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Head Engineer Jobs in Michigan (NOW HIRING)

PennEngineering

Head of AI

Romulus, MI · On-site

The Head of AI manages a small team of Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) embedded in the BU's departments, partners with the central AI Enablement function at corporate for platform support, and ...

Brighton Area Schools

Head Club Swim Coach

Brighton, MI · On-site

$41K/yr

Previous experience in club swim programming and administration preferred. * High school diploma ... head coach (if applicable) and monitor compliance. * Provide the Athletic Director with the team ...

Brighton Area Schools

Head Club Swim Coach

Brighton, MI · On-site

$41K/yr

Previous experience in club swim programming and administration preferred. * High school diploma ... head coach (if applicable) and monitor compliance. * Provide the Athletic Director with the team ...

Oakland Community College

Golf - Head Coach

MI · On-site

$20/hr

When traveling the head coach or a member of the staff as designated by the head coach must ride on ... Classified, Exempt (Non-union), Faculty, Maintenance, Operating Engineers, Public Safety, Teamsters ...

Hella

Head of Design Quality

Northville, MI

FORVIA - HELLA is seeking its next great Head of Design Qualityto join our growing engineering division. The primary function of this role isto support product design quality within the North ...

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All JobsHead Engineer JobsHead Engineer Jobs in Michigan

Head Engineer information

See Michigan salary details

$9

$34

$65

How much do head engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 22, 2026, the average hourly pay for head engineer in Michigan is $34.98, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $24.91 and $42.22 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Head Engineer vs Mechanical Engineer?

AspectHead EngineerMechanical Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Engineering, leadership experienceBachelor's or Master's in Mechanical Engineering
Work EnvironmentProject management, team leadership, strategic planningDesign, analysis, testing, and manufacturing
Employer & Industry UsageConstruction, manufacturing, engineering firmsAutomotive, aerospace, robotics, manufacturing

The Head Engineer typically oversees engineering projects, manages teams, and sets strategic goals, requiring leadership skills and experience. Mechanical Engineers focus on designing, analyzing, and testing mechanical systems. While both roles require engineering credentials, the Head Engineer has a broader managerial scope, whereas Mechanical Engineers concentrate on technical tasks within their specialty.

What are some of the main challenges a Head Engineer faces when leading cross-functional engineering teams?

One of the primary challenges for a Head Engineer is ensuring effective communication and alignment among diverse teams, such as software, hardware, and quality assurance. Balancing technical leadership with management duties—like resource allocation and project prioritization—can also be demanding. Additionally, the Head Engineer must foster collaboration and innovation while maintaining project timelines and meeting business objectives. Addressing these challenges requires strong interpersonal skills, a strategic mindset, and the ability to adapt to evolving project needs.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Head Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Head Engineer, you need advanced engineering expertise, project management experience, and typically a relevant engineering degree with professional certification (such as PE or equivalent). Familiarity with industry-standard software (like AutoCAD, MATLAB, or project management tools) and compliance with regulatory frameworks is crucial. Leadership, effective communication, and problem-solving abilities set outstanding Head Engineers apart by enabling them to guide teams and drive innovation. These skills ensure successful project delivery, safety, and the development of efficient engineering solutions.

What does a Head Engineer do?

A Head Engineer is a senior-level professional responsible for managing engineering teams, overseeing technical projects, and ensuring that designs and systems meet organizational standards. They set project goals, allocate resources, and serve as a technical advisor to both their team and company leadership. In addition, Head Engineers often participate in strategic planning, coordinate with other departments, and ensure compliance with safety and industry regulations. Their role is crucial in driving innovation and maintaining the technical quality of products or services.
What are the most commonly searched types of Engineer jobs in Michigan? The most popular types of Engineer jobs in Michigan are:
What cities in Michigan are hiring for Head Engineer jobs? Cities in Michigan with the most Head Engineer job openings:
Head Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Head Engineer job openings in Michigan as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 78% Full Time, 10% Part Time, and 12% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $72,753 per year, or $35 per hour.

Head of AI

PennEngineering

Romulus, MI • On-site

Full-time

Posted 21 days ago

Job description

Position Summary
The Head of AI for the Business Unit is the senior leader responsible for the BU's AI strategy and execution, with a mandate to convert AI capability into measurable business performance. Reporting to the BU President, this role owns the BU's AI roadmap end-to-end: from mapping the BU's processes, to scoring automation opportunities by ROI and feasibility, to building and deploying AI-powered solutions, to driving adoption and measuring the resulting business impact across productivity, quality, speed, margin, and decision-making.
This is a hands-on leadership role. The Head of AI manages a small team of Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) embedded in the BU's departments, partners with the central AI Enablement function at corporate for platform support, and engages with the company-wide AI Steering Committee on cross-BU patterns. We are looking for a leader senior enough to be credible with the BU President and to operate a function independently - but hands-on enough to spend meaningful time on the shop floor, in the data, and in front of users.
Key Responsibilities & Essential Functions
  • Own the BU's AI roadmap, accountable to the BU President for measurable business impact across growth, margin, productivity, quality, speed, and decision-making
  • Lead the BU's end-to-end process mapping effort - building the complete inventory of departmental processes that serves as the funnel for AI applications
  • Score and prioritize automation candidates by ROI, feasibility, adoption readiness, data availability, and business criticality; defend prioritization decisions to BU leadership
  • Recruit, manage, and develop a team of department-level Forward Deployed Engineers - initially 1-3 per BU onshore/offshore, scaling with demonstrated readiness
  • Build and deploy AI applications using Claude and other approved tools; design measurement frameworks to track impact per application, including baseline, expected benefit, user adoption, and realized business impact
  • Drive enterprise AI tool adoption across the BU; serve as the local champion and trainer
  • Partner with the central AI Enablement function (corporate IT) for tools, data access, vendor agreements, governance, cybersecurity, and responsible AI standards - escalating blockers through the company's Unblock queue
  • Represent the BU in the company-wide AI Steering Committee on cross-BU patterns, shared learnings, and structural improvements
  • Track and report against KPIs: percent of BU processes mapped, percent automated by milestone, business impact per deployed application, adoption by target users, Finance-validated business impact, and scalability of deployed application

Required Qualifications
  • 7-12 years of progressive experience in technology, operations, or strategy roles
  • Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, operations research, industrial engineering, or a related technical field
  • Demonstrated success in operational improvement or transformation programs - Lean, Six Sigma, BPM, or equivalent with experience building business cases, measuring ROI, and sustaining adoption after implementation
  • Hands-on familiarity with modern AI/ML technologies, especially large language models (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini) and their practical applications to business processes, including workflow automation, knowledge retrieval, decision support, and productivity improvement
  • Track record of leading teams of 2-5 people in cross-functional environments
  • Comfort and credibility across all levels of an industrial organization - from shop floor operators and department managers to BU executives

Preferred Qualifications
  • Prior experience as a or with Forward Deployed Engineers, applied AI engineers, or solutions architects at a leading AI or analytics company.
  • Manufacturing or industrial operations background - ideally aerospace, automotive, electronics, or fasteners - with exposure to commercial, engineering, quality, supply chain, or plant-floor workflows
  • Familiarity with ERP environments (SAP, Oracle, Epicor) sufficient to know where data lives and how to extract it
  • MBA, MS, or other advanced technical or business degree
  • Prior P&L responsibility, product ownership, or general management experience

Skills & Competencies
  • High agency. Comfortable taking ambiguous problems, defining solutions, and shipping with limited supervision.
  • Bias to action. Prefers rough solutions in production over polished ones in drafts, and iterates with real users.
  • Credibility across the stack. Can present to a board and debug a workflow on the shop floor the same day.
  • AI realist, not AI evangelist. Focused on practical applications with measurable ROI; skeptical of hype.
  • Change leader. Able to create trust, drive adoption, and help teams change how work gets done without making AI feel threatening or imposed
  • Operating instinct. Thinks in processes, metrics, and unit economics - not in slideware.

Physical & Environmental Requirements
  • Able to sit or stand for 8 hours a day.
  • Unairconditioned manufacturing facility and air-conditioned office
  • On-site 5 days per week

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