Sr. Director of Engineering - Northeast and Midwest

Integrated Power Services•Thornton, IL

6d•$200,000 - $225,000•Hybrid

About The Position

IPS is seeking a Sr. Director of Engineering – Northeast & Midwest to lead the transformation of engineering into a key driver of growth, operational excellence, and technical differentiation across the organization. This strategic leader will build and scale a high-performing engineering team, establish engineering standards, develop technical talent, and drive innovation to support larger, more complex opportunities across the region. Partnering closely with operations, sales, and executive leadership, this role will strengthen IPS's technical capabilities, improve consistency across service centers, and help position the organization for sustainable long-term growth while embodying IPS's core values of safety, accountability, integrity, teamwork, entrepreneurial spirit, and customer focus. The Senior Director of Engineering – Northeast and Midwest regions is a senior leadership role responsible for driving electrical and mechanical engineering excellence, technical capability, and business growth across the region. This leader oversees engineering support for motor and generator aftermarket services, including repair, rewind, upgrade, innovation, and field service applications. The role operates within a matrixed organization, balancing regional operational support with enterprise engineering strategy, and is accountable for delivering technical solutions that improve reliability, reduce cost, enhance quality, and enable profitable growth. This position partners closely with Regional General Managers (RGMs), Field Service leadership, Quality, Supply Chain, and Commercial/Sales teams to ensure engineering is a value driver and revenue generating function for the business, not just a support function.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical or Mechanical engineering (required)
10–15+ years of engineering experience in motor and generator repair, rewind, or manufacturing, or rotating equipment or industrial services
5+ years in engineering leadership roles with multi-site responsibility
Experience in aftermarket/repair environments strongly preferred
Deep knowledge of rotating equipment (motors, generators), mechanical systems, rotor dynamics, bearings, and alignment, insulation systems and rewind processes
Experience with failure analysis and root cause methodologies, engineering design/modification of legacy equipment, and field service and on-site troubleshooting
Servant leadership
Strong business acumen with ability to connect engineering to financial outcomes
Proven ability to lead in a matrixed organization
Strategic thinker with hands-on execution capability
Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
Ability to drive change, standardization, and accountability across regions
~50% travel across Northeast and Midwest regions
Occasional travel to other regions for enterprise initiatives

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or MBA (preferred)

Responsibilities

Lead all electrical and mechanical engineering activities across the Northeast and Midwest region, supporting service centers and field operations.
Provide direct engineering support for large motor and generator repairs, root cause failure analysis (RCFA), re-rate, redesign, and upgrade solutions, and reverse engineering and obsolescence management.
Ensure consistent engineering coverage across the region, including critical/complex jobs and high-risk projects.
Drive adoption and compliance with enterprise engineering standards, procedures, and best practices.
Champion standardized repair methodologies aligned with programs such as insulation systems (e.g., VPI, B-stage, coil systems), rotor/stator repair techniques, and electrical/mechanical rebuild practices.
Partner with Quality to ensure alignment with ISO 9001 requirements and continuous improvement initiatives.
Lead technical reviews for high-risk or high-value projects.
Drive improvements in coil design and manufacturing standards, insulation system upgrades (thermal class improvements, corona protection), testing protocols (IR, PI, surge, hipot, partial discharge), and electrical safety and arc-flash compliance.
Ensure compliance with IEEE, ANSI, NEMA, UL, EASA, and ISO 9001 standards.
Lead technical portions of customer audits and regulatory inspections.
Drive corrective actions related to warranty and rework trends of HV machines.
Act as a key technical partner in driving regional growth targets (7–10%+ annually).
Support sales and operations in developing engineered solutions for complex repair scopes, system upgrades (e.g., DC to AC conversions, efficiency improvements), and turnkey and engineered service opportunities.
Identify and develop new market opportunities, including industrial infrastructure upgrades, power generation and critical systems, Northeast and Midwest market expansion, and engineering service offerings.
Participate in customer-facing activities to build credibility and win strategic work.
Collaborate with Field Services teams to deliver integrated solutions across motors, generators, and supporting systems.
Provide engineering leadership for on-site troubleshooting and diagnostics, commissioning and startup support, and cross-functional system solutions (mechanical + electrical interface).
Support the evolution toward a regionalized and enterprise-aligned Field Services model.
Build, lead, and develop a high-performing regional engineering team, including Mechanical and Electrical Engineers (senior, mid, junior), Application and project engineers, and Facility Engineers.
Establish clear expectations, career paths, and technical competency development plans.
Mentor engineering leaders and high-potential talent.
Support hiring decisions, workforce planning, and succession planning.
Partner with Quality for warranty reduction, rework elimination, and ISO compliance.
Partner with Supply Chain for material selection, supplier qualification, and cost optimization.
Partner with Operations for execution efficiency and standard work.
Partner with Finance for cost control, margin improvement, and capital planning.
Support enterprise initiatives such as Continuous Improvement Programs (CIPs) and standardization and digital tools (e.g., work planning, analytics platforms).
Drive innovation in repair techniques, materials, and processes to improve reliability, turnaround time, and cost competitiveness.
Support development and implementation of new insulation systems and materials, advanced repair technologies (e.g., 3D modeling, simulation tools), and knowledge capture and AI-driven troubleshooting tools.
Lead or support innovation projects aligned with enterprise strategy.
Ensure engineering practices comply with all safety, regulatory, and industry standards.
Participate in risk assessments for major projects and operational decisions.
Support nuclear, critical infrastructure, and high-compliance environments where applicable.