Supervisor Mechanical Design

Vaco Recruiter Services; Birmingham (AL); On-site; USD 64,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaco Recruiter Services seeks a Supervisor, Mechanical Design in a hybrid Montreal setting. The role leads a section of the engineering department, guiding resource planning, employee development, and continuous improvement to deliver complex projects and products.

The candidate will oversee budgeting, support audits, and collaborate across teams, while ensuring compliance with policies and standards. Fluency in French/English and security-clearance eligibility are required.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of engineering/manufacturing experience.
• Engineering degree or related field; Bachelor’s or higher preferred.
• Demonstrated people leadership and team management skills.
• Bilingual in French and English, French proficiency preferred.
• Eligible for required security clearances.

Responsibilities

• Lead a section of the engineering department and develop skilled workforce.
• Provide people leadership, resource planning, and employee development.
• Support engineering processes and technical initiatives.
• Recruit, assign, direct, and evaluate team members.
• Manage resources, facilities, processes, and tools; budget and capital planning.

Skills

People leadership

Bilingual French/English

Communication

Team management

Education

Engineering degree

Bachelor’s degree or higher

Tools

DFM tools

Job description

Supervisor, Mechanical Design

Location: Montreal, QC

Employment Type: Permanent

Work Arrangement: Hybrid – 4 days onsite, Friday remote

Language: Bilingual French/English, with stronger French proficiency preferred

Clearance: Reliability and CGP clearance required; must be eligible for Secret clearance

About the Role

We are looking for a Supervisor, Mechanical Design to join the engineering leadership team. This position will lead a section of a large engineering department, with responsibility for developing and maintaining a skilled workforce to support the successful execution and delivery of engineering projects and products.

The successful candidate will provide people leadership while supporting resource planning, employee development, continuous improvement, engineering processes, and technical initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

People & Resource Management

• Recruit, assign, direct, and evaluate team members.
• Manage employee performance, including 1:1 meetings, performance reviews, goal setting, coaching, and career development.
• Develop team capabilities and maintain succession plans for critical skills.
• Support staffing requirements for current and future programs and projects.
• Foster a collaborative, innovative, and people-focused work environment.
• Manage engineering resources, facilities, processes, and tools.
• Support departmental budgeting, forecasting, and capital planning.
• Ensure compliance with applicable policies and collective agreements.

Technical Leadership

• Participate in or lead Technical Overview Board (TOB) meetings.
• Promote Design for Manufacturing (DFM) principles.
• Lead or support technical troubleshooting and problem-solving activities.
• Provide technical support for Manufacturing Review Boards (MRBs) and customer inquiries.
• Support internal and external audits and ensure corrective actions are implemented.
• Capture and communicate lessons learned across the organization.

Process Improvement

• Ensure team adherence to company policies, procedures, and engineering standards.
• Support the development and maintenance of department-specific processes, work instructions, and standards.
• Lead or participate in business process improvement (BPI) and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support the adoption of modern engineering tools, technologies, and practices.
• Ensure Health & Safety procedures and requirements are followed.

Business & Strategic Support

• Participate in proposal and business development activities.
• Support product development and R&D initiatives.
• Contribute to technology roadmaps and engineering modernization initiatives.
• Support subcontractor management and small project initiatives.
• Contribute to negotiations, risk management, and other departmental activities as required.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience in engineering and/or manufacturing.
• Engineering or related degree; Bachelor’s degree or higher preferred.
• Demonstrated people leadership, conflict resolution, communication, and team management skills.
• Experience managing employee performance, including KPIs, 1:1s, performance reviews, timesheets, coaching, motivation, and career development.
• Strong interest in developing expertise in resource management, negotiations, risk management, and financial reporting.
• Strong strategic and problem-solving mindset.
• Bilingual in French and English, with stronger French proficiency preferred.
• Must be eligible to obtain the required security clearances.

Preferred Qualifications

• Mechanical Engineering background.
• Experience in mechanical design, engineering, or manufacturing environments.
• Experience in the aerospace, space, defense, or other highly regulated industries is an asset.
• Familiarity with engineering design and project management tools.
• Experience with Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong strategic and business-oriented mindset.