Vice President of Engineering

Meridian Group Partners has been exclusively retained to identify a Vice President of Engineering for a rapidly growing, private equity-backed manufacturer serving mission-critical infrastructure markets.

This executive leadership position offers the opportunity to build and lead a high-performing engineering organization during a period of significant growth. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, the Vice President of Engineering will establish the vision, strategy, and operational discipline necessary to support continued expansion, innovation, and operational excellence across the business.

The successful candidate will oversee all engineering functions, including product design, process engineering, research & development, new product development, and engineering project execution. This leader will work cross-functionally with Manufacturing, Operations, Sales, Supply Chain, and Executive Leadership to improve product development, enhance manufacturing efficiency, and create scalable engineering processes that support long-term growth.

This is an exceptional opportunity for an engineering executive who enjoys building organizations, leading transformational change, and driving innovation in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute the company's engineering strategy in alignment with corporate objectives.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary engineering organization.
• Establish engineering standards, operating procedures, and performance expectations.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee all aspects of product design, engineering, R&D, and New Product Development.
• Ensure engineering solutions meet customer requirements, quality standards, regulatory requirements, and cost objectives.
• Improve product development processes from customer concept through fabrication and production.
• Drive continuous improvement across engineering systems and workflows.

Operations & Manufacturing Partnership

• Partner closely with Manufacturing and Operations to improve design for manufacturability and production efficiency.
• Implement engineering best practices, project management disciplines, and quality systems.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives throughout the manufacturing process.
• Lead technology initiatives focused on automation, digital engineering, and AI-enabled workflows.
• Support acquisition activities, including engineering due diligence and post-acquisition integration.
• Identify emerging technologies and engineering practices that strengthen the organization's competitive position.
• Build scalable engineering processes capable of supporting future growth.

Leadership & Organizational Development

• Develop engineering talent through coaching, mentoring, and succession planning.
• Manage engineering budgets, staffing plans, and departmental KPIs.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships across the organization.
• Serve as a visible leader capable of driving organizational change while fostering collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Electrical, or related Engineering discipline required; Master's degree preferred.
• Ten or more years of progressive engineering leadership experience, including executive-level leadership.
• Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary engineering teams within manufacturing or engineered products environments.
• Strong understanding of Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Lean Manufacturing, quality systems, and engineering best practices.
• Experience managing engineering budgets, capital projects, and cross-functional initiatives.
• Proven ability to scale engineering organizations during periods of rapid growth.
• Experience supporting acquisitions and integrating engineering teams, systems, and processes is highly desirable.
• Strong executive presence with exceptional communication and leadership skills.

Preferred Experience

• Modular construction
• Prefabrication
• Metal fabrication
• Industrial manufacturing
• Engineered products
• Advanced manufacturing
• Automation, robotics, or AI-enabled engineering technologies
• CAD and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This position offers the opportunity to shape the future of a rapidly growing manufacturing organization. The Vice President of Engineering will have broad executive visibility, significant influence over engineering strategy, and the ability to build a best-in-class engineering organization that supports innovation, operational excellence, and long-term growth.

This is an ideal opportunity for an engineering leader who enjoys building teams, improving processes, implementing new technologies, and making a measurable impact on business performance.