Design Manager

American Equipment is a leading manufacturer of industrial overhead cranes, hoists, and material handling systems. We operate in an Engineer-to-Order (ETO) environment where custom-designed solutions are developed to meet unique customer requirements across a variety of industries.

We are seeking an experienced and results-oriented Design Manager to lead our Mechanical and Electrical Design teams based in Salt Lake City, Utah. This position reports directly to the Chief Engineer and is responsible for the performance, development, and technical leadership of a multidisciplinary design organization supporting the engineering and manufacturing of custom overhead crane systems.

The ideal candidate has demonstrated success leading design organizations through digital transformation initiatives, particularly transitioning teams from traditional 2D drafting environments to advanced 3D design and modeling platforms. This individual will play a critical role in developing team capabilities, improving engineering efficiency, standardizing design processes, and supporting the growth of American Equipment’s engineering organization.

• Lead, coach, and mentor Mechanical and Electrical Design personnel to achieve individual and organizational objectives.
• Establish performance expectations, conduct performance evaluations, and create employee development plans.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, technical excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, retention, and succession planning efforts.
• Ensure team resources are appropriately allocated to support project schedules and business priorities.
• Drive employee engagement and professional growth across the design organization.

• Lead and champion the organization’s migration from 2D drafting workflows to 3D design and modeling methodologies.
• Develop and implement training plans that successfully transition designers to modern 3D design tools and practices.
• Establish standards, best practices, templates, and workflows for 3D modeling and drawing generation.
• Promote adoption of engineering technologies that improve design quality, efficiency, and collaboration.
• Measure and report progress regarding digital transformation initiatives and team competency development.

• Provide technical oversight for all Mechanical and Electrical design activities supporting custom overhead crane projects.
• Ensure design deliverables meet customer requirements, engineering standards, safety regulations, and manufacturing needs.
• Review and approve design packages, models, drawings, and engineering documentation.
• Support engineering reviews, problem-solving efforts, and risk assessments throughout the project lifecycle.
• Partner closely with Project Management, Manufacturing, Procurement, Quality, and Service teams to ensure successful project execution.

• Lead design teams in a fast-paced Engineer-to-Order manufacturing environment where designs are customized for specific customer applications.
• Balance standardization opportunities with project-specific customization requirements.
• Improve engineering throughput while maintaining high levels of quality and responsiveness.
• Work with the Chief Engineer to develop scalable design processes that support business growth and operational excellence.
• Support value engineering, design-for-manufacturability, and cost-reduction initiatives.

• Develop and maintain engineering design standards and procedures.
• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor team productivity, drawing quality, design cycle times, and project execution.
• Drive continuous…