Director, Engineering Process Definition & Improvement in Dayton, Minnesota at States Manufacturing LLC

This leader defines one standard way Forgent engineers work, at every site, and keeps improving it. The role owns the end-to-end engineering process for switchgear and switchboard products: from quote and order entry through design, drawings, BOM release, and handoff to manufacturing.

As Forgent grows across multiple sites, inconsistent methods drive rework, long lead times, and quality escapes. This director turns site-by-site practices into a documented, measured, and continuously improved system that scales with demand while protecting UL compliance.

Process definition and standardization

• Map, define, and document the current and future-state engineering workflow across all sites, from quote through release to production.

• Establish enterprise standards for design rules, drawing packages, BOM structure, part numbering, naming conventions, and design reviews.

• Own the engineering process library: SOPs, work instructions, templates, checklists, and RACI for each stage.

• Govern change: create and run a controlled process for proposing, approving, and rolling out process changes.

Continuous improvement

• Lead a prioritized improvement roadmap using Lean, Six Sigma, and value-stream methods to cut engineering lead time, rework, and errors.

• Run root-cause and corrective action on engineering-driven escapes, ECOs, and field issues.

• Drive design standardization and reuse (configurable designs, standard modules, libraries) to reduce custom engineering per order.

Systems and tools

• Partner with IT and engineering leaders to select, implement, and align tools (ECAD/MCAD, PLM/PDM, ERP integration, configurators, design automation) to the defined process.

• Ensure data flows cleanly between engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing systems.

Compliance and quality

• Embed UL and code requirements (e.g., UL 891, UL 1558, NEC) into design standards and review gates, in partnership with Quality and the UL compliance lead.

• Ensure processes support audit readiness and consistent documentation across sites.

Measurement and reporting

• Define and publish engineering KPIs by site and enterprise-wide; report progress to executive leadership.

• Use data to identify bottlenecks, capacity constraints, and best practices to replicate across sites.

Cross-functional partnership

• Work closely with Sales/Applications, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, and Project Management to improve handoffs.

• Act as the single point of accountability for how engineering work moves through the business.

The director leads through a small central team and a network of site process owners.

• Direct reports: process/CI engineers, engineering standards and documentation specialists, and an engineering systems analyst (team size to confirm).

• Indirect influence: engineering managers and site process champions at every Forgent site.

• Decision authority: approves enterprise engineering standards, templates, and process changes; sets the improvement roadmap with @Dan Eslinger.

• Leadership expectations: builds a culture of standard work and continuous improvement, coaches engineers in problem-solving, and develops successors and site champions.

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Industrial, or Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field.

• 10+ years of engineering experience in electrical equipment or engineered-to-order manufacturing, including 5+ years leading teams.

• Proven record defining and deploying standard engineering processes across multiple sites or business units.

• Hands-on Lean / continuous improvement experience with measurable results.

• Working knowledge of engineering tools and systems: ECAD/MCAD, PLM/PDM, and ERP integration.

Preferred

• Familiarity with UL and NEC requirements for low- and medium-voltage electrical equipment.

• Experience with switchgear, switchboards, panelboards, or similar power distribution products.

• Six Sigma Green or Black Belt; PMP or equivalent.

• Experience leading ECAD or PLM implementations and design automation or configure-to-order initiatives.

• Master's degree or MBA.

• Experience in a fast-growing, multi-site organization.

Core competencies

• Systems thinking: sees the whole quote-to-production flow, not just one step.

• Change leadership: wins adoption across sites without direct authority over every team.

• Data-driven decisions: sets baselines, measures, and reports results honestly.

• Clear communication: writes crisp standards and presents to executives and shop floor alike.

• Collaboration: builds trust with Sales, Operations, Quality, and site leadership.

Working conditions

• Office and manufacturing floor environments; PPE required on the floor.

• Regular travel between Forgent sites, up to 40%.

Forgent Power is an equal opportunity employer.