Director of Design Engineering

Description

Black Diamond is a company of users. We’re a company that's not just for rock climbers and skiers, but one that stands for the spirit of the sports we live. We're the greatest dreamers about what could be, and the harshest of critics about what exists. Our passion, dedication, and diligence is what drives our incredible team to relentlessly design, engineer and build the world's best climbing, skiing and mountain equipment. Bound by our undying passion for climbing, skiing and mountain adventure since 1957, our team’s limitless energy and hands-on involvement continues to create a promising future for all climbers and skiers worldwide.

Black Diamond is looking for a Director of Design Engineering to lead the brand's Design Engineering team and the effectiveness of their efforts to innovate and demonstrate creative problem solving on new and/or improved BDEL products. 

The Director of Design Engineering will direct the engineering team’s work including making final decisions on all aspects of the engineering of each product in consultation with the Design Team. This person will work very closely and collaboratively with Business Unit Directors, Industrial Design, Development, and QA to make final decisions that appropriately balance the design, engineering, and business needs for each product. This person will work closely with the other functional directors within R&D to determine appropriate resource allocation for each season’s new projects and is responsible for workload allocation for the members of the Design Engineering team. 

The Director of Design Engineering serves as a mentor and manager with a focus on developing fellow engineers in their skills and abilities. This person will be working with other Design Engineers on their projects, specifically to facilitate their success. The Director of Design Engineering will be an advocate for the Design Engineers, working to give them the tools and time they need to execute projects well.  This person is also responsible for tracking and reporting status for projects assigned to their employees, overseeing general engineering quality of those projects, monitoring workload of their team, and general mentorship 

Job Responsibilities:    

1. Recruit, manage and develop brand’s product Design Engineering team.
2. Coach Design Engineers to ensure they produce the most innovative and well-engineered products possible, while encouraging them to continuously improve as engineers and inventors.
3. Apply sound engineering principles to new and/or improved product design while pursuing longer term product innovation strategies.
4. Perform general administration of the Design Engineering staff including conducting performance reviews, mentoring, training activities, and facilitating individual project progress.
5. In consultation with Business Unit Directors and other functional leaders, assign appropriate Design Engineering resources to new product design projects.
6. Analyze resources needed for new and on-going product Design Engineering issues; report to, advise and update senior leadership appropriately.
7. Work with all counterparts throughout Black Diamond (particularly Business Unit Directors, Development Director, QA, Director of Industrial Design) to make sure inter- and intra-departmental communication and collaboration is effective.
8. Ensure the Design Engineering group is in alignment with Black Diamond’s strategic goals, company mission, vision, and values, providing mediation when and where necessary to ensure a productive outcome.
9. Ensure employees have the information and tools they need to execute on their projects.
10. Assist employees in solving critical, urgent, or complex problems on short notice.
11. Intentionally spend time mentoring, training, and equipping employees in critical engineering skills such as CAD, FEA, material science, manufacturing processes, etc.
12. Review work of employees to ensure it meets BD standards of product design.
13. Anticipate potential problems with products and projects, and assist employees in addressing them.
14. Help employees meet the phase gate deliverables for employees’ projects.
15. Attend design team meetings and management update meetings as necessary to understand and      communicate project status and concerns to interested parties.
16. When necessary, shield the team or help prioritize outside requests.
17. Actively engage in conceptual design work as time allows.

Requirements

Who You Are

• You have a Bachelor’s Degree in ME and 9 years of post-grad experience in a ME role, preferable in consumer products.
• You are able to approach challenges with a positive attitude and the ability to quickly adapt to change.
• You have the ability to manage multiple high level, business critical, and complex programs independently
• You have deep knowledge of engineering principles and have the ability to intuitively apply them in real applications.
• You have a track record of demonstrating the initiative and ability needed to work collegially with diverse groups and personalities while creating new products in an intense environment. 
• You have strong leadership, collaboration, and negotiation skills.

Benefits begin on the first of the month following your date of hire with a generous portion of medical and dental paid for by BD. You also will get employer paid life insurance, Short and Long Term Disability, company paid holidays, paid vacation and wellness and paid parent time, and 401k. BD offers supplemental accident, hospital insurance and pet insurance. Relaxed dress code and a dog friendly office. If your passions are also in the outdoors, then you will also enjoy discounts on industry gear and apparel.

Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex; including sexual orientation and gender identity, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you have the right to request an accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career center as a result of your disability. To request an accommodation, contact a Black Diamond Equipment HR representative.