary is ~$165-180k+ and bonus

Itasca, IL 60143 and travel to Milwaukee, WI 53208

Required:

• Extensive progressive engineering experience in an industrial/manufacturing environment
• Hands-on knowledge of both mechanical and electrical engineering principles, systems, and design
• Proven leadership experience managing and mentoring multidisciplinary engineering teams
• Understanding of the construction and manufacturing process, and the ability to interpret mechanical and electrical equipment drawings and schematics
• Proficiency or expertise in Solid Works, as this is the company's system of record for 3D modeling and drawing
• Experience managing departmental budgets, capital expenditure planning, and engineering KPIs
• Knowledge and experience with ERP systems
• Working knowledge of relevant codes and standards (e.g., NEC, NFPA, UL, ANSI, ASME, OSHA) as applicable to mechanical and electrical equipment design
• Experience with new product development processes and engineering change management (ECOs)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, or related discipline)
• Willingness and ability to travel to our Milwaukee, WI location at least once per week
• Familiarity with AutoCAD, Revit, and/or electrical schematic/design software
• Experience participating in or leading an ERP implementation, ideally including engineering-related modules such as BOMs, routings, and document control
• Understanding of, and openness to, leveraging technology and AI tools to drive greater efficiency across the engineering department
• Professional Engineer (PE) Certification

Summary:

We are seeking a seasoned, hands‑on Director of Engineering to lead our engineering function across both mechanical and electrical disciplines. This role serves as the senior technical authority for the department — setting engineering standards, mentoring a team of engineers, and ensuring every project meets our quality, cost, and schedule commitments. Based out of our Itasca, IL headquarters, this position will travel to our Milwaukee, WI manufacturing location at least once per week to partner directly with the manufacturing and methods engineering teams and ensure engineering output translates cleanly into buildable, producible equipment.

This is a role for an experienced engineering leader — someone who has spent a career solving real mechanical and electrical design problems, knows what it takes to bring industrial equipment from concept to the shop floor, and is ready to bring that depth of knowledge to a growing team.

Responsibilities:

Engineering Leadership & Technical Oversight

• Serve as the senior technical authority for engineering, providing hands‑on mechanical and electrical engineering expertise across all projects.
• Provide technical leadership and QA/QC review on mechanical designs, electrical schematics, and equipment drawings to ensure accuracy and manufacturability.
• Provide oversight to projects to ensure quality standards are achieved consistently within established hours, scope, and cost parameters.
• Ensure drawing and documentation productivity — mechanical drawings, electrical schematics, and BOMs — is maintained within established quality standards.
• Provide timely, expert consultation to engineering staff to manage workloads, resolve technical challenges, and meet deadlines.
• Provide daily management of engineering staff, including hiring and selection, performance management, and training & development.
• Assign staff to projects in accordance with company standards of quality, efficiency, and effectiveness.
• Train and mentor engineers, serving as a technical resource and role model for both mechanical and electrical engineering best practices.
• Establish accountability, performance expectations, and development plans for the engineering team.

Cross‑Site & Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Travel to the Milwaukee, WI location at least once per week to partner with manufacturing and methods engineering on production readiness and design‑for‑manufacturability.
• Actively engage with Manufacturing, Purchasing, and Sales to continuously…