Director of Engineering And Operations

Alpine Advanced Materials offers full-service design and prototyping services to the aerospace and defense industry. Developed at Lockheed Martin, Alpine’s flagship nanocomposite material replaces heavy aluminum parts on a wide variety of vehicles and products, making them lighter, more efficient, and resistant to extreme conditions. Alpine Advanced Materials is part of Catalyze Partners’ venture portfolio.

Position Overview

Alpine Advanced Materials is seeking a Director of Engineering and Operations to run production from design through delivery. This leader will be responsible for three critical aspects of the business – design engineering, operations management, and technical sales support. Daily activities will include overseeing and supporting the engineering team, managing the department’s resource allocation, budget, and schedule, and establishing a customer-focused culture with internal and external stakeholders. A successful candidate will be autonomous, scrappy, and self-motivated and will proactively find opportunities for process improvement, increased profitability, and long-term strategic relationships with customers. This individual must be an expert in technical communication, able to address any questions or concerns about company products with the sales team (i.e. technical capability, throughput capacity, timelines, costs). This role is in-office in downtown Dallas, TX, and reports to the Managing Director/CEO.

Responsibilities

• Manage project engineers, designers, and project managers, ensuring proper process compliance and adherence to timelines
• Manage company operations: technical oversight of all aspects of products from first article development through production at injection molding or tape suppliers, including ensuring quality management systems are adhered to through high-volume production delivery
• Own technical interfacing with internal/external tool designers and injection molders to ensure technical procedures are correctly understood and followed, including a clear understanding of the material’s behavior during the injection molding process
• Act as subject matter expert on the design and development of product offerings
• Create and implement complex customized solutions while assessing and addressing technical risks
• Develop, manage, and continually improve documented standardized production processes in keeping with best engineering practices
• Mentor key personnel; develop onboarding plans for new hires
• Direct, evaluate, provide feedback, and confirm product designs, improvements, and changes
• Communicate and collaborate with executive leadership regarding product roadmap, total project overview, future capacity, needs, and potential roadblocks
• Nurture a team culture of proactive communication, collaboration, efficiency, problem-solving, and continuous improvement
• Hold team accountable to high process and quality standards
• Source and apply for relevant grants and SBIR opportunities
• Manage client communications and participate in client meetings
• Collaborate with the sales team to translate and understand customer needs and translate them into tangible engineering requirements and specifications
• Act as a liaison between engineering and sales teams to ensure that customer needs and expectations are met and exceeded
• Provide continual guidance to the organization regarding understanding, researching, and following technical trends in aerospace & defense and materials industries

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering field
• 7-10+ years of experience manufacturing products
• 2+ years of people management experience
• Expert skills in tool design (Solidworks, MoldEx)
• Experience in injection molding and CFRP/Thermosets
• Robust knowledge of aerospace & defense industry
• Advanced understanding of thermoplastics and composites
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills
• Proactive, organized leader accountable for team performance
• Player-coach, willing to wear many hats
• Willingness to travel domestic and international
• Ability to perform well under pressure and tight deadlines
• Strong operations skills, including managing external vendors

We Offer

• Opportunity for equity ownership
• Health insurance benefits
• Short-and-long-term disability
• Life insurance
• Flexible PTO
• Paid Parental Leave

Alpine Advanced Materials provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.