Director Field Engineering

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Job Summary

The Director, Field Engineering provides strategic leadership for Austin Powder Company's engineering organization and capital project portfolio across North America. This position is responsible for the planning, development, and execution of projects at our manufacturing assets, commercial distribution sites, and strategic capital investments supporting the company's long-term growth objectives.
The Director leads a multidisciplinary engineering/project team and ensures that all projects are executed safely, efficiently, and in compliance with applicable regulatory and company requirements. The role supports the company projects related to facility expansion, process improvements, manufacturing modernization, infrastructure upgrades, process safety initiatives, and strategic capital investments.
This position collaborates closely with executive leadership, commercial, manufacturing, SHES, supply chain, and external stakeholders to improve safety, reliability, production capability, quality, cost efficiency, and site utilization while supporting the manufacture and use of industrial explosives in a safe and responsible manner.

Essential Functions, Duties, and Responsibilities

Leadership and Organizational Development

• Demonstrate and promote Austin Powder's mission, vision, values, and commitment to safety.
• Lead, develop, mentor, and retain a high-performing team of project engineers, engineering managers, project managers, and technical specialists.
• Establish engineering standards, project execution methodologies, and best practices across all company facilities.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, technical excellence, and safety leadership.

Project Engineering and Execution

• Manage a portfolio of capital projects ranging from site improvements and equipment upgrades to major manufacturing facility expansions.
• Oversee all phases of project execution, including concept development, feasibility studies, scope definition, budgeting, design, procurement, construction, commissioning, startup, and closeout.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary engineering efforts involving mechanical, electrical, controls, instrumentation, civil, structural, and process engineering disciplines.
• Ensure project deliverables meet stakeholder requirements and operational objectives.
• Lead project reviews and provide regular updates to executive leadership and key stakeholders.
• Provide engineering leadership supporting Process Safety Management (PSM), Management of Change (MOC), and Hazard and Operability Studies (HAZOP)
• Ensure all projects comply with applicable OSHA, ATF, EPA, NFPA, NEC, environmental, transportation, and local regulatory requirements.
• Promote continuous improvement in safety performance across all engineering and construction activities.

Capital Project Portfolio

• Lead project governance processes, including stage-gate reviews, capital authorization requests, and executive project reporting.
• Ensure capital projects are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with approved scope.
• Monitor and report portfolio performance, schedule adherence, budget status, capital forecasts, and project risks.
• Partner with executive leadership to develop long-term engineering, infrastructure, and manufacturing strategies.
• Evaluate existing and future manufacturing and distribution facility needs and recommend expansion, consolidation, or modernization initiatives.
• Support site selection activities for new manufacturing, distribution, and operational facilities.
• Identify opportunities for operational efficiency, automation, energy reduction, and manufacturing optimization.
• Develop and manage annual engineering and capital budgets.
• Prepare capital expenditure requests, business cases, financial justifications, and project approval packages.
• Manage project forecasts, committed costs, change orders, and contractor expenditures.
• Ensure effective utilization of engineering resources and external consulting services.

Vendor and Contractor Management

• Establish and maintain relationships with engineering firms, equipment manufacturers, contractors, consultants, and other service providers.
• Lead technical evaluations, contractor selection, bid reviews, and contract negotiations.
• Ensure contractor safety, quality, schedule, and performance expectations are consistently achieved.

Other Duties

• Present engineering strategies, project updates, and capital plans to executive leadership and other stakeholders.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Essential Functions, Duties, and Responsibilities

Leadership and Organizational Development

• Demonstrate and promote Austin Powder's mission, vision, values, and commitment to safety.
• Lead, develop, mentor, and retain a high-performing team of project engineers, engineering managers, project managers, and technical specialists.
• Establish engineering standards, project execution methodologies, and best practices across all company facilities.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, technical excellence, and safety leadership.

Project Engineering and Execution

• Manage a portfolio of capital projects ranging from site improvements and equipment upgrades to major manufacturing facility expansions.
• Oversee all phases of project execution, including concept development, feasibility studies, scope definition, budgeting, design, procurement, construction, commissioning, startup, and closeout.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary engineering efforts involving mechanical, electrical, controls, instrumentation, civil, structural, and process engineering disciplines.
• Ensure project deliverables meet stakeholder requirements and operational objectives.
• Lead project reviews and provide regular updates to executive leadership and key stakeholders.
• Provide engineering leadership supporting Process Safety Management (PSM), Management of Change (MOC), and Hazard and Operability Studies (HAZOP)
• Ensure all projects comply with applicable OSHA, ATF, EPA, NFPA, NEC, environmental, transportation, and local regulatory requirements.
• Promote continuous improvement in safety performance across all engineering and construction activities.

Capital Project Portfolio

• Lead project governance processes, including stage-gate reviews, capital authorization requests, and executive project reporting.
• Ensure capital projects are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with approved scope.
• Monitor and report portfolio performance, schedule adherence, budget status, capital forecasts, and project risks.
• Partner with executive leadership to develop long-term engineering, infrastructure, and manufacturing strategies.
• Evaluate existing and future manufacturing and distribution facility needs and recommend expansion, consolidation, or modernization initiatives.
• Support site selection activities for new manufacturing, distribution, and operational facilities.
• Identify opportunities for operational efficiency, automation, energy reduction, and manufacturing optimization.
• Develop and manage annual engineering and capital budgets.
• Prepare capital expenditure requests, business cases, financial justifications, and project approval packages.
• Manage project forecasts, committed costs, change orders, and contractor expenditures.
• Ensure effective utilization of engineering resources and external consulting services.

Vendor and Contractor Management

• Establish and maintain relationships with engineering firms, equipment manufacturers, contractors, consultants, and other service providers.
• Lead technical evaluations, contractor selection, bid reviews, and contract negotiations.
• Ensure contractor safety, quality, schedule, and performance expectations are consistently achieved.

Other Duties

• Present engineering strategies, project updates, and capital plans to executive leadership and other stakeholders.
  • Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Required Experience, Skills & Abilities

• Minimum 15 years of progressively responsible experience in engineering, manufacturing, capital projects, or related industrial operations.
• Minimum 7 years of leadership experience managing multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Demonstrated success managing capital programs and projects ranging from $500,000 to $50 million or greater.
• Experience within explosives, chemical manufacturing, mining, industrial manufacturing, energy, or other high-hazard operating environments.
• Strong understanding of project management principles, engineering design practices, construction management, and commissioning activities.
• Working knowledge of Process Safety Management and Management of Change processes.
• Demonstrated ability to develop engineering organizations and build high-performing teams.
• Excellent business, financial, analytical, and strategic planning skills.
• Effective communication, presentation, negotiation, and stakeholder management abilities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and project management software.
• Ability to travel extensively throughout the United States and Canada.
• Ability to maintain productive professional relationships with employees, customers, contractors, suppliers, and regulatory agencies.

Educational and Professional Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering from an accredited college or university required.
• Master’s degree in engineering, Business Administration, or related discipline preferred.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification preferred.

Work Environment

• Supports Austin Powder Company operations throughout the United States and Canada.
• Work is performed in office, manufacturing, construction, and field environments.
• Regular exposure to industrial manufacturing facilities and construction sites.
• Willingness and ability to travel on both scheduled and unscheduled basis up to 50%.

Key Behavioral Traits for Success

Safety Orientation: Commitment to “safety first” always and in all situations; accepting that safety is not something else to do, it is an element of everything we do for our employees and our customers. If it is not safe, we stop and do not go forward until it is.

Commitment to Task: Able to take responsibility for actions and outcomes and persist despite obstacles; give dedication to the position; demonstrate dependability in difficult circumstances and show a sense of urgency about getting results.

Communication: Able to clearly present information through spoken or written word; read and interpret complex information; talk with internal / external customers; listen well.

Decision Making & Problem Solving: Able to act in solving problems while exhibiting judgment and a realistic understanding of issues; able to use reason, even while dealing with emotional topics; review facts and weigh options with a strong attention to detail.

Policies, Processes, & Procedures: Able to act in accordance with established guidelines; follow standard regulatory procedures; communicate and enforce organizational policies and procedures

Integrity: Deal with others in a straightforward and honest manner, accountable for actions, maintaining confidentiality and supporting company values.

Adaptability: Adjusts planned work by gathering relevant information and applying critical thinking to address multiple demands priorities in a changing environment.

Customer/Quality Focus: Anticipates and meets the needs of customers and responds to them in an appropriate manner. Provides the highest quality service and product to all customers.

About Austin Powder

Austin Powder has been making explosives for nearly 190 years and we take great pride in improving the world we live in.

In 1833, the Austin family created a company to produce black powder that would help break the rock, mine the minerals and build the canals and railroads to develop the frontier. Initially along the banks of the Cuyahoga River near Akron, Ohio, we grew as the country grew.

Today, Austin Powder is a world leader in the industrial explosives industry with a passionate commitment towards safety, a relentless customer focus, a family culture work environment, and a demonstration of respect towards all. As in our early years, our mission continues to be to improve the world we live in through the safe and responsible use of explosives.

Our success has been based on our core values, and this has proven to be universally true around the globe as the company has expanded to be one of the leading providers of industrial explosives and blasting services in the world.

Austin Powder is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all job applicants and employees. Employment decisions are based upon job-related reasons regardless of an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, marital status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by law. Austin Powder also participates in E-Verify.

This contractor and subcontractor shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 60-300.5(a) and 60-741.5(a). These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, and for inquiring about, discussing or disclosing compensation. Moreover, these regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.