Position SummaryThe Director, Design Engineering provides strategic, technical, and organizational leadership for vehicle design engineering. This role is responsible for developing engineering capabilities, ensuring strong product execution, and building a high-performing organization that delivers innovative, robust, manufacturable, and cost-effective vehicle solutions.
The Director partners across Engineering, Product, Manufacturing, Quality, Sourcing, and other functions to translate product and vehicle requirements into successful designs from concept through production.
Key Responsibilities- Provide strategic and technical leadership for design engineering teams and capabilities.
- Lead the development and execution of vehicle systems, structures, and components from concept through production.
- Establish engineering standards, processes, tools, and best practices that improve design quality and maturity.
- Ensure engineering solutions meet performance, quality, cost, timing, manufacturability, and customer requirements.
- Partner with vehicle architecture, program, manufacturing, validation, and other cross-functional teams to resolve technical issues and deliver successful programs.
- Drive continuous improvement, innovation, design reuse, and increased use of digital engineering tools and methods.
- Identify and proactively address technical, resource, and capability risks.
- Build, develop, and retain a strong engineering organization, including development of leaders and technical talent.
- Establish clear accountability and foster a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, innovation, and execution.
- Support long-term engineering strategy, organizational capability development, and workforce planning.
Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical field.
- 10+ years of progressive engineering or product development experience.
- Demonstrated experience leading engineering teams and complex technical programs.
- Strong understanding of product development from concept through production.
- Experience making technical decisions that balance performance, cost, quality, timing, and manufacturability.
- Strong cross-functional leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
Preferred Qualifications- Master's degree in Engineering, or Business.
- Automotive, powersports, transportation, or related product development experience.
- Experience leading leaders and multidisciplinary engineering teams.
- Experience developing engineering capabilities, standards, processes, and technical talent.
The starting pay range for Minnesota is $182,000 to $239,000 per year. Individual salaries and positioning within the range are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge, skills, and geography. While individual pay could fall anywhere in the range based on these factors, it is not common to start at the high end or top of the range. To qualify for this position, former employees must be eligible for rehire, and current employees must be in good standing.
We are an ambitious, resourceful, and driven workforce, which empowers us to THINK OUTSIDE. Apply today!
At Polaris we put our employees first, by offering a holistic approach to their health and financial wellbeing. Polaris is proud to offer competitive compensation, including a market-leading profit-sharing plan that is fundamental to our pay-for-performance culture. At Polaris, employees are owners of the company through company contributions to our Employee Stock Ownership Plan and discounted employee stock purchases plan. Employees receive a generous matching contribution to 401(k), financial wellness education and consultation to plan for their financial future. In addition to competitive pay, Polaris provides a comprehensive suite of benefits, including health, dental, and vision insurance, wellness programs, paid time off, gym & personal training reimbursement, life insurance and disability offerings. Through the Polaris Foundation and our Polaris Gives paid volunteer time off, we support employees who actively volunteer their time, efforts, and passions to improve the health and wellbeing of the communities in which they live, play and work. Employees at Polaris drive our success and are rewarded for their commitment.
