Director of Design Engineering

Steffes•Dickinson, ND

About The Position

The Director of Product Engineering is responsible for leading the design, development, launch, and lifecycle support of Steffes products across multiple business units. This role establishes engineering strategy, standards, and processes that align with Steffes’ corporate strategy and enable scalable, high-quality, and innovative product solutions. The Director provides enterprise-level leadership for engineering effectiveness, including talent development, capacity planning, performance metrics, and continuous improvement. This role partners closely with Operations, Quality, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Sales teams to ensure engineering delivers reliable, on-time, and customer-aligned outcomes. Steffes Core Values Trust: We promote growth and long-term success by making wise decisions with trust as an essential component. Respect: We unleash creative talents of our diverse workforce by treating each other the way we would like to be treated. Teamwork: We believe people achieve much more by working together. Integrity: We follow through and keep our word while being open, honest, ethical, and fair. Safety: We view our co-workers as family members of our business and strive to ensure safety for all. Humility: We recognize and appreciate strengths and contributions beyond oneself. We are modest, genuine, and authentic.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field required.
10+ years of progressive engineering experience, including leadership or people management responsibilities.
Demonstrated ability to set technical direction, lead teams, and influence cross-functional stakeholders without direct authority.
Strong business acumen with the ability to balance innovation, cost, quality, manufacturability, and speed to market.
Excellent communication, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to travel up to 10%, or as required.
OR An acceptable combination of education and experience
This position requires walking, sitting or standing to a significant degree.
Must have the ability to lift 70 pounds from floor to waist, carry 50 pounds, and push and/or pull up to 100 pounds.
Must have the ability to climb ladders and/or stairs.
Stooping, crouching, kneeling and bending.
Handling, feeling, and gripping would be required for some activities.
Visual acuity is required to inspect work completed.
This role may be subject to internal and external environmental conditions.
Learn new tasks, remember processes, maintain focus, complete tasks independently, make timely decisions in the context of a workflow, ability to communicate with visitors, ability to complete tasks in situations that have a speed or productivity quota.

Nice To Haves

Experience in manufacturing or industrial product design environments strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute an engineering strategy that is integral to and aligned with Steffes’ corporate strategy and business objectives.
Lead engineering strategy and execution across multiple Steffes business units, ensuring consistent standards while allowing for business-specific requirements.
Recruit, develop, and retain engineering talent to support current operations and future growth, including coaching, performance management, succession planning, and capability development.
Establish and lead high-performance engineering standards, processes, and governance in alignment with the Quality Management System; support internal and external audits related to engineering management.
Provide leadership for innovation in product and design engineering, including new product development, platform evolution, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Define, monitor, and drive key engineering performance metrics, including engineering capacity, on-time and on-budget project delivery, time to market, and product performance in the market.
Lead enterprise-wide engineering resource planning and prioritization to ensure alignment with business priorities and strategic initiatives.
Serve as a key cross-functional leader, partnering with Operations, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Sales teams, customers, and suppliers to deliver effective, manufacturable, and customer-focused engineering solutions.
Continuously evaluate and integrate industry best practices to strengthen engineering effectiveness, scalability, and competitiveness.
Lead enterprise excellence within engineering, including lean principles, continuous improvement, and change initiatives that support organizational growth and evolving business needs.
Maintain a positive work atmosphere by acting and communicating collaboratively with customers, suppliers, co-workers, and management.
Helps company meet its Strategic, Quality and Safety objectives.
Perform other duties as assigned.