Director of Engineering

Dealer Rocket is recruiting a Director of Engineering for a motorsports safety manufacturer in New Braunfels, Texas.

Our client designs and manufactures safety equipment for professional and amateur motorsports: helmets, fire-resistant apparel, harnesses, impact protection and vehicle safety systems. The business sits inside a larger performance automotive group.

This role leads innovation and new product development, from the first idea through design, prototyping, testing, certification and production launch. It reports to the Vice President of Safety and Racing.

The products are safety-critical and regulated, so certification is part of the day job. You would own compliance and recertification against FIA, SFI Foundation and other governing standards, and represent the business to racing teams, suppliers and sanctioning bodies.

The engineering team is small. This is a hands-on role for someone who has built new products in a smaller company, stays close to the design work, and develops the engineers on the team.

• Innovation: finding new product ideas, developing them and bringing them to market.
• The engineering team: mentoring and developing the current engineers, setting priorities and building capability.
• The full product development lifecycle: feasibility, design, prototyping, testing, launch and post-launch improvement.
• Safety, performance, durability, comfort, quality, cost, manufacturability and time to market against stated objectives.
• Validation methods for impact, fire resistance, temperature, vibration and durability under motorsports conditions.
• Compliance and recertification against FIA, SFI Foundation and other governing requirements, plus technical documentation, design controls and risk assessment.
• Evaluation and adoption of advanced materials, manufacturing methods, sensors and telemetry.
• New product programs: requirements, schedules, budgets, resources and performance measures.
• The technical relationship with drivers, racing teams, customers, suppliers and sanctioning bodies.
• Partnership with Manufacturing, Quality, Product Management, Supply Chain, Sales and Marketing across the lifecycle.

• It is not a large-team directorship. The team is small and the leader is close to the design work.
• It is not a manufacturing, process or sustaining engineering role. This role creates new products.
• It is not a program management role. The seat owns the engineers and the certification, where a program role owns a schedule.
• It is not a role where compliance sits with somebody else. Homologation and recertification are the day job.

• A bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, materials science, industrial design or a related technical discipline.
• Ten or more years of progressive engineering experience, including five or more leading engineering teams in motorsports, automotive safety, protective equipment or a related industry.
• A track record of innovation: new products you took from idea to launch, ideally in a smaller company where engineering wears several hats.
• Experience mentoring engineers and helping them grow.
• A record of developing and launching safety-critical products.
• Experience applying FIA, SFI or comparable standards and managing product certification.
• Strong knowledge of product design, materials selection, prototyping, validation, testing and manufacturing processes.
• Experience with advanced composites, fire-resistant materials, impact-absorbing technologies or similar material systems.
• Solid Works or CATIA, and experience with product lifecycle management systems.
• Direct experience with motorsports teams.
• Advanced manufacturing methods.
• Sensor-integrated safety systems.
• Patents or invention disclosures.

On site in New Braunfels, Texas. Travel up to 10 percent, including racetracks, supplier sites and industry meetings.

$140,000 to $150,000 base depending on experience, plus a 20 percent target bonus. The client would prefer a local candidate and will consider relocation support where needed.

The bonus is a target under the company incentive program, which is renewed annually at the discretion of the board compensation committee. The 2026 target is prorated on eligibility date and depends on personal contribution and overall company performance.

• Competitive medical, dental and vision coverage starting day one.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Paid time off and 9 paid holidays.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Company-paid life and short-term…