Job Title: Engineering Director
Location: Houston, TX or Spruce Pine, NC
Department: Operations / Engineering
Reports To: Vice President of Operations - North America
About:
Our Client is a global leader in material solutions, supporting industries such as glass, ceramics, construction, coatings, polymers, and more with high-quality industrial minerals. Our mission is to be the best global material solutions company-delivering value and innovation through sustainable practices and customer-focused results.
Position Summary:
My Client is seeking a visionary and experienced Engineering Director to lead all engineering functions across our U.S. operations, with flexibility to be based in either Houston, TX or Spruce Pine, NC. This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for shaping and executing the engineering strategy, overseeing capital investment projects, and building a high-performing engineering culture across multiple plant locations.
The Engineering Director will play a critical role in driving innovation, reliability, safety, and operational excellence through the design, development, and implementation of engineering programs and standards.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop and implement a long-term engineering strategy that supports operational growth, sustainability goals, and business transformation.
- Lead and manage a team of Engineering Managers, Project Engineers, and technical personnel across multiple plant sites.
- Oversee the planning and execution of major capital projects, ensuring alignment with business priorities, timelines, and budgets.
- Define and standardize engineering best practices across sites to promote consistency, efficiency, and innovation.
- Serve as a key liaison between site operations, corporate leadership, and external stakeholders for all engineering-related initiatives.
- Champion continuous improvement initiatives in equipment reliability, energy efficiency, automation, and plant modernization.
- Ensure strict compliance with health, safety, and environmental regulations across all engineering activities.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Operations, EHS, Supply Chain, and Finance to deliver integrated business solutions.
- Monitor performance metrics and provide regular reports to senior leadership on project and program status.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, or Industrial Engineering (Master's degree or MBA strongly preferred).
- Minimum of 15 years of progressive engineering experience, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership or multi-site director role.
- Proven experience managing large capital programs in a manufacturing or heavy industrial environment.
- Strong knowledge of industrial plant operations, process engineering, maintenance systems, and automation technologies.
- Demonstrated success leading diverse technical teams and influencing cross-functional stakeholders.
- In-depth understanding of regulatory compliance, ISO standards, and sustainable engineering practices.
- Strategic thinker with exceptional communication, leadership, and project management skills.
- Willingness to travel as needed across North American operations (up to 30-40%).