Director of Engineering Excellence / Directress of Engineering Excellence

Position Summary

We are seeking a highly experienced Director of Engineering Excellence to lead strategic programs that drive operational excellence, regulatory compliance, enterprise data governance, cybersecurity initiatives, and engineering capability development across a global R&D organization.

This leadership role serves as a critical link between Product Business Units (PBUs), IT, Engineering, Procurement, Legal, and Corporate Functions. The successful candidate will oversee a broad portfolio of enterprise-wide initiatives while leading teams, driving organizational improvements, supporting digital transformation, and fostering a culture of innovation and accountability.

Key Responsibilities

Regulatory Compliance & Product Sustainability

• Lead global substance compliance programs, ensuring adherence to evolving regulatory requirements and sustainability standards.
• Oversee supplier compliance initiatives, conflict minerals reporting, and environmental reporting programs.
• Manage enterprise compliance tools, standards subscriptions, and related digital platforms.
• Collaborate with Procurement, Legal, Sustainability, and external partners to ensure regulatory compliance across the supply chain.
• Monitor emerging regulations and develop strategies to mitigate compliance risks.

Data Governance & Engineering Data Management

• Lead enterprise data governance initiatives supporting engineering, product development, and manufacturing operations.
• Oversee large-scale product data migration and transformation projects.
• Drive adoption of standardized parts management, global components libraries, and enterprise data quality programs.
• Establish governance frameworks that ensure data accuracy, consistency, and usability across business units.
• Sponsor automation and AI-driven initiatives to improve engineering data management and operational efficiency.
• Provide strategic direction for Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and master data management systems.

Cybersecurity & Technology Risk Management

• Lead enterprise cybersecurity improvement programs across engineering environments.
• Partner with IT and security teams to manage initiatives related to vulnerability management, identity management, infrastructure security, cloud environments, and endpoint protection.
• Develop reporting frameworks that provide visibility into cybersecurity performance, risk exposure, and remediation actions.
• Support secure engineering practices and regulatory compliance related to cybersecurity requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement of cybersecurity governance and risk mitigation processes.

Sustainability & Strategic Programs

• Lead strategic sustainability initiatives impacting products, operations, and engineering processes.
• Coordinate cross-functional programs supporting environmental compliance and sustainability objectives.
• Drive adoption of sustainability metrics, methodologies, and reporting practices across engineering teams.
• Facilitate alignment between engineering strategy, product roadmaps, and corporate sustainability goals.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead, coach, and develop global teams across multiple disciplines.
• Build a high-performance culture focused on collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Drive talent development, succession planning, leadership growth, and employee engagement initiatives.
• Support diversity, inclusion, and organizational capability-building programs.
• Establish learning and development plans that strengthen technical, leadership, and professional competencies.

Executive Reporting & Organizational Excellence

• Provide executive-level reporting on strategic programs, compliance initiatives, operational metrics, and organizational performance.
• Present progress, risks, and recommendations to senior leadership and executive stakeholders.
• Drive governance, program management standards, and operational excellence practices across the organization.
• Ensure transparency, consistency, and accountability across all Engineering Excellence initiatives.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Champion a culture of innovation throughout the organization.
• Sponsor technology initiatives, innovation programs, and continuous improvement activities.
• Encourage invention disclosures, idea generation, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Promote adoption of emerging technologies, digital transformation, AI, and automation opportunities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Technology, Data Science, Business, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of leadership experience within engineering, operations, compliance, or technology organizations.
• Proven experience leading complex global programs across multiple regions and business units.
• Strong background in regulatory compliance, engineering operations, data governance, or related fields.
• Experience working with enterprise systems such as SAP, PLM, ERP, or data governance platforms.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional teams and influencing senior stakeholders.
• Experience managing large transformation programs involving engineering, IT, legal, procurement, and business teams.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Excellent communication and executive presentation skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Data Analytics, or a related field.
• Certifications in Program Management, Product Lifecycle Management, Compliance, Data Governance, or Cybersecurity.
• Experience in manufacturing, industrial technology, building technologies, or global engineering organizations.
• Knowledge of AI, automation, analytics, and digital transformation technologies.
• Experience managing global teams and multi-regional organizations.

Key Competencies

• Strategic Leadership
• Engineering Operations Excellence
• Program & Portfolio Management
• Regulatory Compliance & Governance
• Data Governance & Analytics
• Cybersecurity & Risk Management
• Change Management
• Cross-Functional Influence
• Executive Communication
• Talent Development & Coaching
• Innovation & Digital Transformation

Success Measures

Success in this role will be measured by:

• Effective execution of enterprise-wide strategic programs.
• Achievement of compliance and regulatory objectives.
• Improvements in data governance, data quality, and operational efficiency.
• Successful delivery of cybersecurity and risk mitigation initiatives.
• Development and engagement of high-performing global teams.
• Adoption of innovation and continuous improvement practices.
• Delivery of clear, accurate, and impactful executive reporting.
• Achievement of organizational transformation and business performance goals.

Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.