Senior Director of Engineering

Lasko Products•West Chester, PA

2h•Hybrid

About The Position

Lasko Products is seeking a Sr. Director of Engineering for its corporate headquarters in West Chester, PA. This role is a critical part of the Product Development team, serving as an integration point between Engineering, Domestic Operations, and Strategic Business Units. The ideal candidate will be able to translate marketing and consumer needs into technical performance requirements and mentor the engineering team. This position will provide front-end engineering leadership, focusing on technology and best practices to ensure successful scaling of new technologies into executable engineering plans and designs for both domestic and imported goods. The Sr. Director will collaborate with operations, quality, and business teams to manage an effective product development process from ideation to end-of-life. A key responsibility is partnering with the Product Management team to drive technical innovation aligned with consumer needs and to establish and implement the strategic direction of the engineering team. The role requires a motivated, quick learner who thrives in a hands-on, fast-paced environment. The Sr. Director of Engineering reports to the Vice President of Product Development and will manage a team of 4 Mechanical Engineers and 3 Project Engineers. Travel is estimated at 10%, including potential international trips of up to two weeks.

Requirements

10 plus years of broad technical experience in product development for domestic manufacturing with a proven track record of taking product from ideation through safe product launch.
Minimum of 5 years leading technical product development teams
Extensive experience collaborating with cross-functional teams and managing development and manufacturing partners
Strong Design for Manufacturing (DFM)/Design for Assembly (DFA) skills with emphasis on part/assembly tolerance to deliver robust designs for high volume manufacturing
Knowledge of design of plastic injection molded part designs, electromechanical integration and metal stamped part designs
Ability to assess data objectively and to make scientifically sound decisions in an efficient manner and to effectively present data in a format which supports the conclusion
Be Six Sigma trained - a Black Belt is considered a definite plus, a broad proven skill set of lean product development tools
In-depth knowledge of engineering design, quality control, and manufacturing processes for both domestic and imported goods.
Bachelor’s degree in an Engineering discipline
Project management experience with large, complex projects
Strong computer skills, i.e. Excel/Word/PowerPoint/Visio/Statistical Software such as Minitab or Statistics, etc.

Nice To Haves

Six Sigma Black Belt is considered a definite plus

Responsibilities

Create and sustain a culture of creativity and work ethic focused on achieving goals on time and within budget
Creatively resolve conflicting design constraints through analysis and testing
Assure that Engineering resources are aligned with the overall strategy for the business unit
Have experience managing a gated product development process
Direct the development of engineering standards and oversee implementation as they pertain to planning, development, and manufacturing
Foster an environment of continuous improvement and quick to market thinking
Partner with Operations for new product introduction planning including design for manufacturing, project risk assessment, new product costing, new product qualification and product ramp up/ramp down planning
Drive Value Based Engineering (VBE) initiatives into product design through partnerships with manufacturing and supplier initiatives.
Communicate strategic objectives, resource allocation and execute development plans both domestically and globally
Lead Mechanical Engineering team as a shared resource balancing requirements between Domestic Engineering and Import Engineering Teams
Have the ability to assess data objectively and to make scientifically sound decisions
Manage overall domestic project portfolio to ensure team KPI’s are met including on-time launch, unit cost and unit performance metrics
Ensure that both domestic and imported products adhere to safety standards, industry regulations, and quality certifications.
Proactively identify potential risks within the engineering, production, and importation processes, creating mitigation strategies
Oversee the engineering of both domestic and imported goods, ensuring product designs, specifications, and manufacturing processes meet industry standards, quality expectations, and regulatory requirements.
Work closely with the supply chain, procurement, and operations teams to manage the seamless integration of imported goods into the product development and manufacturing lifecycle.
Implement best practices in engineering design and testing to ensure that both domestically produced and imported products are scalable, reliable, and cost-effective.
Oversee the implementation of sustainable engineering practices and compliance with environmental regulations related to both domestic and imported products.