Director, Engineering Applications

Job Summary:

The Director, Engineering Applications will lead, coordinate, and oversee the execution of engineering application activities across product development, production launch, and post-launch support. This role works in conjunction with the Director, Engineering and key stakeholders to ensure engineering work is clearly planned, organized, tracked, and delivered through the Pack Lead Engineering function.

The Director, Engineering Applications provides leadership to the Pack Leads, who in turn provide direction and coordination to engineering teams supporting assigned programs and products. This role is responsible for driving milestone clarity, execution discipline, cross-functional coordination, and timely escalation of engineering risks, issues, and deliverables.

Responsibilities:

Lead the Pack Lead Engineering function to ensure engineering execution is aligned with program objectives, customer requirements, product targets, and organizational priorities. Apply detailed knowledge of battery and battery systems design and manufacturing to support engineering execution.

Provide direction, coaching, and performance management to Pack Leads to improve ownership, accountability, technical coordination, communication, and milestone delivery. Coordinate engineering application activities across assigned programs, including new product development, production launch, post-launch support, and product improvement initiatives. Drive milestone clarity and execution discipline by ensuring engineering deliverables, timing, owners, dependencies, risks, and open issues are clearly identified and actively managed. Support the technical review process by ensuring Pack Leads and engineering teams are prepared for reviews, required information is available, actions are documented, and follow-up items are tracked to closure. Reinforce the use of established engineering standards, tools, processes, and release practices.

Support engineering release robustness by driving closure of program-level open issues, risks, technical actions, and deliverables required to support release readiness. Coordinate with cross-functional stakeholders to align engineering execution with business and launch needs. Ensure Pack Leads maintain clear visibility to program risks, technical issues, resource constraints, deliverable status, and escalation needs. Escalate barriers that may impact engineering milestone achievement, product readiness, launch timing, customer commitments, or production support. Monitor engineering execution performance across programs and identify recurring gaps in planning, communication, technical readiness, review preparation, issue closure, and cross-functional alignment. Support structured problem-solving activities for significant engineering application issues by coordinating action ownership, timing, status visibility, and closure discipline. Promote disciplined communication of engineering priorities, program status, technical risks, issue resolution progress, and milestone readiness across the organization. Ensure engineering commitments made during program reviews, technical reviews, customer reviews, and launch-readiness reviews are tracked and completed. Support continuous improvement of engineering execution practices, including Pack Lead standard work, milestone tracking, action management, escalation practices, and cross-functional communication. Maintain working knowledge of battery systems, product applications, engineering development processes, launch requirements, and technical risks relevant to the organizations products and programs. Adhere to federal and state regulations.

Adhere to all company policies, processes, and procedures.

Performs other duties as requested, directed, or assigned. Predictable and reliable attendance.

Position Qualifications:

Bachelors degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline required.

Advanced degree preferred. Minimum of seven (7) years' experience in product engineering, battery systems, automotive, commercial vehicle, energy storage, electrification, or a related technical product development environment. Minimum of five (5) years' experience leading engineering teams, technical leads, project engineers, product leads, or cross-functional technical execution teams. Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex engineering work across product development, launch, production support, quality, manufacturing, and supply chain functions. Strong understanding of engineering development processes, milestone management, technical reviews, engineering releases, issue tracking, risk management, validation, and launch readiness. Experience coaching technical leaders or lead engineers preferred. Strong communication, prioritization, escalation, and cross-functional leadership skills. Ability to influence teams and drive execution without direct ownership of all engineering resources.

Key Competencies:

Delivers Results:

Achievement-oriented, feeling a sense of urgency to reach goals on time, if not before.

Organization and Planning:

Establishes a systematic course for self and/or others to assure accomplishment of objectives. Determines priorities and allocates time and resources effectively.

Promoting Teamwork:

Facilitating involvement, participation, and assurance of decisions amongst self and others; creating a sense of belonging.

Organizational Dialogue:

Creates an atmosphere in which timely and high-quality information flows smoothly up the organization and down, inside the organization and with external stakeholders; encouraging open expression of ideas and opinions.

Develops and Manages Employees:

Actively develops knowledge, skills and abilities of employees to leverage high performance.

Physical Requirements /

Working Conditions:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

Constantly operates a computer and other office equipment. Ability to adjust focus, especially due to concentration on a computer screen. May need to lift and carry up to 30 pounds and/or position the body to reach items on the floor/below knee level or reach overhead. The person in this position needs to occasionally move about in industrial environments, and on uneven terrain. Works in a temperature-controlled office environment, with occasional work in outdoor weather conditions, and in industrial environments.

The noise level in the work environment can be moderately loud.

Why Join UsAmerican Battery Solutions (ABS) provides comprehensive 100% employer paid benefit plans to employees and their family, competitive salary and retirement program. ABS employs a diverse and inclusive workforce.

Benefits OverviewPaid time off includes 3 weeks vacation, up to 72 hours sick, 15 holidays, and parental leave.100% company-paid medical, dental, vision, short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance.

Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) offerings.

Company provided 401K savings plan with immediately vested matching contributions to help you save for retirement.

Voluntary benefits offerings.

Tuition assistance.

Employee Referral Program.

Employee development and career growth opportunities. About UsAmerican Battery Solutions Inc. (ABS) is a manufacturer of advanced batteries for commercial, fleet, and industrial on- and off-road vehicles. Located in the heart of the U.S. automotive region with facilities in Michigan and Ohio. In 2023, ABS was acquired by Komatsu, a world leader in construction, mining, forestry, and industrial heavy equipment in support of Komatsus 2050 carbon neutrality goal. ABS continues to operate as an independent entity serving Komatsu applications while continuing to expand and grow our core commercial, fleet and industrial business. As we have grown, ABS has assembled a world-class team of dedicated and experienced engineers. This team is equipped with a deep understanding of high-voltage, automotive-grade battery systems from concept development and prototyping, to testing and validation, to high-volume production. We pride ourselves on developing a diverse team of next generation battery experts. The Location - Lake Orion American Battery Solutions Headquarters and Innovation Center is located in the heart of South-East Michigan in Orion Township. Orion Township is a Pure Michigan Trail Town that has a long-standing dedication to enhancing trails and pathways in its community, which is home to the Polly Ann Trail, Paint Creek Trail, and Iron Belle Trail. The township has more than 50 miles of trails. Southeast Michigan also boasts some of the best eating around! Whether your interest is in furthering your education, enjoying one of the many regional sporting events, or enjoying the vast outdoors that Michigan has to offer, youll be at the center of it here!

AMERICAN BATTERY SOLUTIONS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

EMPLOYER.