Director of Engineering

Job description

**Director of Engineering – Grand Rapids, Michigan** DISHER is currently partnering with a leader in food stabilization in Grand Rapids, MI to fill their Director of Engineering position. In this role, you will lead a multidisciplinary engineering team, drive project execution, and align R&D/product development initiatives with business objectives. The role combines technical leadership, project management, and financial oversight to ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget. **What it's like to work here:** This small machine design company is committed to reducing waste and improving the planet through transforming underused resources into nutritious, profitable materials. They have a strong commitment to their company values: Selflessly Serve, Trail-Blaze, Direct Honesty, Never Settle, Work Hard Play Hard. All team members are driven by their desire to serve others and create a more sustainable way of living. ### What you will get to do: - Lead engineering projects including planning, scheduling, and execution. - Define project scope, timelines, resource allocation, budget, and deliverables. - Ensure projects are completed on time, within budget, and to company and customer quality standards. - Identify risks and implement mitigation strategies. - Drive continuous improvement in project execution and processes. - Provide technical direction across multidisciplinary engineering team. - Review and approve engineering designs, drawings and specifications. - Support design and development using CAD tools. - Ensure adherence to industry standards, safety and regulatory requirements. - Lead and participate in field activities such as installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting. - Serve as technical escalation point for complex operational issues. - Interface with customers, vendors, and internal stakeholders on technical matters. - Lead, mentor, and develop a diverse engineering team across disciplines. - Manage performance, training, and career development. - Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement. - Allocate resources effectively across multiple projects. - Develop and manage project and departmental budgets. - Track financial performance, cost controls, and ROI on engineering initiatives. - Support business strategy by aligning efforts with company goals. - Collaborate with leadership on planning and forecasting. ### What will make you successful: - Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or chemical engineering, or related field required. - 10+ years of experience, including hands on engineering, project management, field/plant/industrial experience, and direct people management. - Strong leadership and mentorship skills. - Familiar with SolidWorks. - Experience with design, manufacturing, or process systems. - Experience with food, pharma, or relevant industry and safety regulations. - Comfortable driving structure, accountability, and execution across multiple projects. - Experience coaching, growing, and developing engineers through hands-on support and guidance. - Being Comfortable with the pressures of balancing demanding customers, projects, and internal R&D priorities simultaneously.