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Senior Director of Engineering

West Chester, PA

 Lasko Products, an industry leader of home environment products for over 100 years, is seeking a Sr. Director of Engineering.  This role will be based in our corporate headquarters, West Chester, PA.


The Sr. Director of Engineering is a key position within the Product Development team that represents a critical integration point between the Engineering team, Domestic Operations and the Strategic Business Units. The successful candidate must demonstrate the ability to convert marketing and consumer requirements into technical performance requirements and mentor the engineering team. The Sr. Director of  Engineering will provide front-end engineering leadership and vision on engineering technology and best practices to assure accurate scale up of new technology into executable engineering plans and designs for both our domestic and imported goods. The successful candidate will work with strong operations teams, quality teams, and business teams to manage an effective product development process from ideation through end of product life.

This individual will be responsible for partnering with the Product Management team to develop and drive technical innovation that aligns with consumer needs. They will be responsible for creating and implementing the strategic direction of the engineering team. This individual should be a highly motivated, quick learner who enjoys a hands-on, high-speed work environment.

The Sr. Director of Engineering will report directly to the Vice President of Product Development. This role will manage a team of 4 Mechanical Engineers and 3 Project Engineers


Travel is estimated at about 10% of the time and the successful candidate must be available to travel international for up to 2 week periods.

Other Key Responsibilities Will Include:

  • Create and sustain a culture of creativity and work ethic focused on achieving goals on time and within budget
  • Creatively resolve conflicting design constraints through analysis and testing
  • Assure that Engineering resources are aligned with the overall strategy for the business unit
  • Have experience managing a gated product development process
  • Direct the development of engineering standards and oversee implementation as they pertain to planning, development, and manufacturing
  • Foster an environment of continuous improvement and quick to market thinking
  • Partner with Operations for new product introduction planning including design for manufacturing, project risk assessment, new product costing, new product qualification and product ramp up/ramp down planning
  • Drive Value Based Engineering (VBE) initiatives into product design through partnerships with manufacturing and supplier initiatives.
  • Communicate strategic objectives, resource allocation and execute development plans both domestically and globally
  • Lead Mechanical Engineering team as a shared resource balancing requirements between Domestic Engineering and Import Engineering Teams
  • Have the ability to assess data objectively and to make scientifically sound decisions 
  • Manage overall domestic project portfolio to ensure team KPI’s are met including on-time launch, unit cost and unit performance metrics
  •  Ensure that both domestic and imported products adhere to safety standards, industry regulations, and quality certifications.
  • Proactively identify potential risks within the engineering, production, and importation processes, creating mitigation strategies
  • Oversee the engineering of both domestic and imported goods, ensuring product designs, specifications, and manufacturing processes meet industry standards, quality expectations, and regulatory requirements.
  • Work closely with the supply chain, procurement, and operations teams to manage the seamless integration of imported goods into the product development and manufacturing lifecycle.
  • Implement best practices in engineering design and testing to ensure that both domestically produced and imported products are scalable, reliable, and cost-effective.
  • Oversee the implementation of sustainable engineering practices and compliance with environmental regulations related to both domestic and imported products.

Qualification/Experience:

  • 10 plus years of broad technical experience in product development for domestic manufacturing with a proven track record of taking product from ideation through safe product launch.
  • Minimum of 5 years leading technical product development teams will be required.
  • Extensive experience collaborating with cross-functional teams and managing development and manufacturing partners
  • Strong Design for Manufacturing (DFM)/Design for Assembly (DFA) skills with emphasis on part/assembly tolerance to deliver robust designs for high volume manufacturing
  • Knowledge of design of plastic injection molded part designs, electromechanical integration and metal stamped part designs
  • Ability to assess data objectively and to make scientifically sound decisions in an efficient manner and to effectively present data in a format which supports the conclusion
  • Be Six Sigma trained - a Black Belt is considered a definite plus, a broad proven skill set of lean product development tools
  • In-depth knowledge of engineering design, quality control, and manufacturing processes for both domestic and imported goods.
  • Bachelor’s degree in an Engineering discipline
  • Project management experience with large, complex projects
  • Strong computer skills, i.e. Excel/Word/PowerPoint/Visio/Statistical Software such as Minitab or Statistics, etc.

 

About the Company

Lasko Metal Products was founded in 1906 by Henry Lasko in Philadelphia. Lasko designs, manufactures, assembles, and distributes portable fans, heaters, and humidifiers for the consumer market (Lasko brand), air purifiers (Germ Guardian brand), ventilation products such as range hoods and bathroom exhaust fans to the construction industry (Air King brand) and water damage restoration products such as air scrubbers and dehumidifiers (B-Air brand).  Lasko’s products are sold in North America, South America, the Caribbean, and Asia. The company is recognized as the leader in the portable fan and portable heating categories and proudly operates American manufacturing, assembly, and distribution facilities across the US.  Lasko’s leading market share in fans and heaters is 2X – 4X larger than the #2 brand.  Lasko’s domestic production capabilities uniquely position Lasko to serve its customers.

Lasko’s Mission is to improve everyday life with trusted products which create a healthier and more comfortable environment.  The company’s success is based on 5 Core Values:

  • Be Bold:
    • Challenge the status quo
    • Courageously pursue the impossible 
    • Reject mediocrity
  • Be Together 
    • Work together for success 
    • Drive trust and candor with each other 
    • Prioritize "We" before "I"
  •  Be A Leader
    • Lead with personal conviction 
    • Inspire each other to deliver high- quality results
    • Leverage resilience and agility to drive excellence
  • Be Accountable 
    • Consistently deliver to our customers 
    • Embrace commitments as a contract 
    • Take pride in our actions
  • Be The Change 
    • Demonstrate a passion to win 
    • Make a difference at work in our communities 
    • Step forward and take initiative

The Lasko family owned and operated Lasko Products until November 2016, when private investment firms Comvest Partners and JW Levin Management Partners (“JWLMP”) acquired the business. Comvest Partners and JWLMP are committed to growing the business with investments in growth and productivity.

Geographic Reach

Based in the greater Philadelphia, PA area, Lasko Products operates in locations throughout the US and Canada. The company’s Tennessee, Texas, and Pennsylvania manufacturing facilities produce both indoor and outdoor fans and heaters. The company also sources select products internationally from China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and India.  Lasko operates distribution centers in all manufacturing locations plus Nevada and Ohio.

Diversity & Inclusion

Comvest and its portfolio companies recruit, employ, train, compensate and promote regardless of race/national origin, gender/gender identification, sexual orientation, age, disability status, veteran status, religious affiliation, and other protected status.  We have a clear vision to be the place where diverse talent wants to come, stay, and do their best work.  We know our companies run on the hard work and dedication of our passionate and smart employees.  We believe that diversity within an organization creates long-term value for the organization itself and its constituents.  Comvest and its portfolio companies are high performing organizations that seeks to hire hard-working and dedicated high performers.  While Comvest and its portfolio companies always strive to look at a diverse pool of candidates, we will always choose the most qualified candidate for the job being recruited for, in order to strive for success for both the employee and the firm.

 

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