LSS MU - Director Engineering

KION Group•Wauwatosa, WI

7d•$159,000 - $233,200•Onsite

About The Position

Dematic has an immediate need for a Director of Engineering who will lead the Engineering function of the Modifications and Upgrades Business Unit for the United States. This role is part of the North America Lifecycle Solutions and Services team (commonly referred to as Aftermarket) that works to support our existing customer sites with modifications and upgrades to their systems based on our proven experience to help improve their safety, lower their costs and be more productive through all phases of the system’s lifecycle. Because of the large installed base of Dematic equipment and the breadth of solutions portfolio that Dematic designs, manufactures and/or integrates, this team delivers many projects with many different end customers from retail store distribution to food & beverage manufacturers to e-commerce. Typical projects that our team completes include updating PLC controls, rebuilding linear sorters, replacing worn components on Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems, or growing the capacity of a shuttle system by adding aisles. Work schedules are also highly variably with most onsite work happening over weekends and holidays around the clock to limit customer operational impact. The Director leads a department of approximately 100 Mechanical and Controls, promoting a safe work environment, best in class customer satisfaction, outstanding employee experience and predictable financial results. Responsibility spans roughly $300M of business across 250+ active projects and reports to the Sr. Director of Engineering of Modification and Upgrades.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or advanced degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
10+ years of successful experience leading Project Engineering teams, preferably in automation, logistics, manufacturing, or software-intensive environments.
Proven experience leading large teams and large-scale project portfolios with significant revenue responsibility.
Strong understanding of automation systems, controls architectures, and systems integration; proven working knowledge of industrial and enterprise software systems.
Experience with contract administration, procurement processes (RFP/RFQ), subcontractor management, and risk management.
Proficiency with engineering tools and MS Office; SAP, Power BI, SharePoint or equivalent.

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of Mechanical and Electrical/Controls Engineers, encouraging a culture of inclusion, accountability, and CI.
Set clear expectations, lead performance, and support career development of team members.
Provide oversight for a large portfolio of concurrent mechatronic projects of varying scope and complexity, including controls software, WMS/WCS/WES, PLC updates, system upgrades, equipment rebuilds, system takeovers, and capacity expansions.
Ensure effective transition from Sales to Operations, including pre-contract support, estimating input, and leadership of project kickoff processes.
Drive the development and execution of comprehensive project plans, including implementation, testing, acceptance, cutover, and launch strategies.
Act as the primary point of escalation for sophisticated project, customer, financial, or technical issues, ensuring timely resolution.
Ensure alignment and coordination across software, controls, electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, installation, vendors, subcontractors, and integrator partners.
Own financial performance across the engineering project portfolio, including forecasting, revenue recognition, cost-to-complete, and profitability analysis.
Identify, assess, and mitigate project risks, ensuring proactive issue management and governance.
Ensure accurate project closeout and turnover to service and support organizations.
Develop and handle departmental budgets and business plans.
Identify new business opportunities and direct sustaining engineering projects.
Serve as a customer technical partner concern point, building positive relationships and ensuring service standards are met or exceeded.
Support identification of follow-on business opportunities in collaboration with sales and lifecycle services teams.
Represent engineering in long-term planning, operational reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives.