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What is a director, product engineering and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Yi Yang PhD

Product Engineer Director is a mechanical engineer specializing in designing products and their corresponding manufacturing processes. They are responsible for project management, hiring new team members, presenting budgets and plans to other departments, and transitioning the output from design to manufacturing at scale.

To become a Product Engineer Director, you need to possess a bachelor's degree, whereas a master's degree is preferred in the related engineering field. You must also have substantial experience and skills in the relevant field.

The graduates who approach this field end up laying claim to annual earnings at $111,714. The current median pay for a Director Product Engineer ranges from $97,743 to $151,173 in the U.S. However, this figure can vary significantly depending upon your experience and skills.

What general advice would you give to a director, product engineering?

Yi Yang PhDYi Yang PhD LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor, Pennsylvania State University - Abington

For new graduates beginning their careers in engineering, I would advise them to consider the broader impact of their work and look for opportunities to expand their management potential. While engineering is a highly technical field, it's important to recognize the value of leadership roles in preserving a culture of innovation. By taking on these positions, you can help ensure that companies prioritize long-term innovation over short-term gains (cutting R&D to boost the balance sheet), thus preserving the engineering culture that drives meaningful progress.
ScoreDirector, Product EngineeringUS Average
Salary
9.7

Avg. Salary $178,842

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.4

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.16%

Asian 17.28%

Black or African American 2.90%

Hispanic or Latino 8.14%

Unknown 4.56%

White 66.95%

Gender

female 8.03%

male 91.97%

Age - 48
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48
Stress level
7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Director, product engineering career paths

Key steps to become a director, product engineering

  1. Explore director, product engineering education requirements

    Most common director, product engineering degrees

    Bachelor's

    70.2 %

    Master's

    21.6 %

    Associate

    4.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific director, product engineering skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Cloud9.06%
    Product Engineering7.80%
    Java7.13%
    Continuous Improvement6.00%
    Product Design5.27%
  3. Complete relevant director, product engineering training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New directors, product engineering learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a director, product engineering based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real director, product engineering resumes.
  4. Research director, product engineering duties and responsibilities

    • Negotiate contract, manage relationship with 3rd party supplier of T.38 Fax over IP technology.
    • Institute engineering processes to achieve ISO certification.
    • Manage and coordinate all hardware/software engineering, installation, and service of HVAC temperature control system projects.
    • Implement scheduling plan changes to allow QA to flow more smoothly.
  5. Get director, product engineering experience

    Generally, it takes more than 10 years to become a director, product engineering. The most common roles before becoming a director, product engineering include engineering manager, engineering director team lead and project engineer.
  6. Prepare your director, product engineering resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your director, product engineering resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a director, product engineering resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable director, product engineering resume templates

    Build a professional director, product engineering resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your director, product engineering resume.
    Director, Product Engineering Resume
    Director, Product Engineering Resume
    Director, Product Engineering Resume
    Director, Product Engineering Resume
    Director, Product Engineering Resume
    Director, Product Engineering Resume
    Director, Product Engineering Resume
    Director, Product Engineering Resume
    Director, Product Engineering Resume
  7. Apply for director, product engineering jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a director, product engineering job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first director, product engineering job

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Average director, product engineering salary

The average director, product engineering salary in the United States is $178,842 per year or $86 per hour. Director, product engineering salaries range between $127,000 and $251,000 per year.

Average director, product engineering salary
$178,842 Yearly
$85.98 hourly

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How do directors, product engineering rate their job?

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Director, product engineering reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2022
Cons

If company is not supportive of new technology advancement.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020
Pros

Being able to solve technical problems and manage staff for work

Cons

Less pay and not being able to freely speak what's on my mind


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros

Solving problems with the utmost educated confidence

Cons

Indecisive colleagues and related problems because if their lack of ability and skills


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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