Director, Open Products Engineering

NOVAE LLC•Markle, IN

7d•Onsite

About The Position

Novae is seeking a Director of Open Products Engineering to provide strategic and operational leadership for all engineering functions across its Open Trailer and Truck Bed business. This role is responsible for product development, engineering standards, talent leadership, innovation, and cross-functional execution to support business growth, operational excellence, and customer outcomes. The leader will partner closely with Operations, Product, Sales, Supply Chain, and Finance to align engineering strategy with enterprise priorities. This is a key leadership role in the company's next phase of growth, supporting a transition to a professionally managed enterprise with a defined Operating Agenda focused on growth and margin improvement.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive engineering experience with senior leadership responsibility.
Strong mechanical background
Proven experience leading multi-disciplinary engineering teams in a complex, multi-site environment.
Demonstrated ability to influence at the executive level.
Deep understanding of product development, manufacturing processes, and systems thinking.
High level of integrity, accountability, and commitment to safety and quality.
Excellent verbal, nonverbal and written communication skills.
Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills to identify opportunities for sales process improvements and develop and implement new strategies.
Financial skills and business acumen to understand sales profitability and opportunities.
Proven experience in negotiating outcomes that align with organizational strategies.
Experience in developing, conducting, and sharing market research.
Strong computer skills with a working knowledge of Microsoft Office, Visual, CAD, and related software.
Highly motivated self-starter with an inclination to consistently apply critical and analytical thinking skills.
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related technical field required.

Nice To Haves

Mobile/RV/Automotive industry experience preferred
Off-Shore engineering experience
Advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Define and execute the enterprise engineering strategy aligned with business objectives.
Lead and develop engineering leaders across multiple disciplines and locations.
Establish and maintain engineering governance, standards, processes, and best practices.
Oversee product design, development, validation, and lifecycle management.
Drive innovation initiatives focused on performance, quality, cost, safety, and scalability.
Ensure customer and market requirements are translated into effective engineering solutions.
Partner with Operations to improve manufacturability, reliability, and quality.
Support continuous improvement initiatives including cost reduction, standardization, and efficiency.
Ensure compliance with safety, regulatory, and quality standards.
Build a high-performance engineering organization through hiring, development, and succession planning.
Coach and mentor engineering leaders; foster a culture of accountability and collaboration.
Support performance management, career pathways, and leadership readiness across engineering teams.
Collaborate with Product, Sales, and Commercial teams to support growth initiatives.
Partner with Supply Chain and Manufacturing on sourcing, tooling, and production readiness.
Support M&A integration and due diligence from an engineering perspective as needed.
Manage engineering budgets, capital requests, and resource planning.
Evaluate trade-offs between investment, risk, cost, and long-term value.
Contribute to enterprise-level planning and decision-making.