Director of Piston Pin Engineering

Amsted Automotive; Geneva (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Annual Bonus Opportunity

401k with Company Match

Employee Stock Ownership Plan

Wellness Reimbursement

Life and Disability Insurance

Parental Leave

Job summary

Amsted Automotive Group, Piston Pin Business Unit, seeks a Director of Engineering to lead manufacturing process design, standardization, and continuous improvement, owning APQP, PPAP, and FMEA while shaping strategy and building high-performing teams.

You will drive Lean/Six Sigma initiatives, ensure IATF 16949 and ISO 9001 compliance, mentor engineers, travel ~50% year one, and collaborate with quality and operations to deliver measurable gains.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in mechanical/electrical/industrial engineering required.
• Advanced degree or MBA preferred.
• 10–15 years automotive engineering management experience.
• Strong knowledge of AIAG/IATF standards and SPC tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a high-performing engineering team.
• Standardize piston pin manufacturing processes.
• Drive process optimization to improve efficiency and reduce cost.
• Own APQP, PPAP, and FMEA processes.
• Communicate progress and risks to senior leadership.

Skills

Leadership

Team development

Analytics

Communication

Travel readiness

Multilingual

Education

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical/Electrical/Industrial Eng

MBA preferred

Tools

AIAG tools

IATF tools

DMAIC

Job description

About The Role

Amsted Automotive Group, Piston Pin Business Unit, is looking for a Director of Engineering to provide hands-on leadership driving manufacturing process design, standardization, and continuous improvement. Owns product application engineering, program management, and APQP execution while developing talent, building high-performing teams, and delivering measurable gains in quality and efficiency. Shapes engineering strategy and fosters accountability and operational excellence.

What You’ll Do

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing engineering team; drive accountability and continuous technical excellence.
• Standardize manufacturing processes across all piston pin facilities to eliminate defects and maximize efficiency.
• Foster a culture of data-driven problem solving and continuous improvement.
• Ensure full compliance with internal standards and external requirements (IATF 16949, ISO 9001).
• Partner with Quality to resolve process nonconformances and implement robust corrective/preventive actions.
• Own business unit APQP, PPAP, and FMEA processes to ensure product and manufacturing process integrity.
• Drive process optimization initiatives to improve efficiency, global capacity, reduce cost, and eliminate waste.
• Champion Lean, Six Sigma, and other CI methodologies to increase throughput and reduce variation.
• Leverage key operating metrics to identify trends, diagnose issues, and drive performance.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and assess applicability to future operations.
• Communicate clearly with senior leadership on progress, risks, and strategic opportunities.

What You’ll Need To Succeed

• Leadership and team development: Demonstrated ability to build, lead, mentor, and reorganize teams to improve performance
• Education: Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial Engineering, or a related field required; advanced engineering degree and/or MBA preferred.
• Automotive engineering experience: 10–15 years of automotive engineering management experience, preferably in cold forming, heat treating, CNC machining, centerless grinding, metals forming, machining, fabrication, or related manufacturing processes.
• Quality systems and core tools: Experience with AIAG and IATF tools, including implementation in an automotive manufacturing environment.
• Problem solving and analytics: Strong disciplined critical-thinking skills with an analytical DMAIC approach; experience using statistical process capability methods and tools such as Minitab or other SPC analysis programs.
• Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively across all levels of the organization.
• Results orientation: Proven history of driving continuous improvement and financial improvement projects that deliver measurable business impact
• Leadership and integrity: Highest ethical standards, with strong communication skills and the ability to motivate, lead, and develop individuals to perform at their best.
• Engineering career progression: Demonstrated career growth in engineering, including experience in manufacturing operations, manufacturing or product design engineering, and/or quality engineering.
• Continuous improvement and business impact: Proven history of executing continuous improvement projects related to manufacturing cost control, cost of quality, and product/process standardization, with clear ownership of projects that delivered measurable fiscal impact.
• Team building and performance: Demonstrated ability to build teams that achieve stretch results.
• Manufacturing process expertise: Familiarity with high-precision metal manufacturing processes such as cold forming, heat treating, CNC machining, centerless grinding, metals forming, machining, or fabrication in a manufacturing environment, not assembly-only operations.
• Automotive quality systems: Thorough understanding of the automotive business environment and related quality systems, including ISO/TS standards, APQP, DFMEA, PFMEA, and formal corrective action processes.
• Customer and technical communication: Strong customer communication skills, including the ability to deliver technical presentations in support of process execution and business development.
• Leadership and travel: Experience managing in a multi-plant business environment and leading teams where English is not the primary language; willingness and ability to travel to all business unit locations, with expected travel of approximately 50% in the first year and 30% in following years.
• Language capability: Multilingual fluency preferred, specifically Spanish or Italian.

What Else You’ll Need To Know

• This role will require periods of international travel
• Candidates must be comfortable getting dirty and working in loud environments

What’s In It For You

We create a supportive environment where employees thrive! With a range of benefits designed to enhance your health, well-being, and financial security, we’re here to support you every step of the way. Join us and experience the exceptional perks that make Amsted Automotive a great place to work!

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

• Medical Insurance
• Dental and Vision Insurance
• Prescription Drug Benefits
• Wellness Reimbursement
• Telehealth
• Onsite health screenings
• Mental health resources
• Employee Assistance Program that includes counseling and support services for mental health, family support, financial advice, legal guidance, and more

Financial Benefits

• Competitive Salaries
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan
• Annual Bonus Opportunity
• 401k with Company Match
• Health Savings Account with Company Contribution
• Life and Disability Insurance

WORK-LIFE BALANCE

• Parental Leave
• 14 Annual Company Paid Holidays

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Training Programs
• Education Expense Reimbursement
• Career Advancement Opportunities

Additional Benefits

• Pet Insurance and Discount Program
• Legal Insurance
• Employee Discounts
• Recognition and Rewards
• Community Involvement
• Workplace Giving Matching Gift Program

Equal Opportunity Employer

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.