Vice President Engineering

RENK America; Muskegon (MI); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

RENK America is seeking a VP of Engineering to lead the Product, Systems, CAD, Modeling & Simulation, and technical service functions within a defense manufacturing environment. You will provide technical leadership, establish standards, and partner with PM, Operations, Quality, and Business Development to meet customer requirements and regulatory standards.

You will oversee all product development activities from requirements through production, drive the use of CAD/CAE tools to accelerate

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering or equivalent.
• 10+ years comprehensive engineering experience.
• 5+ years leading a team in engineering.
• Experience with ITAR, DFARS, MIL SPEC and customer requirements.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and technical documentation.
• Excellent communication and people management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the engineering organization across product and systems engineering.
• Drive CAD/CAE, modeling & simulation to accelerate development and reduce cost and risk.
• Establish and maintain engineering standards, processes, toolsets, and methodologies.
• Oversee all product development activities from requirements to production.
• Provide technical oversight, design reviews, and engineering authority on major programs.
• Ensure engineering practices comply with ITAR, DFARS, MIL SPEC and customer requirements.
• Collaborate with Program Management, Operations, Quality, and Business Development.
• Develop long-term technology roadmaps aligned with business strategy and competitive advantage.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

People management

Strategic thinking

MS Office

Matrix organization

Talent development

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical, Electrical or Systems Engineering

Tools

CAD

CAx

Modeling & Simulation

Job description

About the Organization RENK America is a leading supplier in the defense, marine and industry sector with superior mobility, propulsion and drive train solutions. Our tradition is centered on precision-engineered systems for maximum impact, efficiency and endurance. RENK's ambition is to support each and every one of its customers to exceed standards in harsh conditions and combat situations. RENK America employs over 500 employees at our US locations in Muskegon, Michigan, Cincinnati, Ohio, Camby, Indiana and Roseville, Michigan. RENK America is driven by this sense of pride and purpose in our country and our community. Description
The Vice President of Engineering is a senior strategic leader responsible for driving the vision, execution, and operational excellence of Product Engineering, Systems Engineering, CAD, Modeling & Simulation, and technical service functions within a defense manufacturing environment. This role provides technical leadership, ensures disciplined engineering processes, and partners closely with Program Management, Operations, Quality, and Business Development to deliver mission critical systems that meet customer requirements, regulatory standards, and company objectives.

• Lead and develop the engineering organization, including product engineering, systems engineering, CAD, modeling & simulation, technical services, and technical product support.
• Drive the use of CAD, CAE, modeling & simulation tools to accelerate development, improve accuracy, and reduce cost and risk.
• Establish and maintain engineering standards, processes, toolsets, and methodologies appropriate for a defense manufacturing environment (e.g., configuration management, design assurance, verification & validation).
• Oversee all product development activities, from requirements definition and system architecture through detailed design, modeling, prototyping, testing, and transition to production.
• Provide technical oversight, design reviews, and engineering authority on major programs.
• Ensure engineering practices comply with ITAR, DFARS, MIL SPEC, and customer specific requirements.
• Partner with Program Management to meet cost, schedule, and performance goals.
• Collaborate with Operations, Ops Engineering to ensure designs are optimized for manufacturability, quality, serviceability, and reliability.
• Oversee product engineering issues and develop solutions to meet productivity, quality, and customer-satisfaction goals and objective.
• Develop long term technology roadmaps aligned with business strategy, capability development, and competitive advantage.
• Lead engineering resource planning, talent development, succession planning, and organizational structure improvements.
• Collaborate with business development and strategic technologies to ensure offered solutions are technically feasible and that business growth strategies align with technology direction
• Serve as the technical leader for RENK America across the RENK Group and within the Vehicle Mobility Solutions division
• Oversee engineering budgets, capital investment planning (e.g., CAD/CAE licenses, test equipment), and staffing forecasts.
• Serve as the senior technical liaison with customers, suppliers, certification bodies, and government stakeholders.
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, continuous improvement, and rigorous engineering discipline.

Position Requirements

• Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineeering or equivalent with 10+ years comprehensive Engineering experience and 5 years leading a team.
• Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Sysems Engineering or equivalent with 8+ years comprehensive Engineering experience and 5 years leading a team.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)
• Influence and decision-making skills
• Excellent communication and people management skills
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills
• Results-driven and execution focused
• Skilled at developing engineering talent and building high-performance teams
• Experience collaborating in a matrixed organization with Program Management, Operations, Supply Chain, and Quality
• Demonstrated success directing multi-disciplinary engineering teams in complex product development

RENK America is an Equal Opportunity Employer including Veterans/Disability
Full-Time/Part-Time Full-Time Exempt/Non-Exempt Exempt EOE Statement RENK America is proud to be an Aff
RENK America is committed to treating all employees and applicants for employment with respect and dignity and maintaining a workplace that is free from unlawful discrimination. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or other related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, characteristic or membership in any other group protected by federal, state or local laws. RENK America maintains a drug-free workplace and performs pre-employment substance abuse testing and background checks, where permitted by law.
This position is currently accepting applications.