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LPI, Inc. · 5 days ago

Director of Engineering

Johnson City, TN

Full-time

Hybrid

Director/Executive

10+ years exp

LPI, Inc. is seeking a Director of Engineering to lead all product development, engineering operations, and technical systems across two manufacturing businesses. This senior, hands-on leadership role requires deep mechanical engineering expertise and involves overseeing the full engineering lifecycle, ensuring regulatory compliance, and driving design for manufacturing across multiple product lines.

LifestyleManufacturingShippingWholesale

Responsibilities

Own the full engineering lifecycle from concept and freeform design through production release, sustaining engineering, and continuous improvement

Define and execute engineering strategy aligned with product roadmaps, manufacturing capabilities, cost targets, and regulatory requirements

Lead and develop multidisciplinary engineering teams across mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, and quality engineering

Drive Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), and Design for Cost (DFC) across all product lines

Partner closely with manufacturing, supply chain, and quality to support NPI, tooling development, and production readiness

Ensure Whisper Carts products comply with applicable DOT / FMVSS requirements for low-speed vehicles and on-road applications where required

Lead engineering interpretation and implementation of: Vehicle lighting, reflectors, mirrors, and glazing requirements

Braking, steering, and occupant protection requirements

Labeling, VIN, and certification documentation (as applicable)

Partner with legal, compliance, and manufacturing teams to ensure products are properly documented, tested, and released for sale

Support audits, customer inquiries, and regulatory reviews related to DOT compliance

Establish and govern the use of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to support design decisions and risk reduction

Oversee structural, fatigue, and deflection analysis for: Frames and chassis

Suspension and load-bearing components

Molded structures and hybrid assemblies

Ensure FEA is: Appropriately correlated with physical testing and validation

Used to inform design margins, material selection, and cost optimization

Integrate analysis results into formal design reviews and design-freeze decisions

Own and govern SolidWorks PDM / PLM as the system of record

Define and enforce part numbering, BOM structures, revision control, and ECR/ECO/ECN workflows

Ensure full traceability from CAD models to released production data

Align PDM/PLM workflows with ISO design and document control requirements

Build and manage engineering schedules and resource plans using Microsoft Project and/or Primavera (P6)

Provide executive visibility into milestones, critical path, capacity, and delivery risk

Ensure accurate engineering data flow into Acumatica and SyteLine

Govern item masters, BOMs, routings, revision effectivity, and ECO cut-in timing

Lead engineering participation in ISO 9001–certified quality systems

Ensure design controls, documentation, and change management meet audit requirements

Support CAPA, validation testing, durability testing, and root-cause analysis

Drive measurable improvements in quality, warranty performance, and manufacturing yield

Qualification

Mechanical EngineeringSolidWorksFEAISO 9001DOT CompliancePDM / PLMManufacturing ExperienceProject ManagementTeam DevelopmentLeadershipCommunicationProblem Solving