Director of Engineering

Great opportunity to work as a Director of Engineering for a Global Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing organization located near Starkville, MSResponsibilities:Engineering Leadership & ExecutionLead and manage day-to-day activities for Manufacturing Engineering, Engineering Technicians Test Engineering, and Configuration Management.Translate program requirements into executable manufacturing plans that meet cost Quality, schedule, and compliance objectives.Ensure engineering resources are aligned to production priorities and program ramp-ups.Establish clear accountability, metrics, and performance expectations across the engineering organization.Manufacturing & Program SupportServe as the primary engineering interface to Program Management, supporting proposal activities, production planning, and execution.Partner with Manufacturing leadership to ensure process readiness, capacity planning, and efficient production flow.Collaborate with Supply Chain to support make/buy decisions, tooling strategies, supplier readiness, and manufacturability.Work closely with the Quality Director to ensure robust process controls, FAI readiness, and continuous compliance with AS9100 and customer requirements.New Product Introduction (NPI)Lead engineering execution for New Product Introduction efforts, ensuring a disciplined transition from development to production.Establish and lead formal NPI gate/phase reviews, ensuring technical, manufacturing, Quality, and supply chain readiness at each phase.Drive manufacturability reviews, risk assessments, and production readiness reviews as part of the gated NPI process.Ensure tooling, fixtures, test equipment, and work instructions are developed, validated, and released prior to production authorization.Identify and mitigate technical schedule, and manufacturing risks early in the NPI lifecycle.Tooling, Automation & Process ImprovementLead development and deployment of production tooling, fixtures, and test equipment.Drive automation initiatives to improve safety, Quality, through put, and cost.Implement error-proofing(poka-yoke) strategies across manufacturing and test processes.Champion continuous improvement initiatives leveraging Lean, Six Sigma, and aerospace manufacturing best practices.Configuration Management & ComplianceEnsure Disciplined configuration management, change control, and documentation practices.Oversee engineering change implementation to minimize disruption to production.Maintain compliance with AS9100, customer specifications, and internal engineering standards.Support internal and external audits, including customer and regulatory audits.QualificationsBachelor's degree in engineering (Mechanical, Manufacturing, Electrical, Aerospace, or related field).Strong working knowledge of AS9100, FAI, configuration management, and production engineering.Demonstrated success leading NPI, tooling development, and manufacturing process improvements.PreferredMaster's degree in engineering or business (MBA)Experience with automation, robotics, and advanced manufacturing technologies.Lean Six Sigma certification or equivalent continuous improvement experience.Experience supporting government or defense programs.