What does a mechanical engineering director do?
Mechanical engineering director responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real mechanical engineering director resumes:
- Manage QA for research orient development efforts and for high visibility, production focuse development efforts tie to revenue generation.
- Spearhead the design of HVAC systems and project management for new medical facilities.
- Determine the current and future enterprise infrastructure which oversee the design and implementation of information systems that support the business requirements.
- Manage design, tooling, equipment implementations and process improvements for foundry/machining metalworking manufacturer of automotive OEM products.
Mechanical engineering director skills and personality traits
We calculated that 27% of Mechanical Engineering Directors are proficient in Mechanical Engineering, Solidworks, and FEA. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Mechanical Engineering Directors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Mechanical Engineering, 27%
Directed Operations and Mechanical Engineering departments.
- Solidworks, 12%
Utilize SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Microsoft Office, MS Project, etc.
- FEA, 10%
Championed the use of FEA and Modal Analysis on new product developments to reduce development cycle (Rapid Development Tools).
- CAD, 7%
Led an organization of 25 technologists including managers, engineers, CAD designers and machine tool operators.
- Fire Protection, 6%
Developed mechanical and fire protection plans for public buildings and other projects.
- Mechanical Engineering Design, 5%
Managed development of and maintained mechanical engineering design standards and work practices across all projects.
Most mechanical engineering directors use their skills in "mechanical engineering," "solidworks," and "fea" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential mechanical engineering director responsibilities here:
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a mechanical engineering director to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "architectural and engineering managers evaluate information to solve problems." Mechanical engineering directors often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "conducted fractographic failure analysis that saved a $500k contract. "
Communication skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling mechanical engineering director duties is communication skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "architectural and engineering managers must effectively convey information and expectations related to projects." According to a mechanical engineering director resume, here's how mechanical engineering directors can utilize communication skills in their job responsibilities: "repair, modification, installation and resolution of technical issues associated with satellite communications equipment. "
Math skills. For certain mechanical engineering director responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "math skills." The day-to-day duties of a mechanical engineering director rely on this skill, as "architectural and engineering managers use calculus and other mathematics to develop new products and processes." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what mechanical engineering directors do: "identified key areas of improvement by tracking oee statistics on a shift by shift basis. "
Organizational skills. A commonly-found skill in mechanical engineering director job descriptions, "organizational skills" is essential to what mechanical engineering directors do. Mechanical engineering director responsibilities rely on this skill because "architectural and engineering managers keep track of many workers, schedules, and budgets simultaneously." You can also see how mechanical engineering director duties rely on organizational skills in this resume example: "updated corporate procedure for product development lifecycle and guided organizational actions by initiating and enforcing engineering policies and procedures. "
The three companies that hire the most mechanical engineering directors are:
- Wsp USA Buildings Inc.3 mechanical engineering directors jobs
- Hulcher Services2 mechanical engineering directors jobs
- Presco
2 mechanical engineering directors jobs
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Compare different mechanical engineering directors
Mechanical engineering director vs. Research and development manager
A research and development manager is responsible for supervising project development procedures to support business operations and identify business opportunities that would pave the way for more revenue resources and profits. Research and development managers monitor the production plans from the conceptualization to the final outputs, inspecting inconsistencies and flaws in every phase and revising strategies as needed to achieve the required specifications and requirements. They delegate tasks to the staff, oversee progress, and conduct research and development programs to maximize productivity and team efforts.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a mechanical engineering director are more likely to require skills like "mechanical engineering," "fea," "fire protection," and "mechanical engineering design." On the other hand, a job as a research and development manager requires skills like "customer service," "project management," "patients," and "c++." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Research and development managers really shine in the professional industry with an average salary of $143,083. Comparatively, mechanical engineering directors tend to make the most money in the energy industry with an average salary of $146,841.The education levels that research and development managers earn slightly differ from mechanical engineering directors. In particular, research and development managers are 6.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a mechanical engineering director. Additionally, they're 3.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Mechanical engineering director vs. Design manager
A design manager is responsible for creating graphic and digital designs, following clients' specifications, and managing project deliverables efficiently. Design managers work closely with the marketing and public relations department, developing strategies to promote the brand to the target audience. They coordinate with the creative team and present the design ideas to the management, ask for final approval, perform revisions as needed, and follow the budget goals. A design manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the design team's concerns and needs.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real mechanical engineering director resumes. While mechanical engineering director responsibilities can utilize skills like "mechanical engineering," "fea," "cad," and "fire protection," design managers use skills like "sketch," "project management," "visualization," and "user experience."
On average, design managers earn a lower salary than mechanical engineering directors. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, design managers earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $121,279. Whereas mechanical engineering directors have higher pay in the energy industry, with an average salary of $146,841.design managers earn similar levels of education than mechanical engineering directors in general. They're 2.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 3.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Mechanical engineering director vs. Engineering/maintenance manager
Engineering and maintenance managers are skilled executive professionals who manage the daily activities of the engineering department while directing the maintenance of all types of machinery in a manufacturing plant. These managers are required to develop preventive maintenance procedures and inspections for all manufacturing equipment so that they can reduce machine downtime. They must ensure that contractors are trained to respond to emergencies and follow all the processes that are documented within the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. Engineering and maintenance managers must also create a budget to manage the expenditures related to plant equipment upgrades.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a mechanical engineering director is likely to be skilled in "mechanical engineering," "solidworks," "fea," and "fire protection," while a typical engineering/maintenance manager is skilled in "capital projects," "osha," "project management," and "facility maintenance."
Engineering/maintenance managers earn the best pay in the manufacturing industry, where they command an average salary of $98,678. Mechanical engineering directors earn the highest pay from the energy industry, with an average salary of $146,841.engineering/maintenance managers typically earn similar educational levels compared to mechanical engineering directors. Specifically, they're 1.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 3.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Mechanical engineering director vs. Engineering operations manager
Engineering Operations Managers are responsible for managing mechanical or electrical repair and maintenance activities. Their duties include supervising the facility's daily operations, directing engineers, contractors, and subcontractors in executing a project, forecasting maintenance, and operation costs, preparing an annual budget, and leading strategic sourcing initiatives. Other duties include training staff, working with the human resource team to plan development initiatives, and processing payment applications, orders, invoices, and change requests. An Engineering Operations Manager also conducts procedures for contract bidding of maintenance activities. They are essential in facilitating communication between teams in engineering and operations.
Types of mechanical engineering director
Updated January 8, 2025
