Director of Engineering - Houston, Texas

MissionHires; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

MissionHires is seeking a Director of Engineering to own the full valve design and development lifecycle for a company specializing in industrial valve solutions. You will lead engineering and application teams, ensuring manufacturability and compliance with industry standards, while partnering with Sales, Manufacturing, Quality, and executives.

The role requires deep experience with multiple valve types, strong CAD/CAE leadership, and a proven track record delivering custom engineered solutions

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from an ABET-accredited program.
• At least 12 years of progressive engineering experience in the industrial valve or rotating-equipment industry.
• At least 5 years of engineering leadership or management experience.
• Hands-on experience with multiple valve types (gate, globe, ball, etc.).
• Direct experience with valve testing protocols (API 598, ISO 5208, API 6D, or equivalent).
• Proven experience designing and delivering custom engineered valve solutions for oil/gas, petrochemical, or chemical processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end design and development of industrial valves across ANSI classes 150–4500.
• Establish valve design standards, engineering calculations, tolerances, and ECO processes.
• Direct CAD/CAE use to produce 3D models, drawings, and manufacturing packages.
• Implement design-for-manufacturing and design-for-testability throughout engineering.
• Serve as primary technical interface for customers needing customized valves.
• Translate P&IDs, datasheets, and specs into complete valve designs and proposals.
• Lead technical review and kick-off meetings with customers and inspectors.
• Manage engineering deliverables for engineered-to-order and major projects.
• Own and improve valve test laboratory capabilities (hydrostatic, cryogenic, etc.).
• Ensure tests align with API, ASME, MSS, and customer requirements.

Skills

Valve design

Leadership

Mechanical design

Project management

P&IDs interpretation

GD&T

Cross-functional collaboration

Customer-facing communication

Education

ABET-accredited Mechanical Engineering program

Tools

SolidWorks

AutoCAD

FEA

Job description

MissionHires is looking for a Director of Engineering on behalf of a company specializing in industrial valve solutions. This senior technical leader will own the full valve design and development lifecycle, lead engineering and application teams, ensure compliance with industry standards, and partner with Sales, Manufacturing, Quality, and executive leadership to deliver high-performance, manufacturable engineered valve solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end design and development of industrial gate, globe, ball, check, butterfly, needle, and specialty valves across ANSI pressure classes 150 through 4500.
• Establish and maintain valve design standards, engineering calculations, tolerance specifications, and controlled engineering-change processes.
• Direct the use of CAD and CAE tools, including SolidWorks, AutoCAD, and FEA, to produce 3D models, assembly drawings, and manufacturing packages.
• Implement and enforce design-for-manufacturability and design-for-testability principles throughout engineering activities.
• Serve as the primary technical interface for customers requiring non-standard, customized, or highly engineered valve configurations.
• Translate customer P&IDs, datasheets, purchase specifications, and operating parameters into complete valve designs and technical proposals.
• Lead technical review meetings, kick-off meetings, inspection and test plan reviews, and other discussions with customers, third-party inspectors, and end users.
• Manage engineering deliverables for engineered-to-order and major project contracts, ensuring technical compliance and schedule adherence.
• Own and continuously improve the valve test laboratory, including hydrostatic, pneumatic, cryogenic, fugitive-emission, and functional test capabilities.
• Establish and enforce testing procedures aligned with API 598, API 6D, ASME B16.34, and customer-specific requirements.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions for field failures, test rejections, and non-conformances.
• Develop and maintain valve qualification, type-test, and competitive performance-benchmarking programs.
• Direct material and alloy selection for pressure-containing components, trim, fasteners, and seals based on operating pressure, temperature, corrosion, erosion, and process compatibility.
• Apply NACE MR0175/ISO 15156 and MR0103 requirements for applicable service environments.
• Partner with third-party laboratories on failure analysis, material certification, PMI, PWHT, impact testing, and other specialized testing.
• Maintain approved material and supplier lists and qualify new sources in accordance with applicable codes and customer requirements.
• Ensure designs comply with applicable standards, including ASME B16.34, API 600, API 602, API 608, API 6D, MSS SP standards, and customer specifications.
• Support product certification activities, including CE/PED, EAC, ATEX, SIL, ISO 15848, and TA-Luft as applicable.
• Lead, mentor, and develop mechanical engineers, design engineers, application engineers, and drafters.
• Manage engineering workload, project prioritization, resource allocation, PLM/PDM implementation, and document-control processes.
• Partner closely with Quality, Manufacturing, Sales, and executive leadership to deliver technically sound, competitive, and manufacturable products.
• Work regularly in office and manufacturing or machine-shop environments, including production-floor inspections and testing activities.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, or a closely related discipline from an ABET-accredited program.
• At least 12 years of progressive engineering experience in the industrial valve or rotating-equipment industry.
• At least 5 years of engineering leadership or management experience.
• Hands-on experience with multiple valve types, such as gate, globe, ball, check, butterfly, needle, or specialty valves.
• Direct experience with valve testing protocols, including API 598, ISO 5208, API 6D, or equivalent standards.
• Proven experience designing and delivering custom engineered valve solutions for oil and gas, petrochemical, power generation, or chemical process applications.
• Extensive knowledge of carbon steel, stainless steel, duplex stainless steel, and nickel-based alloy systems.
• Proficiency with SolidWorks and experience using FEA or other simulation software.
• Strong working knowledge of ASME B16.34, API 600, API 602, API 608, API 6D, MSS SP standards, and NACE MR0175/MR0103.
• Ability to interpret complex P&IDs, valve datasheets, customer purchase specifications, and engineering documentation.
• Competency in GD&T.
• Strong project management, prioritization, organizational, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to communicate complex technical information effectively to customers, non-technical stakeholders, and executive leadership.
• Ability to walk production floors, climb stairs, stand for extended periods during inspections and testing, and occasionally lift components or equipment up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to work safely in a manufacturing environment with exposure to machine noise, oils, and metal particulates; use of PPE is required in production areas.