Director of Engineering

Director of Engineering – Industrial Refrigeration & Packaged Systems

Location: South Central Pennsylvania / Greater Susquehanna Valley; onsite presence required with relocation assistance available

Position Type: Full-Time / Executive Leadership

Compensation: $175,000+ base salary, plus a 20% target annual performance bonus

Reports To: Vice President, Packaged Solutions / Senior Leadership

Leadership Scope: Manager of Managers (direct and indirect oversight of ~50 multi-disciplinary engineering professionals across Product Development, Mechanical/System Design, Application Engineering, and Engineering Execution)

Position Summary

A global industrial technology and engineering manufacturer is seeking a Director of Engineering – Industrial Refrigeration to serve as a vital member of its North American Senior Leadership Team
. This role is responsible for the overall strategic and operational leadership, technical direction, and performance of the Project Engineering, Application Engineering, and Product Development functions within the North American Compression Technologies and Packaged Systems division
.

Operating out of a major U.S. manufacturing and assembly facility in York, Pennsylvania
, the Director ensures the delivery of safe, code-compliant, innovative, highly engineered packaged refrigeration solutions and custom skid-mounted systems
. This leader balances deep technical credibility with exceptional people leadership—mentoring a team of experienced and long-tenured engineers, introducing process and organizational improvements, and driving profitable business growth
.

Additionally, this executive serves as the primary North American engineering liaison to European engineering and product development organizations, ensuring alignment on global technology roadmaps, shared equipment platforms, and cross-regional engineering initiatives
.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Engineering & Organizational Leadership

• Lead, direct, and grow a multi-disciplinary engineering organization of approximately 50 technical professionals
  .

• Serve as an active member of the North American Senior Leadership Team, collaborating with executive peers across Sales, Operations, Project Management, Service, Supply Chain, and Finance to guide broader business decisions and operational priorities
  .

• Establish clear engineering performance metrics, goals, resource allocation plans, workload balancing, and succession plans aligned with regional and global business objectives
  .

• Drive a culture of technical excellence, continuous learning, safety, accountability, and cross-functional collaboration
  .

Application Engineering & Technical Sales Support

• Oversee the technical proposal, system selection, costing, and quotation processes across North America
  .

• Partner directly with Sales and Commercial teams to develop technically sound, margin-focused, engineered-to-order solutions tailored to customer requirements
  .

• Drive continuous improvement of application configuration tools, design standards, and technical estimating systems to enhance proposal accuracy, speed, and competitiveness
  .

Project Engineering & Execution Governance

• Provide continuous governance and technical oversight for complex engineered project orders from initial entry through manufacturing, testing, and final project completion
  .

• Ensure all system designs strictly comply with applicable industry codes (e.g., ASME, IIAR, OSHA), regulatory standards, customer specifications, and internal quality management systems
  .

• Standardize design guidelines, technical review workflows, and engineering procedures to reduce execution risk, eliminate project variance, and enhance overall profitability
  .

• Act as the senior technical authority for critical issue escalation, risk management, and client technical resolution
  .

Product Development, Innovation & Global Collaboration

• Champion North American initiatives in new product introduction (NPI), sustaining engineering, technology development, cost reduction, and value engineering
  .

• Spearhead regional innovation for industrial ammonia refrigeration, heat pump technologies, process cooling, and advanced compression systems
  .

• Serve as the North American engineering liaison to European engineering hubs, advocating for regional customer requirements while standardizing on common global platforms and technology transfer programs
  .

Process & Organizational Improvement

• Introduce modernized engineering tools, processes, and workflows that boost team productivity, throughput, and cross-functional alignment
  .

• Gain trust and earn credibility with long-tenured engineering staff, successfully implementing change management strategies that enhance execution without disrupting proven operational strengths
  .

• Manage departmental operational budgets, resource forecasting, and technology capital expenditures
  .

Required Qualifications & Experience

Education & Licensure

• Required: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline
  .

• Preferred: Master’s degree in Engineering (MS) or Business Administration (MBA)
  .

• Desirable: Professional Engineer (PE) license
  .

Professional Experience

• 15+ Years of Progressive Engineering Experience: Demonstrated career progression within industrial refrigeration, heavy packaged equipment manufacturing, process cooling, heat pumps, or related complex engineered equipment industries
  .

• Established Engineering Leadership: Proven track record of managing sizable, multi-disciplinary engineering organizations (mechanical, electrical, applications, project, and product development)
  .

• Industrial Ammonia Refrigeration Expertise: Deep technical knowledge of industrial ammonia refrigeration systems, industrial compressors, skid-mounted packaged units, thermodynamics, controls, and engineered-to-order (ETO) manufacturing practices
  .

• Change & Improvement Leadership: Proven success introducing process improvements, standardizing technical workflows, and leading team transformations while maintaining strong employee buy-in and retention
  .

• Global / Enterprise Exposure: Demonstrated ability to work effectively within global matrixed organizations, collaborating across international divisions and cross-regional leadership teams
  .

Leadership Competencies & Cultural Fit

• Collaborative & Credible Leader: Highly technically proficient with the ability to earn immediate trust with long-tenured technical experts through active listening, mentorship, and demonstrated expertise
  .

• Strategic & Business Minded: Balances technical precision with commercial realities, project margins, budget compliance, and customer expectations
  .

• Change Agent: Skilled in coaching, influencing, and navigating change without taking a heavy-handed or disruptive approach
  .

• Executive Communicator: Capable of translating complex technical concepts into clear strategic updates for executive leadership, global partners, and key commercial clients
  .

Working Conditions & Travel

• Work Location: Onsite at the manufacturing facility in located in South Central Pennsylvania, easily accessible from Lancaster and Harrisburg
  .

• Travel: Domestic and international travel as required to support strategic clients, manufacturing facilities, global engineering meetings, and industry conferences
  .