Director, Mechanical Engineering

Our Mission:

Through inspired engineering and design, we deliver outstanding solutions that positively impact lives. We use an interdisciplinary development process that combines our diverse engineering experience with creative industrial design solutions. We succeed when our partners succeed – it’s all about solving the most complex challenges by creating transformative technology.

The Role:

Goddard Technologies is seeking an experienced, business-driven, and visionary Director of Mechanical Engineering to lead, develop, and scale our high-performing mechanical engineering organization. In this pivotal leadership role, you will guide a 40+ person team of mechanical, biomedical, design, and manufacturing engineers working across medical devices, robotics, industrial automation, and consumer products.

As a strategic and hands-on leader, you will set the department’s long-term vision, elevate engineering excellence, strengthen team capability, and ensure operational effectiveness across a diverse, multi-program portfolio. You’ll partner closely with cross-functional leaders in Electrical, Firmware, Software, ID/HF, Quality, Operations, and Project Management to deliver exceptional product outcomes.

We’re seeking a client-focused director who can build strong relationships with partners, support business development through scoping and technical estimating, and represent Goddard in client engagements and industry events. If you’re energized by leadership, technical depth, organizational growth, and driving meaningful impact for both customers and teams, we’d love to meet you.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and develop Mechanical Engineering Managers and a 40+ engineer organization, setting clear expectations, career pathways, and a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Drive technical excellence by setting high standards for mechanical design, documentation, verification, and cross-disciplinary engineering practices. Serve as the senior technical escalation point for complex decisions.
• Oversee departmental operations, including capacity planning, resource allocation, and ensuring the right mix of engineering capabilities across projects. Represent Mechanical Engineering in strategic planning, executive reviews, and cross-functional leadership forums.
• Support business growth by partnering with Business Development on scoping, estimating, proposals, and client engagement. Build strong relationships with clients and identify opportunities to expand partnerships.
• Champion quality and compliance through strong engineering processes, documentation standards, KPIs, and continuous improvement initiatives aligned with regulatory expectations.
• Shape long-term strategy for the Mechanical Engineering function, partnering with senior leadership on organizational planning, capabilities expansion, and department scaling.

Qualifications:

Education & Experience 

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field required; Master’s preferred. 
• 12+ years of mechanical engineering experience, with 5+ years leading engineering managers or large engineering teams.  
• Proven experience supporting full product lifecycle development in regulated industries (medical, robotics, automation). 
• Experience in multidisciplinary programs (mechanical, biomedical, automation, robotics) is highly valued.  
• Experience managing large engineering teams (20–40+ engineers) strongly preferred. 

Technical Competencies 

• Deep expertise in mechanical design fundamentals, materials, mechanisms, tolerance analysis, and DFM/DFA. 
• Proficiency with CAD tools (SolidWorks preferred), PLM systems, and engineering analysis tools. 
• Working knowledge of cross-functional domains (electronics, firmware, controls, systems engineering). 
• Strong understanding of ISO 13485, design controls, risk management, and regulatory development environments. 

Leadership Competencies 

• Exceptional leadership, coaching, and organizational development skills. 
• Strong communication and client-facing presence. 
• High emotional intelligence and ability to manage conflict, influence decisions, and motivate teams. 
• Demonstrated ability to scale engineering organizations and improve process maturity.