Executive Director, Engineering & Estimating

McAlister Design, INC.; Wauseon (OH); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Executive compensation

Annual performance incentive

Health benefits

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Executive development opportunities

Job summary

Steelcrest Precision in Wauseon, Ohio, seeks a Director of Engineering & Estimating to elevate the engineering organization as a strategic advantage. You will lead Manufacturing, Process, Program Engineering, and Estimating to drive profitability, accuracy, and scalability from quotation through production.

The role reports to the President & CEO and requires guiding responses to AS9102, ITAR, and AS9100 audits while developing talent and capital investments to enable significant revenue growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, or Aerospace Engineering.
• 10+ years of progressive engineering leadership in aerospace precision machining.
• Leadership of engineering orgs supporting $30M–$100M manufacturing operations.
• Expert knowledge of CNC machining, GD&T, AS9102, AS9100, ITAR, and estimating methodologies.
• Experience leading multi-site engineering teams and driving operational transformation.
• U.S. Person status as defined by ITAR.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the company's engineering and estimating strategy aligned with long-term growth objectives.
• Own engineering performance across manufacturing, including productivity, manufacturability, quality, cost, and delivery.
• Lead all manufacturing, process, tooling, CAM/CAD, and program engineering activities.
• Own the estimating function, including standardized cost models, should-cost analysis, pricing strategy, and quotation governance.
• Reduce quote turnaround time while improving estimating accuracy and gross margin performance.
• Drive Industry 4.0, automation, AI-enabled estimating, digital manufacturing, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead New Product Introduction (NPI), AS9102 First Article Inspection readiness, and engineering change management.
• Partner with Sales to win strategic programs through superior manufacturability and competitive pricing.
• Develop engineering talent, succession plans, and a culture of accountability, urgency, innovation, and technical excellence.
• Recommend capital investments and ensure measurable return on investment.
• Represent Engineering during customer, OEM, DCMA, AS9100, and regulatory audits.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Financial and business acumen

Customer-facing leadership

Operational excellence mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, or Aerospace Engineering

Master's degree or MBA

Tools

ERP/MRP

Paperless Parts

Global Shop

E2

JobBOSS

Job description

Steelcrest Precision in Wauseon, Ohio, seeks a Director of Engineering & Estimating to elevate the engineering organization as a strategic advantage. You will lead Manufacturing, Process, Program Engineering, and Estimating to drive profitability, accuracy, and scalability from quotation through production.

The role reports to the President & CEO and requires guiding responses to AS9102, ITAR, and AS9100 audits while developing talent and capital investments to enable significant revenue growth.