Director of Engineering - Aerospace Machining

TekPro; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

TekPro, a Bay Area partner for a premier precision machining company, seeks a Director of Engineering to lead manufacturing engineering, CNC programming, process development, and support for scalable, capable processes. You will partner across Operations, Quality, Sales, and Executive Leadership to drive manufacturability and new business initiatives.

The role requires strategic direction, team leadership, and a focus on continuous improvement in aerospace, defense, and semiconductor equipment

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of manufacturing or engineering experience, including at least 5 years in engineering leadership.
• Strong knowledge of CNC machining, manufacturing processes, and process development.
• Experience with CAD/CAM systems, CNC programming, and manufacturing documentation.
• Demonstrated success leading technical teams and cross-functional projects.
• Strong analytical, project management, and communication skills.
• Ability to balance technical requirements, cost, capacity, and customer delivery priorities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the engineering strategy in support of production, business growth, and customer requirements.
• Lead and develop engineering, CNC programming, manufacturing engineering, and related technical teams.
• Establish engineering standards, procedures, and performance expectations.
• Allocate engineering resources to support production priorities, new programs, and process improvements.
• Develop technical talent, succession plans, and cross-functional capabilities.
• Align engineering investments and initiatives with business objectives.
• Oversee CNC programming strategy for three-, five-axis, and turning operations.
• Establish CAM software standards, postprocessors, and program validation.
• Guide development of machining processes, fixtures, tooling, and setup methodologies.
• Review complex manufacturing challenges and provide technical direction.
• Improve machining capability, cycle times, setup efficiency, and process repeatability.
• Support new product introduction, prototype development, and production launches.
• Evaluate new machine tools, CAM technologies, automation, and manufacturing methods.
• Partner with Quality to ensure processes meet specifications and standards.
• Support resolution of dimensional, machining, and process issues.
• Establish manufacturability review processes and risk assessments.
• Ensure engineering documentation and process changes are controlled.
• Support process validation and first article inspections.
• Promote design-for-manufacturability and prevention of recurring issues.
• Collaborate with Sales and Operations to assess new business opportunities and feasibility.
• Support quoting with technical process plans, cycle-time estimates, and tooling requirements.
• Develop engineering KPIs and monitor performance, resource utilization, and project delivery.
• Identify opportunities to improve capacity, throughput, and manufacturing cost.
• Manage engineering budgets, equipment investments, and vendor relationships.
• Provide technical assessments and recommendations to executive leadership.

Skills

CNC machining

Manufacturing processes

Process development

CAD/CAM systems

CNC programming

Manufacturing documentation

Leadership

Analytical skills

Project management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Manufacturing/Industrial Engineering or related discipline

Tools

CAD/CAM software

Postprocessors & CAM standards

Job description

TekPro is partnered with a premier precision machining company in the Bay Area in their search for a Director of Engineering! Our client is longstanding shop that is winning massive contracts in commercial aerospace, defense, and semiconductor equipment markets. Due to growth, we have a brand-new position opening for a Director of Engineering. Please apply now to be considered for this opportunity!

Job Title: Director of Engineering

Position Type: New Position

Position Summary:

The Director of Engineering provides strategic and technical leadership for manufacturing engineering, CNC programming, process development, and engineering support. This position ensures that manufacturing processes are capable, efficient, scalable, and aligned with customer requirements and business objectives. The Director of Engineering partners with Operations, Quality, Sales, and Executive Leadership to improve manufacturability, support new business, develop technical talent, and drive innovation in precision machining.

Key Responsibilities:

Engineering Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and execute the engineering strategy in support of production, business growth, and customer requirements.
• Lead and develop engineering, CNC programming, manufacturing engineering, and related technical teams, as applicable.
• Establish engineering standards, technical procedures, and performance expectations.
• Allocate engineering resources to support production priorities, new programs, and process improvements.
• Develop technical talent, succession plans, and cross-functional capabilities.
• Align engineering investments and initiatives with business objectives.

Manufacturing Engineering & CNC Programming

• Oversee CNC programming strategy, including three-axis, five-axis, and turning operations, as applicable.
• Establish standards for CAM software, postprocessors, program validation, and revision control.
• Guide development of machining processes, fixtures, tooling, workholding, and setup methodologies.
• Review complex manufacturing challenges and provide technical direction.
• Improve machining capability, cycle times, setup efficiency, and process repeatability.
• Support new product introduction, prototype development, and production launches.
• Evaluate new machine tools, CAM technologies, automation, and manufacturing methods.

Technical Excellence & Quality

• Partner with Quality to ensure manufacturing processes meet customer specifications and applicable standards.
• Support resolution of complex dimensional, machining, and process issues.
• Establish manufacturability review processes and technical risk assessments.
• Ensure engineering documentation, programs, and process changes are properly controlled.
• Support process validation, first article inspections, and continuous improvement.
• Promote design-for-manufacturability and prevention of recurring production issues.

Business Partnership & Continuous Improvement

• Collaborate with Sales and Operations to assess new business opportunities and manufacturing feasibility.
• Support quoting with technical process plans, cycle-time estimates, and tooling requirements.
• Develop engineering KPIs and monitor performance, resource utilization, and project delivery.
• Identify opportunities to improve capacity, throughput, and manufacturing cost.
• Manage engineering budgets, equipment investments, and technical vendor relationships.
• Provide technical assessments and recommendations to executive leadership.

Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of manufacturing or engineering experience, including at least 5 years in engineering leadership.
• Strong knowledge of CNC machining, manufacturing processes, and process development.
• Experience with CAD/CAM systems, CNC programming, and manufacturing documentation.
• Demonstrated success leading technical teams and cross-functional projects.
• Strong analytical, project management, and communication skills.
• Ability to balance technical requirements, cost, capacity, and customer delivery priorities.

Preferred

• Master's degree in Engineering or Business Administration.
• Experience in aerospace, defense, semiconductor, or other precision manufacturing.
• Extensive five-axis machining and CNC programming experience.
• Familiarity with AS9100, ISO 9001, and AS9102.
• Experience with capital equipment planning, automation, and manufacturing technology investments.
• Experience with quoting, estimating, new product introduction, and process optimization.
• Combination of engineering office and manufacturing floor environments.
• Regular interaction with executive leadership, customers, Engineering, Quality, and Production.
• May require travel for customer meetings, supplier visits, or technology evaluations.
• Requires extended periods of technical review, planning, and computer-based work.