Technical Director

Midland-Marvel Recruiters, LLC; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 140,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Midland-Marvel Recruiters, LLC seeks a hands-on Head of Engineering to lead operations, product commercialization, and manufacturing innovation on the production floor. You will bridge lab work and full-scale production, owning scale-up, troubleshooting, and capex-driven improvements.

The role requires a strong background in high-speed filling and packaging, plus the ability to drive Lean initiatives across multiple product lines and regulatory requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical, Mechanical, or Industrial Engineering.
• 5–10+ years of progressive engineering leadership in CPG or contract manufacturing.
• Deep knowledge of high-speed filling and packaging operations.
• Experience scaling liquids from bench to commercial production.
• Willingness to work hands-on on the production floor.
• Cross-functional collaboration across Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on troubleshooting across all filling and packaging lines to improve OEE.
• Partner with Product Development to scale liquids from prototype to full production.
• Lead CapEx and Lean initiatives to reduce bottlenecks and improve efficiency.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, FDA, DOT, CARB and alcohol/beverage mandates.
• Lead cross-functional engineering team and collaborate with Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain.

Skills

Floor leadership

Scale-up

Filling operations

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical, Mechanical, or Industrial Engineering

Job description

We are seeking a hands‑on, multi‑disciplinary Head of Engineering to lead technical operations, product commercialization, and manufacturing innovation. This is an active, on‑the‑floor leadership role. You will bridge the gap between the lab and the production floor—owning everything from batch formulation scale‑up and pilot trials to troubleshooting high‑speed automated filling lines, slashing changeover times, and optimizing plant‑wide OEE.

Responsibilities

• Production Line Optimization & Floor Support: Provide direct, hands‑on mechanical and process troubleshooting across all discrete filling and packaging lines (liquid filling, capping, crimping, gassing, and packaging equipment). Optimize line throughput, yields, and equipment reliability (OEE).
• New Product Introduction (NPI) & Scale‑Up: Partner with Product Development to transition a broad portfolio of liquids from bench‑top prototypes through pilot trials, batch blending scale‑up, validation, and full commercial production.
• CapEx & Continuous Improvement: Partner with the General Manager to design and execute capital improvement projects (automation, line modifications for rapid changeovers). Lead root‑cause analysis and Lean initiatives to eliminate production bottlenecks and reduce inefficiency.
• Multi‑Category Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all engineering, documentation (SOPs/specifications), and plant practices comply with applicable regulatory bodies across our product categories, including OSHA, EPA, FDA, DOT, CARB, and alcohol/beverage mandates. Lead engineering‑related CAPAs and validation activities.
• Technical Team & Cross‑Functional Leadership: Serve as the facility's technical authority. Support customer technical meetings regarding liquid/aerosol execution and collaborate daily with Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain.

Qualifications

• Required:
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Chemical, Mechanical, or Industrial Engineering (or related technical field).
• Experience: 5–10+ years of progressive engineering leadership in consumer packaged goods (CPG) or contract manufacturing (Co‑Man).
• Technical Expertise: Deep knowledge of high‑speed discrete fluid/chemical filling and packaging operations (e.g., bottle‑filling, high‑precision small containers, or canning).
• Scale‑Up Success: Direct experience scaling diverse liquid formulations from batch blending through process validation and commercial launch.
• Cross‑Functional Flexibility: Experience or strong familiarity handling a varied product mix ( aerosols/BOV, unpressurized liquids, cosmetics, or beverage lines).
• Mindset: A strong desire to be out on the floor, getting your hands dirty in both lab and high‑volume production environments.
• Preferred:
• Direct experience with aerosol/BOV filling or discrete manufacturing of cosmetics.
• Strong understanding of sanitization and quality protocols required for food/beverage or cosmetic grade manufacturing.
• Experience managing capital expenditure (CapEx) installations or facility expansions.
• Experience in bottling, filling, liquids, and / or beverages would be a plus.