Global Engineering Director

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Description

We are seeking a Global Engineering Director to join our Global Manufacturing Engineering team. This leadership role will oversee the delivery of Manufacturing Technology Innovations and drive process standardization across our Global Clear Aligner Manufacturing sites. The ideal candidate is a strategic and process-driven leader with a strong track record in innovation and operational excellence. You will collaborate closely with site manufacturing leaders, technology teams, and quality functions to optimize production processes while ensuring consistent quality, safety and efficacy. This position is critical in shaping our global manufacturing processes and ensuring long-term business success.

Department: Operations

Location: EMEA-Switzerland-HQ

Description

We are seeking a Global Engineering Director to join our Global Manufacturing Engineering team. This leadership role will oversee the delivery of Manufacturing Technology Innovations and drive process standardization across our Global Clear Aligner Manufacturing sites. The ideal candidate is a strategic and process-driven leader with a strong track record in innovation and operational excellence. You will collaborate closely with site manufacturing leaders, technology teams, and quality functions to optimize production processes while ensuring consistent quality, safety and efficacy. This position is critical in shaping our global manufacturing processes and ensuring long-term business success.

The position is based fully onsite at our Rotkreuz Office (5 days per week).

Key Responsibilities

The Global Engineering Director will direct and oversee the following global engineering activities:

• Lead global manufacturing engineering initiatives across multiple sites, collaborating with site Manufacturing Engineering leaders to enhance operations, improve productivity, and reduce costs.
• Develop and standardize global processes, tools and reporting frameworks to ensure consistency across all manufacturing facilities
• Prioritize manufacturing site requests based on quality and cost impact. Develop and manage a global roadmap for delivering new technologies across all manufacturing plants, including cost reduction projects while ensuring compliance with budget and scheduling requirements. Act as a key liaison between manufacturing sites and manufacturing technology teams across the globe, ensuring alignment on Manufacturing Automation, Manufacturing Software, 3D Printing and Design for Manufacturing strategies.
• Establish and maintain global quality standards, driving structural improvement plans at sites based on customer feedback, and ensuring high-quality standards at all sites globally. Define, implement, and scale global standardization programs to drive best practices in manufacturing. Develop ECO processes and chair ECO forum to drive standardization across all manufacturing plants.
• Oversee Bill of Materials (BOM) and routing processes across the organization.
• Develop action plans to improve key performance indicators (KPIs) and achieve best-in-class execution performance.
• Lead effective deployment of new solutions and technologies in manufacturing.
• Demonstrate our core values of Agility, Customer, and Accountability in decision-making, planning processes, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Ensure compliance with global and local regulatory and quality compliance standards for medical devices.
  
  

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field is required. Master’s degree is preferred.
• Experience: 12+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, including 5+ years in a leadership role. Medical Device experience is desired.
• Technology Expertise: Experience with Advanced manufacturing technologies, Automation and 3D Printing
• Technical Expertise: Strong Expertise in implementing and managing ECO process, Process Standards, KPIs & BOM update.
• Quality Focus: Strong knowledge of quality systems, Lean manufacturing and Statistical Analysis.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to establish and execute long-term strategic plans with measurable outcomes.
• Decision-Making: Experience making high-impact decisions on administrative and operational matters.
• Business Acumen: Strong financial and resource management skills, including budgeting and cost control.
• Communication: Excellent presentation and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence senior leadership.
• Teamwork: Ability to build long-term Engineering roadmap based on Strategic objectives, latest Technology Developments and MFG plant needs.
  
  

This role requires periodic travel to support cross-site collaboration, project implementation, and on-the-ground engagement with regional teams.

Complementary skills

• Lean Six Sigma: Certification (Black Belt preferred).
• Regulatory Knowledge: Strong understanding of GMP/QSR, ISO 13485, and other applicable quality system regulations.
• Digital Manufacturing: Experience with Industry 4.0, automation, and digital transformation in manufacturing.
• Global Leadership: Proven ability to build trust and drive collaboration across international teams.
• Change Management: Expertise in developing Engineering Change Order (ECO) process, and leading large-scale organizational and technological transformations.
• Project Management: Experience leading complex, cross-functional engineering projects with significant business impact.
• Talent Development: Track record of recruiting, mentoring, and developing high-performance engineering teams.
  
  

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Equal Opportunity Statement

Align Technology is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities in all our practices, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, protected veteran status, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected category. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the country for which they are applying, and employment eligibility will be verified as a condition of hire.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Engineering and Information Technology

• Industries

  Medical Equipment Manufacturing

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