Director Performance Engineer Jobs in Chicago, IL

Kauffman Engineering is seeking a highly strategic and hands‑on leader to build and scale our product engineering organization across the full product lifecycle—from RFQ through launch. This role is critical in ensuring disciplined execution, strong customer alignment, and successful program launches that meet expectations for quality, cost, delivery, and overall customer experience.

As Director of Product Engineering, you will lead Customer Engineering, Quoting, and New Product Introduction (NPI), driving alignment across teams and ensuring seamless execution from concept through production. You’ll partner closely with operations, sales, and plant leadership to reduce execution risk, improve launch performance, and support company growth without compromising quality or margin.

• Lead, manage and oversee all engineering activities related to New Product Introduction (NPI) across all plants, including successfully onboarding new customers and programs.
• Ensure NPI teams fully execute APQP activities across all phases, including PPAP readiness and launch execution.
• Drive Continuous Improvement activities and projects to drive a lean and hollistic approach from Quoting to NPI, ensuring Safety, Speed to market, Quality, Delivery and Cost.
• Lead Customer Engineering as the primary technical interface between customers and the organization.
• Lead, Manage and track to a pipeline of VA/VE activities both internally and with customers to drive efficiencies and enhance our customer relationships.
• Provide engineering leadership and oversight for the RFQ‑to‑quote process.
• Ensure technical feasibility, cost assumptions, risks, and manufacturability considerations are incorporated into all quotes.
• Partner with Sales, Finance, Purchasing, and Operations to protect margin integrity and execution readiness.
• Promote continuous improvement in engineering methodologies, tools, and cross‑functional coordination.
• Collaborate with Quality, Supply Chain, Maintenance, and Operations to ensure integrated execution.
• Lead CAPEX planning and long‑term engineering capability development.
• Develop and execute plans to upgrade engineering capability through hiring, development, and role clarity.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and accountability to Customer Engineering, Quoting, and NPI leaders.
• Build a future‑state product engineering organization capable of supporting multiple concurrent launches.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Industrial, Mechanical, Electrical, or equivalent preferred); advanced degree a plus.
• Minimum 7–10 years of engineering experience in manufacturing or industrial environments.
• Demonstrated leadership experience overseeing Customer Engineering, NPI, and/or Quoting functions.
• Proven experience with APQP, PPAP, and launch execution in production environments.
• Strong knowledge of Core Tools (APQP, PPAP, FMEA, SPC, MSA).
• Experience driving engineering standardization and process improvement.
• Understanding of material and labor costing, manufacturability, and cost drivers.
• Project management and cross‑functional leadership experience.
• Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, and Six Sigma methodologies preferred.
• Strong communication, organizational, and problem‑solving skills.

• This is an on‑site role at one of our Manufacturing Facilities.
• Ability and willingness to travel to U.S. and Mexico manufacturing locations (approximately 25–40%) to provide on‑site plant support as business needs require.

The anticipated annual salary range for this position is $135k-$145k. Actual compensation decisions are dependent on the minimum requirements outlined in the job description, qualifications, experience, skills, geographic location, external market conditions, as well as internal equity.

Our company benefits provide full‑time employees with a wide variety of benefits to meet the needs of our diverse workforce. We offer the following benefits: health, dental, and vision insurance, prescription drug benefits, flexible spending accounts, voluntary life insurance, AD&D insurance and a healthy incentive credit. We also provide company paid life insurance and short‑term and long‑term disability insurance. Paid time off benefits include PTO and 9 paid holidays. Annual Company Performance Bonus Program based on achievement of annual goals.

Kauffman is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a diverse workforce, providing equal employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified individuals. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

This employer participates in the E-Verify program.