Director of Engineering & Quality

APC Director Of Engineering & Quality

The Director of Engineering & Quality is responsible for leading APC's engineering, quality assurance, and environmental health & safety (EHS) functions. This executive role oversees product engineering, manufacturing engineering, quality management, product compliance, continuous improvement, research and development, and workplace safety. The Director partners closely with Operations, Sales, Supply Chain, and Executive Leadership to ensure APC delivers innovative products that meet the highest standards for quality, safety, manufacturability, and customer satisfaction while driving operational excellence across the organization.

The ideal candidate combines strong engineering expertise with strategic leadership, project management, and a passion for innovation while ensuring engineering solutions support APC's growth, operational excellence, and customer-first culture. At American Polymer Company (APC), we manufacture innovative underground utility enclosure solutions that protect critical infrastructure across North America. We believe we are only as good as our last production shift, and we continually strive to improve every aspect of our business.

• Lead product engineering, manufacturing engineering, CAD design, and R&D.
• Establish engineering standards, design procedures, and technical documentation.
• Develop new products while improving existing designs for manufacturability and cost.
• Support manufacturing through tooling, automation, process improvements, and technical expertise.
• Lead engineering project management and capital improvement initiatives.

• Lead the company's Quality Management System (QMS).
• Develop and maintain quality standards across all manufacturing operations.
• Ensure products consistently meet customer specifications and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee incoming, in-process, and final product inspections.
• Lead root cause analysis, corrective actions (CAPA), and preventive actions.
• Monitor customer complaints, warranty claims, and quality metrics.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce scrap, rework, and defects.
• Partner with Operations to improve first-pass yield and overall product quality.
• Prepare for and manage customer and third-party quality audits.
• Environmental Health & Safety (EHS).

• Ensure products comply with ASTM, ANSI, AASHTO, DOT, utility, municipal, and customer specifications.
• Oversee product validation and certification testing.
• Maintain engineering change control and technical documentation.
• Manage relationships with third-party testing laboratories and certification agencies.

• Lead Engineering, Quality, and Safety teams.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop department managers and technical staff.
• Establish annual department objectives and budgets.
• Promote cross-functional collaboration between Engineering, Operations, Sales, and Supply Chain.
• Build a culture focused on accountability, innovation, quality, and employee safety.

• Safety:
  Zero lost-time incidents; continuous reduction in recordable incidents.
• Quality:
  Customer complaints, warranty claims, first-pass yield, scrap rate.
• Compliance:
  Successful regulatory and customer audits.
• Engineering:
  On-time project completion; new product launches.
• Manufacturing Support:
  Downtime reduction; process improvements implemented.
• Product Cost:
  Annual cost reduction through value engineering.
• Innovation:
  New product development milestones.
• Continuous Improvement:
  Lean/Six Sigma projects completed.
• Customer Satisfaction:
  Product quality and technical support metrics

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related discipline.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred but not required.
• Master's degree is a plus.

• 10+ years of engineering experience within manufacturing.
• 5+ years leading engineering teams.
• Experience with product development from concept through production.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes including composites, polymers, fiberglass, precast concrete, plastics, or similar materials.
• Experience supporting manufacturing operations.
• Experience managing multiple engineering projects simultaneously.

• CAD software (Solid Works or Inventor preferred).
• ERP/MRP systems.
• Product lifecycle management (PLM).
• Design for Manufacturing (DFM).
• Finite Element Analysis (FEA) preferred.
• Root Cause Analysis/
• Lean Manufacturing.
• Six Sigma principles.
• Project management software.
• Engineering documentation control

• Executive Leadership.
• Product Engineering.
• Manufacturing Engineering.
• Quality Management Systems (QMS).
• OSHA & Environmental Health & Safety.
• Lean Manufacturing.
• Six Sigma / Continuous Improvement.
• Regulatory Compliance.
• Product Development.
• Risk Management.
• Strategic Planning.
• Cross-functional Leadership.