Director of Elastomeric Engineering
Position Summary
The Director of Elastomeric Engineering is a senior technical leadership position responsible for establishing and leading the VMC group elastomeric engineering organization. This role serves as the company's subject matter expert in vibration isolation, elastomeric materials, and custom-engineered mounting solutions, while driving innovation, product development, laboratory testing, and customer-facing application engineering activities.
The Director will lead engineering and laboratory personnel, manage the company's testing and validation capabilities, and play a critical role in supporting business growth through direct engagement with customers and close collaboration with the sales team. The successful candidate will combine strong technical expertise with leadership skills and a commercial mindset to develop innovative solutions, strengthen customer relationships, and build a world-class engineering capability.
Essential Job Responsibilities
Engineering Leadership & Strategy
• Lead and develop the Elastomeric Engineering organization, including engineers, laboratory personnel, and future technical resources.
• Establish engineering processes, standards, and best practices to support growth, innovation, and operational excellence.
• Define and execute the engineering technology roadmap for vibration isolation and elastomeric solutions.
• Provide technical leadership for strategic customer programs and key business development initiatives.
Research & Development
• Lead the development of new elastomeric products, custom mounts, and vibration isolation solutions.
• Direct material selection, elastomer formulation evaluation, and product optimization efforts.
• Oversee product design activities from concept through validation and commercialization.
• Conduct vibration analysis and engineering studies to solve complex customer application challenges.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, quality, and operations teams to improve product performance, manufacturability, and profitability
Laboratory & Testing Management
• Manage the company's vibration testing and product validation laboratory.
• Develop test methodologies, validation protocols, and performance standards.
• Oversee laboratory equipment selection, maintenance, calibration, and investment planning.
• Ensure accurate test execution, documentation, and reporting to support product development and customer requirements.
• Lead root cause investigations and performance verification activities related to customer applications.
Customer & Sales Support
• Serve as the primary technical expert for customers, distributors, sales personnel, and internal stakeholders.
• Partner with the sales team to identify, develop, and win new business opportunities.
• Travel with sales personnel to customer facilities to evaluate applications, troubleshoot issues, and present technical solutions.
• Lead technical discussions, design reviews, and engineering presentations with customers.
• Support proposal development, technical quotations, and product recommendations.
• Build strong customer relationships by providing application engineering expertise and responsive technical support.