Senior Director of Engineering

DAKOTA BODIES LLC•Watertown, SD

19d

About The Position

The Sr. Director of Engineering – Truck Equipment provides overall strategic leadership, direction, and engineering excellence across the Truck Equipment business. This role is accountable for driving innovation, product development, technical execution, and engineering operations to support profitable growth and operational excellence. This position oversees all engineering functions—including product development, custom engineering, sustaining engineering, applications, technical support, and project management. As a transformational leader, this role will architect and execute an engineering strategy that aligns with enterprise objectives, strengthens manufacturability, improves time-to-market, and delivers cost-competitive, high-quality solutions. The Sr. Director of Engineering partners closely with Operations, Product Management, Supply Chain, and Sales to ensure disciplined execution and a strong “One Team” culture rooted in accountability, innovation, and performance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering field.
10–15+ years of progressive engineering experience with significant leadership responsibility.
Proven success leading large, complex engineering teams.
Strong technical expertise in mechanical design, fabrication, hydraulics, electrical systems, and truck upfitting.
Proficiency with CAD platforms, PLM/PDM systems, and engineering project management tools.
Demonstrated ability to deliver measurable business results through engineering execution.
Excellent communication, collaboration, and decision-making skills.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in engineering, MBA, or related field.
Experience in Truck Equipment, automotive, heavy equipment, or industrial manufacturing environments.
Experience leading multi-site or matrixed engineering organizations.
Background in Lean product development, DFM, and cost-reduction initiatives.

Responsibilities

Serve as the senior engineering leader for the Truck Equipment business, accountable for strategic, technical, financial, and cultural outcomes.
Develop and execute the engineering strategy aligned with company growth, product innovation, operational capability, and margin expansion.
Establish long-term engineering roadmaps, technology strategies, organizational design, and resource plans to support business objectives.
Champion a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, accountability, and operational discipline.
Partner with senior leadership to support long-term capacity planning, capital investment, and enterprise-wide initiatives.
Collaborate with Sales and Product Management on customer engagement, growth initiatives, and strategic accounts.
Lead the design and development of truck bodies, equipment, and custom solutions in compliance with regulatory, customer, and industry standards.
Oversee the full engineering project lifecycle from concept, design, and validation through commercialization.
Ensure on-time, on-budget delivery of engineering projects through strong project and portfolio management discipline.
Drive standardization, modular design, value engineering, cost reduction, and Design for Manufacturability (DFM) initiatives.
Improve speed-to-market while maintaining quality, safety, and compliance.
Lead, manage, and develop cross-functional engineering teams including mechanical, electrical, design, applications, and sustaining engineering.
Establish and continuously improve engineering systems, tools, and processes including drawing standards, BOM accuracy, configuration control, change management, and documentation quality.
Build strong operating rhythms and interfaces between Engineering, Operations, and Supply Chain to resolve production constraints and improve flow.
Ensure structured problem solving using 8D, A3, Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and standard work.
Own and drive key engineering performance metrics including throughput, lead time, quality, and first-time-right.
Partner with Sales and Product Management to support Voice of the Customer (VOC), quoting, feasibility reviews, and complex custom configurations.
Provide executive engineering leadership during customer visits, escalations, audits, and major new business pursuits.
Drive improvements in customer responsiveness, order accuracy, and engineering cycle times.
Ensure full compliance with applicable OEM standards, DOT regulations, industry codes, and internal quality systems.
Maintain engineering certifications, technical files, and documentation required for audits, approvals, and regulatory compliance.
Support and promote a strong culture of safety and regulatory discipline across engineering operations.
Recruit, develop, and retain high-performing engineering leaders and technical experts.
Build organizational capability through training, coaching, succession planning, and performance management.
Foster a collaborative, high-expectation culture focused on accountability, innovation, and business results.