Director - Global Manufacturing EngineeringWork Mode: Onsite
Location:Onsite, four days per week - Kohler, WI
OpportunityThe Director, Global Manufacturing Engineering leads capital project execution and serves as the enterprise leader for capital management across manufacturing operations. The role converts strategic priorities into a disciplined, resource-balanced portfolio and is accountable for delivering safe, compliant, on-time and financially sound manufacturing investments across the global enterprise.
Specific ResponsibilitiesEnterprise Capital Leadership
- Lead the enterprise manufacturing operations capital process, portfolio prioritization, governance, execution, reporting and benefit realization.
- Partner with Manufacturing Operations Leaders to translate plant strategy/capability into an executable multi-year capital roadmap.
- Facilitate transparent trade-off decisions across safety, compliance, capacity, continuity, cost, quality, growth, modernization and sustainability needs.
- Provide executive leadership with clear recommendations, options, risks and escalation needs for capital decisions.
Capital Project Execution
- Own execution from approved concept through detailed definition, procurement, construction or installation, commissioning, acceptance, stabilization and closeout.
- Establish and maintain common expectations for scope definition, estimating, schedules, risk management, contracting, project controls, change management and readiness.
- Ensure each project has a credible business case, accountable sponsor, qualified team, decision cadence, risk register, acceptance criteria and benefits owner.
- Drive recovery plans for projects that deviate from approved cost, timing, scope, safety, quality or benefit commitments.
- Ensure Ops Certification are agreed and finalized following project execution.
Portfolio Governance and Financial Discipline
- Lead regular portfolio reviews covering approvals, commitments, cash flow, forecast accuracy, cost at completion, schedule status, top risks and resource constraints.
- Ensure capital requests use consistent financial and technical assumptions and clearly identify alternatives, contingencies and operating impacts.
- Partner with Finance to validate ROI, NPV, savings, capacity and other benefit assumptions and to close post-audit learning loops.
- Oversee administration and adoption of Planview or other approved capital and spend-tracking systems.
People and Capability Leadership
- Lead, coach and develop the global capital project leadership team, with clear accountabilities, succession plans and resource deployment priorities.
- Build a common project-management capability model, standard work, training curriculum and community of practice across regions and categories.
- Increase financial acumen, commercial judgment, technical rigor and enterprise ownership within engineering and project teams.
- Create a high-engagement environment with candid communication, rapid issue escalation and relentless removal of barriers.
Supplier, Contracting and Technical Execution
- Guide equipment sourcing, engineering-contractor and integrator decisions within delegated authority and approved procurement policies.
- Ensure specifications, contracting strategies, commercial terms and change controls protect Kohler's cost, schedule, quality, intellectual property and lifecycle interests.
- Leverage lessons learned, supplier performance and technology standards to improve repeatability and reduce project risk across the enterprise.
Safety, Compliance and Operational Handoff
- Champion EHS by design and require full compliance during engineering, construction, installation, commissioning and startup.
- Ensure Operations, Maintenance, Quality and EHS are engaged early and that training, documentation, spares, controls, certifications and acceptance criteria are complete before handoff.
- Escalate or stop execution when safety, compliance, funding authority or readiness requirements are not met.
Skills/Requirements - Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related technical field required; advanced degree or MBA preferred.
- 10+ years of progressive manufacturing engineering, capital project, operations or program leadership experience, including leadership of complex, multi-site investments.
- Demonstrated experience leading and developing technical leaders and cross-functional teams in a global or multi-region environment.
- Proven track record delivering major capital programs with strong safety, cost, schedule, quality, startup and business-result performance.
- Strong financial acumen, including capital justification, cash-flow forecasting, ROI, NPV, contingency, cost-at-completion and benefit validation.
- Working knowledge of project governance, estimating, contracting, procurement, construction, commissioning, controls and operational handoff.
- Executive-level communication skills with the ability to frame decisions, challenge assumptions, resolve conflict and align stakeholders.
- Ability to travel globally based on project and business needs.
Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without requiring sponsorship now or in the future.We believe in supporting you from the moment you join us, which is why Kohler offers day 1 benefits. This means you'll have access to your applicable benefit programs from your first day on the job, with no waiting period. The salary range for this position is $166,700 - $267,700. The specific salary offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors including the candidate's experience, their education, and the work location. In addition, this position is eligible for a performance bonus/variable incentive compensation.
