Director of Engineering

Korn Ferry; Pleasant Prairie (WI); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision insurance

Short-term and long-term disability

Job summary

Korn Ferry is assisting in recruiting for a Director of Engineering for a high-volume manufacturing client in Wisconsin. The role leads manufacturing, controls, automation, and facilities engineering, directing capital projects and continuous improvement efforts across the full equipment lifecycle.

The position focuses on operational efficiency, scalability, cost performance, and data-driven decision making, with responsibility for safety, compliance, and risk management in a complex production

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering; advanced degree preferred.
• 10–15+ years of manufacturing experience with leadership responsibility.
• Proven success with capital projects and automation.
• Expertise in controls systems and facilities management.
• Food manufacturing experience preferred.
• Knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma methodologies.
• Strong project management and budgeting experience.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary engineering organization (manufacturing, controls, automation, and facilities).
• Establish and enforce engineering standards, documentation, and best practices.
• Partner with Operations, IT, Finance, and Supply Chain to align engineering strategy with business objectives.
• Own the strategy and execution of all capital investments, ensuring ROI.
• Oversee full equipment lifecycle from specification through optimization.
• Drive manufacturing performance improvements and implement Lean initiatives.
• Lead automation, controls, and systems integration.
• Enhance data visibility, reporting, and operational analytics.
• Own facilities systems and infrastructure planning.
• Establish reliability strategy and ensure safety, compliance, and risk management.

Skills

Leadership

Budgeting

Project management

Lean Six Sigma

Analytical skills

Communication

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Korn Ferry has partnered with our client on their search for the role, Director of Engineering.

Job Description

The Director of Engineering leads all engineering functions across manufacturing, warehouse operations, automation, and facilities. This role owns the full lifecycle of equipment and infrastructure—from concept and sourcing through installation, commissioning, and continuous improvement.

This position is critical to driving operational efficiency, scalability, and cost performance, while enabling growth and supporting customer demand in a high-volume manufacturing environment. The Director of Engineering establishes technical direction, standardization, and execution across all engineering disciplines.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary engineering organization (manufacturing, controls, automation, and facilities)
• Establish and enforce engineering standards, documentation, and best practices
• Partner with Operations, IT, Finance, and Supply Chain to align engineering strategy with business objectives
• Own the strategy and execution of all capital investments, ensuring ROI
• Oversee full equipment lifecycle from specification through optimization
• Drive manufacturing performance improvements and implement Lean initiatives
• Lead automation, controls, and systems integration
• Enhance data visibility, reporting, and operational analytics
• Own facilities systems and infrastructure planning
• Establish reliability strategy and ensure safety, compliance, and risk management

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering; advanced degree preferred
• 10–15+ years of manufacturing experience with leadership responsibility
• Proven success with capital projects and automation
• Expertise in controls systems and facilities management
• Food manufacturing experience preferred
• Knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma methodologies
• Strong project management and budgeting experience
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills
• Medical, dental and vision insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance