Koppers Holdings

Director of Engineering

Koppers Holdings • $150K — $180K *
Pittsburgh, PA 15237Hybrid
Manufacturing & Automotive
11 - 15 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Engineering required; advanced degree a plus.
  • Professional Engineer (PE) license and/or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification preferred.
  • 15+ years in progressive engineering roles, preferably in manufacturing or chemical plants.
  • 5+ years of leadership experience managing engineering teams or cross-functional groups.
  • Experience in a matrixed organization supporting various business units.

Responsibilities

  • Lead and define the strategic direction for the Corporate Engineering function.
  • Prioritize and coordinate engineering resources across multiple business units for timely service delivery.
  • Align engineering investments with enterprise strategies and risk management with executive leadership.
  • Set and uphold consistent engineering standards, governance, and best practices across all sites.
  • Manage a diverse team of engineering professionals, fostering their development and collaboration.
  • Drive improvements in engineering processes and resource efficiency to enhance value for business units.
  • Partner with Transformation Office to ensure engineering initiatives are adequately supported and executed.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health insurance coverage.
  • Retirement savings plan with employer matching.
  • Opportunities for professional development and continuous learning.
  • Flexible work arrangements with potential for remote work.
  • Employee assistance programs for personal and professional challenges.
Full Job Description
Job Responsibilities

  • Provide dedicated leadership and strategic direction for the Corporate Engineering function, establishing clear engineering priorities aligned with enterprise and business unit needs.
  • Coordinate and prioritize engineering support and resources across business units (RPS, KPC, CMC, UIP) to ensure consistent, high-quality, and timely delivery of engineering services.
  • Partner with the Chief Legal and Strategy Officer and enterprise leadership to align engineering investments with strategic priorities, capital planning, and risk management objectives.
  • Establish and maintain enterprise-wide engineering standards, governance, and best practices to ensure technical consistency, safety, and quality across sites.
  • Lead, develop, and manage a multidisciplinary team of engineering managers and professionals, including mechanical, electrical, chemical/process, reliability, and project engineering staff.
  • Drive continuous improvement in engineering processes, resource utilization, and service delivery models to improve responsiveness and value delivered to business units.
  • Serve as a key partner to the Transformation Office, ensuring engineering-related Catalyst initiatives are appropriately supported, resourced, and progressed through the initiative lifecycle.
  • Manage engineering budgets and reporting on engineering KPIs, project performance, and capital deployment to enterprise leadership.
  • Represent Corporate Engineering in cross-functional forums, providing technical expertise and recommendations to support enterprise and business unit decision-making.
  • Communicate regularly with Business Unit Leaders, Operations Managers, Plant Managers, and Plant Support staff regarding engineering priorities, project progress, and resource needs.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, or related discipline) required; advanced degree a plus.
  • Professional Engineer (PE) license and/or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification preferred.
  • 15+ years of progressive engineering experience in a manufacturing, industrial, or chemical plant environment, including hands-on capital project management.
  • 5+ years of people leadership experience managing engineers, engineering managers, or cross-functional technical teams.
  • Experience operating within a matrixed organization, supporting multiple business units, sites, or regions.
  • Experience partnering with enterprise strategy, finance, or transformation functions on capital planning and prioritization preferred.
  • Strong leadership and people management skills, with proven experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams.
  • Deep technical knowledge across mechanical, electrical, chemical/process, or reliability engineering disciplines within a manufacturing or industrial environment.
  • Strong understanding of capital project management, including Front End Loading (FEL) / Front End Engineering Design (FEED) processes and stage-gate project governance.
  • Ability to translate enterprise strategy into engineering priorities and actionable execution plans.
  • Strong business acumen and the ability to partner effectively with senior leadership and business unit stakeholders.
  • Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills across all levels of the organization.
  • Knowledgeable in Koppers plant processes, or comparable chemical/industrial manufacturing processes.
  • Proficient with relevant engineering and project management tools (e.g., Microsoft Project, AutoCAD, ChemCAD).
  • Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally as required.

About Koppers Holdings

Koppers is a global provider of treated wood products, wood treatment chemicals and carbon compounds. The company was founded in 1912 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Koppers operates in three segments: Railroad and Utility Products and Services, Carbon Materials and Chemicals, and Performance Chemicals. The company's products and services are used in a variety of industries, including railroad, specialty chemical, utility, residential lumber, agriculture, aluminum, steel, rubber, and construction.
Learn more about Koppers Holdings
Size
2,088 employees
Market Cap
$602.8 million
Industry
Business Services
Net Income
$122 million
Founded
1988
5 Year Trend
+3.5%
Revenue
$1.6 billion
NASDAQ
KOP
* Ladders Estimates

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