Director of Mechanical Design

About the Role

Virginia Transformer Corporation is seeking a hands-on Director of Mechanical Design to lead the mechanical design function across six manufacturing plants supporting highly engineered, custom electromechanical equipment. This role is responsible for design excellence, standardization, and manufacturability, ensuring mechanical systems meet the highest standards of performance, safety, reliability, and cost efficiency.

The ideal candidate brings deep technical expertise in mechanical systems, metallurgy, polymers, and thermal behavior, paired with proven experience leading large, multi-site engineering organizations. This role sits at the intersection of design, manufacturing, and innovation, working closely with plant engineering, corporate R&D, sourcing, vendor quality, and operations to deliver consistent, scalable mechanical designs across the enterprise.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Design Strategy

• Lead, mentor, and develop a distributed team of mechanical design engineers across multiple U.S. plants, fostering a culture of accountability, rigor, and continuous improvement.
• Own and enforce the Mechanical Design Manual, standards, and best practices, ensuring consistency and repeatability across all sites.
• Partner with Corporate R&D to introduce new materials, design features, and mechanical innovations that enhance product performance and manufacturability.
• Establish and track KPIs for mechanical design quality, cycle time, rework, and throughput, driving measurable improvements year over year.
• Serve as the senior mechanical authority for complex design decisions, escalations, and technical risk assessment.

Mechanical Design & Engineering Execution

• Oversee the design and development of complex mechanical assemblies for custom electromechanical equipment, ensuring designs are robust, manufacturable, and cost-effective.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership as needed, including concept development, 3D modeling, design reviews, and complex problem-solving.
• Apply deep expertise in metallurgy, polymers, and material science to optimize thermal performance, structural integrity, and long-term reliability.
• Implement and continuously improve design automation, configurators, and process assurance systems to reduce variability and improve speed to market.
• Review and approve mechanical drawings, calculations, FEA results, and design documentation to ensure compliance with internal standards and industry requirements.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Sourcing and Vendor Quality to qualify suppliers, evaluate alternate materials, and support cost-reduction initiatives without compromising quality.
• Participate in design reviews, NCR investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective actions related to mechanical or manufacturing issues.
• Work closely with plant leadership and production teams to ensure designs support operational efficiency, safety, and scalability.
• Collaborate with Safety, Compliance, and Environmental teams to ensure all mechanical designs meet regulatory, industry, and internal safety standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering required; Master’s degree preferred. PE license is a plus.
• 15–20+ years of experience in thermo-mechanical design of custom electromechanical or industrial equipment, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership or multi-site role.
• Strong background in metallurgy, polymers, material science, and industrial product design within manufacturing, energy, aerospace, rail, or similarly complex industries.
• Advanced proficiency with CAD and analysis tools (SolidWorks, Creo, or equivalent), including FEA/FEM methodologies.
• Demonstrated success leading engineering teams in plant-based, multi-plant, or global manufacturing environments.

Skills & Attributes

• Expert-level knowledge of mechanical design principles, material behavior, thermal performance, and stress analysis.
• Proven ability to balance design innovation with manufacturability, cost control, and operational discipline.
• Hands-on, pragmatic problem solver with a shop-floor mindset and strong engineering judgment.
• Exceptional communicator able to influence across engineering, operations, sourcing, and executive leadership.
• Strong organizational and leadership capability, with experience guiding large engineering organizations (100+ engineers).
• Strategic thinker with the discipline to drive standardization, scalability, and continuous improvement.