Position SummaryThe Engineering Director provides strategic and hands-on technical leadership across all engineering functions at Ladish Valves. This role owns the full lifecycle of valve design and development - from initial customer specification through prototype fabrication, performance testing, regulatory compliance, and production release. The Engineering Director serves as the company's foremost technical authority on valve design, materials science, alloy selection, surface finishing, and precision lapping, ensuring that every product shipped meets or exceeds customer performance requirements and industry standards.
This is a high-visibility leadership position that partners closely with Sales, Manufacturing, Quality Assurance, and executive management to translate complex customer requirements into manufacturable, competitive valve solutions.
Valve Design & Engineering- Lead the end-to-end design of industrial valves including gate, globe, ball, check, butterfly, and specialty valves across pressure classes ANSI 150 through 4500.
- Develop and maintain design standards, engineering calculations, and tolerance specifications for all valve families.
- Direct the use of CAD/CAE tools (SolidWorks, AutoCAD, FEA) to produce detailed 3-D models, assembly drawings, and manufacturing packages.
- Establish and enforce design-for-manufacturability (DFM) and design-for-testability (DFT) principles throughout the engineering team.
- Oversee engineering change management, ensuring all design revisions are controlled, documented, and communicated to affected departments.
- Research and integrate emerging design methodologies, seal technologies, and actuation systems to keep Ladish Valves at the competitive forefront.
Customization & Application Engineering- Act as the primary technical interface with customers requiring non-standard or highly engineered valve configurations.
- Translate customer P&IDs, datasheets, purchase specifications, and operational parameters into fully engineered valve designs.
- Provide detailed technical proposals, engineering data books, and application analyses in support of Sales during the quote and contract phase.
- Lead technical review meetings (TQMs, kick-off meetings, and ITP reviews) with customers, third-party inspection agencies, and end users.
- Manage engineering deliverables on engineered-to-order (ETO) and major project contracts, ensuring schedule and technical compliance.
Testing, Qualification & Performance Validation- Own the design, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the Ladish Valves test lab, including hydrostatic, pneumatic, cryogenic, fugitive emission, and functional test equipment.
- Establish and enforce valve testing procedures in accordance with API 598, API 6D, , ASME B16.34, and customer-specific test specifications.
- Direct root-cause analysis and corrective action for field failures, test rejections, and non-conformances, driving permanent engineering solutions.
- Develop and maintain a valve qualification and type-test library to accelerate customer approval processes.
- Establish performance benchmarking programs to compare Ladish Valves products against competitive offerings.
Materials, Alloys & Metallurgy- Direct alloy and material selection for all valve pressure-containing components, trim, fasteners, and seals, considering process compatibility, temperature, pressure, corrosion, and erosion requirements.
- Interpret and apply NACE MR0175/ISO 15156 and MR0103 requirements for service applications.
- Partner with third-party metallurgical labs for failure analysis, material certifications, and special testing as needed (PWHT, impact testing, PMI).
- Maintain Ladish Valves' approved material and supplier list; qualify new material sources in accordance with applicable codes and customer requirements.
Standards, Codes & Regulatory Compliance- Ensure all valve designs comply with applicable standards including ASME B16.34, API 600, API 602, API 608, API 6D, , and customer-specific specifications.
- Maintain awareness of updates to industry codes and proactively assess impact on existing and future product lines.
- Support product certifications including CE/PED (2014/68/EU), EAC, ATEX, SIL, and fugitive-emission certifications (ISO 15848, TA-Luft).
Team Leadership & Development- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of mechanical engineers, design engineers, application engineers, and drafters.
- Set performance objectives, conduct regular reviews, and foster a culture of technical excellence and continuous improvement.
- Manage engineering workload, project prioritization, and resource allocation across concurrent programs.
- Champion cross-functional collaboration between Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, and Sales.
- Drive the implementation of engineering best practices, PLM/PDM systems, and document control processes.
Required QualificationsEducation- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, or closely related discipline from an ABET-accredited program. (Master's degree preferred.)
Experience- Minimum 12 years of progressive engineering experience in the industrial valve or rotating equipment industry.
- Minimum 5 years in an engineering leadership or management role.
- Demonstrated hands-on experience with multiple valve types (gate, globe, ball, check, butterfly, needle, and/or specialty valves).
- Direct experience with valve testing protocols (API 598, ISO 5208, API 6D, or equivalent).
- Proven track record of designing and delivering custom engineered valve solutions for oil & gas, petrochemical, power generation, or chemical process industries.
- Extensive knowledge of multiple alloy systems including carbon steel, stainless steel, duplex stainless, and nickel-based alloys.
- Hands-on background with precision lapping, seating surface finishing, or related machining processes strongly preferred.
Technical Skills- Proficiency in SolidWorks; experience with FEA simulation software
- Strong working knowledge of ASME B16.34, API 600/602/608/6D/, MSS SP standards, and NACE MR0175/MR0103.
- Ability to read and interpret complex P&IDs, valve datasheets, and customer purchase specifications.
- Competency in GD&T
Leadership & Interpersonal Skills- Exceptional ability to communicate complex technical information to non-technical stakeholders, customers, and executive management.
- Proven project management skills; PMP certification a plus.
- Highly organized with strong ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, customer-driven environment.
Preferred Qualifications- Professional Engineer (PE) license.
- Experience with fugitive emission testing and certification (ISO 15848 / TA-Luft).
- Familiarity with SIL assessment and functional safety standards (IEC 61508/61511).
- Background with additive manufacturing or advanced manufacturing technologies for valve components.
- Experience managing multi-site or global engineering teams.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS & WORK ENVIRONMENT - Regular work performed in an office and manufacturing/machine shop environment.
- Must be able to walk production floors, climb stairs, and stand for extended periods during inspections and testing activities.
- Occasional lifting of valve components and test equipment up to 50 lbs.
- Exposure to manufacturing noise, machine oils, and metal particulates consistent with a valve manufacturing facility; PPE required in production areas.
This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the position and is not exhaustive. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
