Director of Engineering

Lithionics | Clearwater / St. Petersburg, FL (On-site)

Build What Powers the Future

Lithionics is redefining energy storage with advanced lithium-ion battery systems that power some of the most demanding applications in the world. As we enter our next phase of growth, we’re seeking a Director of Engineering to lead execution, develop our team, and ensure we deliver world‑class products—on time, at quality, and aligned with our customers and business priorities.

This is a highly visible, hands‑on leadership role for an engineering leader who thrives at the intersection of people, process, and product. You’ll partner closely with our President and Chief Engineer to translate bold technical vision into disciplined, predictable execution.

• Own delivery of all engineering programs—from concept through production release.
• Drive predictable execution across schedules, budgets, and scope.
• Establish and run design reviews, milestone gates, and risk management.
• Serve as the escalation point for delivery, resourcing, and execution risk.
• Ensure engineering commitments align with customer needs, sales timelines, and manufacturing readiness.

• Lead, coach, and scale a multidisciplinary engineering organization.
• Set clear expectations, goals, and performance standards.
• Conduct performance reviews, development planning, and succession building.
• Recruit, onboard, and develop future engineering leaders.
• Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement.

• Design and operate the engineering “operating system,” including:
  • Project cadence and review rhythms
  • Capacity planning and prioritization
  • Metrics and dashboards (delivery, quality, ECNs, rework)
• Continuously improve processes from requirements through validation and release.
• Introduce structure that scales without slowing innovation.

• Own design-for-manufacturability (DFM) and new product introduction (NPI).
• Partner with Manufacturing Engineering and Operations to ensure:
  • Designs are manufacturable, cost-effective, and scalable
  • Smooth handoffs from engineering to production
• Ensure manufacturing lessons learned feed back into engineering standards.

• Ensure engineering priorities support:
  • Customer commitments
  • Product and sales strategy
  • Cost, margin, and delivery objectives
• Balance technical excellence with speed-to-market.
• Act as a key interface with Sales, Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain.

• Translate long-term technology vision into executable programs.
• Plan staffing and resourcing for future platforms.
• Mentor technical leaders and support innovation initiatives.
• Maintain clear ownership between technical architecture (Chief Engineer) and execution (Director of Engineering).

• On‑time, on‑target delivery of engineering programs and NPIs
• Revenue and cost savings delivered through engineering execution
• Reduced late‑stage design changes and rework
• Improved design stability, validation, and manufacturing outcomes
• Strong team engagement, retention, and leadership bench strength

• 10–15+ years of engineering experience, including leadership of multidisciplinary teams
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical, Systems, Robotics preferred)
• Proven success scaling engineering organizations and processes
• Experience with electro‑mechanical systems, batteries, power systems, automotive, or adjacent industries
• Strong track record of leading people—not just projects
• Deep collaboration experience with manufacturing and operations
• Ability to balance technical rigor with real‑world business tradeoffs

• Mission‑driven products with real‑world impact
• A leadership role that shapes the future of the company
• Direct influence on strategy, execution, and team growth
• Collaborative culture that values accountability and innovation