Director of Engineering

Socket.dev; BLOOMINGTON (MN); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

QTS invites a Director of Engineering to guide end-of-line capabilities for medical devices, including assembly, cleaning, packaging, labeling, and sterilization management. You will align business strategy with engineering priorities, develop talent, and drive scalable, compliant processes across programs.

Ideal candidates have extensive leadership experience in regulated manufacturing, a track record of launching complex device programs, and strong customer engagement and strategic planning

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field.
• 10+ years of progressive engineering, manufacturing, or technical operations experience.
• 5+ years of leadership experience with engineering teams and budgets.
• Significant experience in medical device contract manufacturing or regulated manufacturing.
• Experience leading medical device end-of-line capabilities (assembly, cleaning, packaging, labeling, sterilization).
• Proven track record delivering complex medical device programs from feasibility to launch.
• Knowledge of ISO 13485, risk management, validation, and regulatory requirements.
• Strong business and customer-facing technical leadership with measurable results.

Responsibilities

• Lead business development with Sales, Marketing, Operations, Quality, and Finance to qualify and pursue opportunities.
• Translate customer needs into manufacturable, viable solutions.
• Own proposals, feasibility studies, cost models, and launch strategies.
• Build customer confidence and expand key accounts through clear communication of capabilities and risks.
• Develop and execute a scalable, compliant roadmap for end-of-line capabilities.
• Integrate end-of-line requirements in opportunity qualification and NPI.
• Lead commercialization from feasibility to transfer to operations.
• Drive disciplined launch execution and post-launch issue resolution.
• Provide leadership for process validation, packaging validation, cleaning validation, and sterilization validation.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Cross-functional collaboration

Regulatory knowledge

Quality systems

Problem solving

Communication

Customer engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Advanced degree (MBA/MS)

Tools

ERP

MRP

Product lifecycle management

Job description

Overview

About QTS

QTS offers critical end-of-line services for medical device OEMs including finished device assembly, packaging and sterilization management. QTS is part of the Cretex Medical family of companies. Learn more at www.qtspackaging.com and www.cretexmedical.com.

Responsibilities

Director of Engineering Ideal Candidate Profile

The Director of Engineering leads technical capabilities across product life cycles to drive profitable growth, commercialize complex medical device programs, improve manufacturing performance, and deliver differentiated end-of-line solutions, including assembly, cleaning, packaging, labeling, and sterilization management, while translating business strategy into priorities, investments, talent plans, and measurable quality, delivery, cost, compliance, and customer outcomes.

Director of Engineering Job Summary

• Lead technical business development to achieve revenue, margin, and strategic growth objectives by partnering across Sales, Marketing, Operations, Quality, and Finance to qualify and pursue opportunities aligned with company capabilities.
• Translate customer needs into differentiated, manufacturable, and commercially viable solutions through credible technical engagement with prospective and existing customers.
• Own technical proposals, feasibility assessments, manufacturing concepts, capital and risk requirements, cost models, and launch strategies to improve pipeline quality and opportunity conversion.
• Build customer confidence and expand existing accounts by clearly communicating capabilities, risks, tradeoffs, and implementation plans across end-of-line and other value-added services.
• In partnership with the VP of Technology, develop and execute a scalable, compliant, and cost-effective roadmap for medical device end-of-line capabilities, including technology selection, process development, equipment and controls strategy, testing, inspection, validation, and documentation across manual, semi-automated, and automated processes.
• Integrate end-of-line requirements early in opportunity qualification and new product introduction to reduce risk, accelerate commercialization, and meet customer and business requirements.
• Lead successful commercialization of new medical device programs from feasibility through validated production and transfer to operations, ensuring manufacturability, end-of-line requirements, technical deliverables, risk controls, resources, and launch-readiness criteria are addressed early.
• Drive disciplined launch execution by resolving and escalating technical issues, ensuring processes and documentation are complete and capable, and using post-launch reviews to reduce delays, cost, instability, technical escapes, and corrective work.
• Provide leadership for process validation, packaging validation, cleaning validation, sterilization validation management, equipment qualification, and verification activities within the position’s scope.
• Partner with Operations and Quality to resolve complex manufacturing problems and implement sustainable corrective and preventive solutions.
• Standardize and continuously improve engineering practices across programs, processes, and facilities where appropriate.
• Support customer and regulatory audits as the senior technical representative for applicable engineering and end-of-line processes.
• Maintain current knowledge of medical device manufacturing standards, regulatory expectations, and relevant end-of-line technologies.
• Build an accountable, customer-focused, and commercially oriented engineering organization capable of supporting growth and operational performance.
• Translate business strategy into engineering priorities, annual objectives, staffing plans, capability-development plans, budgets, and measurable results.
• Develop engineering leaders and technical talent through clear expectations, coaching, succession planning, targeted development, and performance accountability.
• Ensure engineering resources are aligned with the highest-priority growth, launch, customer, compliance, and operational needs.
• Establish appropriate technical governance, design reviews, program reviews, and escalation practices.
• Promote collaboration across Sales, Marketing, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Customer Service, and Finance.
• Create a culture of disciplined execution, continuous improvement, technical curiosity, urgency, and follow-through.

Qualifications

Director of Engineering Skills and Experience

Minimum Requirements, Education & Experience (incl. KSA’s and certifications)

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a closely related technical field.
• Ten or more years of progressive engineering, product-development, manufacturing, or technical operations experience.
• Five or more years of leadership experience, including responsibility for technical teams, engineering leaders, budgets, priorities, and organizational performance.
• Significant experience in medical device contract manufacturing, medical device operations, or a closely related regulated manufacturing environment.
• Direct experience developing, commercializing, managing, or overseeing medical device end-of-line capabilities, including multiple areas such as assembly, cleaning, packaging, labeling, and sterilization management.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex medical device programs from technical feasibility through process development, validation, launch, and transfer to routine production.
• Proven track record of supporting profitable growth through technical business development, including customer engagement, opportunity qualification, solution development, technical proposals, cost modeling, estimating, and conversion of opportunities into new or expanded business.
• Working knowledge of medical device Quality Management Systems, including ISO 13485, risk management, process validation, change control, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Business and commercial acumen; customer-facing technical leadership; strategic capability development; new product commercialization; financial analysis and capital planning; structured problem-solving; clear written and verbal communication; and demonstrated accountability for measurable results.

Desirable Criteria & Qualifications

• Advanced technical or business degree.
• Experience establishing or expanding end-of-line manufacturing services as a commercial offering.
• Experience with medical device assembly automation, cleaning systems, packaging equipment, labeling systems, and sterilization suppliers or partners.
• Knowledge of packaging-system development, packaging validation, cleaning validation, and sterilization validation management.
• Experience supporting requests for quotation, technical proposals, customer presentations, and complex commercial negotiations.
• Experience developing strategic technology roadmaps and capital-investment business cases.
• Working knowledge of ERP, MRP, product life-cycle management, project-management, and customer relationship management systems.
• Project Management Professional, Lean, or Six Sigma certification.

What Is It Like to Work for QTS?

At QTS, we are passionate about quality as the services we provide have a direct impact on the quality of life for others and we pride ourselves on our culture and work environment