Director of Engineering and Design

JOB PURPOSE
The Director of Engineering & Design will lead Kennon’s technical team in delivering first-class engineering and design services to Kennon Customers and to our sales and manufacturing teams. This role requires both an internal and external focus and concentration to ensure that both our Customers and team members are equipped with the necessary designs, drawings, procedures, and documentation to deliver on Kennon’s commitments in a high mix, low volume environment with rigorous technical requirements. The Director of Engineering & Design will coordinate closely with Kennon’s Director of Manufacturing, Executive Directors of Kennon business units (Defense, Healthcare, New Business Development), Quality and Customers to ensure that requirements are clearly understood, prioritized, and achieved following standard practices. This is a highly dynamic and critical role that manages new and continued improvement of product development and design through the organization and ensures delivery of high-value, innovative solutions to Kennon’s customers. As a leader in an employee-owned (ESOP) company, the Director of Engineering & Design fosters a culture of ownership, collaboration, continuous improvement, and accountability while supporting the company's mission of delivering innovative solutions that protect what matters most.

JOB DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
• Lead, motivate and develop a team of competent, capable, and engaged engineers and technicians who possess a customer-focused outlook, catering to the demands of both internal and external customers.
• Manage and control the technical information (qualifications, item masters, configurations, patterns, bill of materials, etc) of both new and improved products to the bespoke and specialized demands of our customers ranging from short-term quick-turn design projects to long-term engineering efforts.
• Partner with Quality, Manufacturing, Operations, and Sales leadership to prioritize commitments and deliver on Kennon’s promises to our customers.
• Identify, establish, and implement the necessary tools, processes, and procedures within the Design & Engineering team to offer effective, efficient, controlled and high-quality deliverables.
• Support the successful and seamless transfer of new, revised, and improved products into the production environment.
• Rigorously follow and support documented design guidelines to ensure consistent delivery of high-quality, robust products and services to our customers.
• Establish and track key performance indicators for the Design & Engineering team.
• Collaborate with manufacturing and manufacturing engineers to support appropriate and robust tooling and processing to ensure efficient, compliant, and repeatable outputs.
• Assist with long-term planning, project management and status reporting, and implementation of change management processes.
•Coordinate with the Sales and Supply Chain teams to ensure that critical material needs are understood, anticipated, and met in preparation for product manufacturing.
• Support and coordinate the resolution of both internal and external nonconformities related to the fit, form, function, or design of Kennon’s products.
• Collaborate, create and oversee non-development and design deliverables such as technical reports and customer responses & proposals to increase the business opportunities of the company.
• Draft pricing of new products, preliminary ROMs, quotations, and price justifications for CEO authorization as required.
• Evaluate opportunities for development, design to print and production efforts. Own Kennon’s design standards to support growth within and beyond existing product lines
• Act in accordance with company and regulatory requirements, including CMMC, AS9100, ISO9001, and relevant FARs and DFARs.
• Perform other duties as required.
• Support and promote Kennon’s Core Values: Daring, Care, Integrity and Responsive.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS
Our ideal candidate will have a combination of formal education, manufacturing experience, and leadership success including:
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Engineering Technology, Manufacturing, or related field.
• At least 4 years experience leading and developing a motivated team of engineers and design technicians.
• Expertise in CAD, design controls and configuration management.
• Efficient time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
• People-centric approach; Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
• Thrives in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Direct and professional interaction with coworkers, customers and customer organizations.
• Excellent technical writing skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS
• At least seven years of product design, manufacturing and/or business leadership experience. •
Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing Practices.
• Experience working in a regulated or quality-driven environment (e.g. ISO 9001, AS9100).

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
• Ability to work in both office and manufacturing environments.
• Occasional lifting up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to walk the production floor and participate in design reviews and manufacturing support activities.
• Occasional travel to customer and supplier locations.

ABOUT KENNON
We are currently in an exciting time of growth and change, aligning our organizational structure to our strategic plans, creating great opportunities both internally and externally. Kennon Products has a forty-year history of proudly designing and manufacturing quality products that protect high value assets. Founded in 1984 to provide general aviation products, Kennon has grown into a multi-faceted company with international sales. We lead with cutting edge research and development, utilization of advanced materials, and delivery of diverse product lines that include: preservation of private, commercial, and military aircraft integrity; safety in behavioral health; and life-protection for our service men and women. Our success has come through consistently providing innovation, ensuring superior design, and maintaining our commitment to quality. Together, we deliver innovative solutions to protect what matters most.

Kennon is an equal opportunity employer and will seriously consider every qualified applicant interested in joining our growing team. Please provide a cover letter, résumé, and at least one personal and two professional references submitted through our webpage: https://kennonproducts.com/careers/ Questions or accessibility issues may be directed to: recruiting@kennoncovers.com