What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Engineering position at American Vanguard?
Job Title: Director of Engineering
The Director of Engineering will lead and manage a team of engineers across multiple plant sites, supporting manufacturing, sustainability, automation, process improvement, and operational excellence within the crop protection industry. This leader is accountable for sustaining engineering quality, leveraging best practices, and creating process improvements aligned with the company's growth and advancement of its product portfolio.
Leadership Excellence:
- Set the vision, strategic plan, and ensure execution in all aspects of manufacturing engineering and continuous improvement to achieve annual organizational goals.
- Lead and coach a team of engineers and related personnel to support the execution of manufacturing, product quality, plant maintenance, efficiency improvement, capital expenditures, and shipment of packaged goods.
- Display a continuous improvement mindset and use progressive analytical and problem-solving skills to improve facility performance.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including manufacturing, supply chain, procurement, R&D, commercial, and regulatory, to ensure seamless support for corporate goals and initiatives.
Continuous Improvement Process:
- Establish a culture of continuous improvement with the engineering team and across manufacturing facilities.
- Develop and implement operational excellence strategies and roadmaps in alignment with organizational goals.
- Identify, plan, and implement process improvement projects utilizing Lean, Six Sigma, and other continuous improvement methodologies to accomplish business objectives.
- Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of improvement strategies.
- Lead the continuous improvement project management office.
- Use data to drive continuous improvement initiatives.
Strategic Planning:
- Develop and implement technical strategies that drive innovation and optimize resources to deliver quality products to customers and align with long-term business goals and objectives.
- Coordinate and participate in long-range plant infrastructure improvement and expansion planning, organizational design, and succession planning, as well as efficiency analysis.
- Prepare annual capital budgets and maintain conformance to those budgetary limits.
- Ensure capital project execution from project justification to completion.
People Development:
- Mentor and coach the team to nurture a culture of responsible safety, operational excellence, and personal accountability to achieve business goals.
- Build teams and unlock individual potential.
- Attract, develop, and retain personnel that are aligned with the company's values and principles.
Manufacturing Support and Optimization:
- Research, develop, implement, and optimize chemical processes to improve production efficiency, yield, and quality while reducing costs.
- Create processes, procedures, and workflow within the Engineering team to ensure efficiency and consistency in the design, manufacture, and maintenance of technical data.
- Recommend new technology and ideas to optimize manufacturing footprint and improve efficiency.
EHS & Quality Management:
- SUPPORT COMPLIANCE WITH PROCESS SAFETY MANAGEMENT (PSM) AND ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATORY STANDARDS.
- Work with the Quality Assurance and control leaders to ensure the plant processes, documentation, procedures, and staff capability meet requisite standards for excellent product and packaging quality.
- SUPPORT THE INVESTIGATION OF SAFETY AND QUALITY INCIDENTS TO CORRECT ALL DEFICIENCIES IN A TIMELY AND COST-EFFECTIVE MANNER AND TO PREVENT RECURRING ISSUES.
Education Requirements:
- Bachelor of Science in Chemical (BS ChE) or Mechanical Engineering or related field - Required
- Master's degree preferred from an accredited institution
Experience Requirements:
- 8 years of experience in a management role leading diverse groups of technical resources
- 5 years management experience in a Chemical Process manufacturing environment
- Five (5) years developing and driving strategic engineering initiatives successfully
- Experience in the application of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma principles is required - Design for Six Sigma experience is preferred
- Proven technical capability utilizing engineering best practices and industry standards to adhere to safety and environmental regulations as well as Process Safety Management (PSM) expectations
- Excellent skills in leadership, program/project management, effective delegation, and budget management
- Exceptional problem-solving skills; Ability to work effectively in a cross-functional and team-oriented environment
- Experience with capital project management from appropriation preparation to field start-up
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to diverse stakeholders
- Willingness to travel up to 15% to manufacturing sites (California, Idaho, Oregon, etc.)
- Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) is required
- Process Automation (DCS/PLC) experience
- MUST ALSO PASS POST-OFFER DRUG TEST, BACKGROUND CHECK, AND OTHER APPROPRIATE TESTS AS REQUIRED
This Position includes:
-Industry leading Medical, Dental, and Vision care
-Life and Disability Insurance; Health Savings Account (HSA)/Flexible Spending Account (FSA); -401(k) Retirement Savings Plan and Employee Stock Purchasing Plan offered
-Additional benefits include Vacation, Sick, Holiday time off as well as a Wellness program
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity in our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
AMVAC, An American Vanguard Company, (NYSE: AVD)