Director, Engineering
Nidec · Illinois
- Level
- Director+
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Travel
- 10%
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 3+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A director-level manufacturing role at Nidec (industrial) in Illinois.
- They ask for
- 3+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Robotics, EHS / safety
- Day to day
- about 10% travel
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in Illinois: typical posted base $89k–$145k.
Median of the low and high ends of 17 live postings that list pay, out of 37 manufacturing engineer openings in Illinois, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Illinois plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 36 other live manufacturing postings in Illinois.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (3+ vs 5+)
Typical $89k–$134k, from 15 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Root cause 54%
- Automation 49%
- Lean 46%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 32%
- New product launch 30%
- Cost reduction 27%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Manufacturing team at Nidec
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- The posting says about 10% travel. Between which sites?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
Full description from NidecAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Job Summary
Nidec is the world's No.1 comprehensive motor and drive manufacturer handling "everything that spins and moves", miniature to gigantic. Nidec is a global enterprise comprised of over 300 subsidiaries/affiliates. We are a leading manufacturer of commercial motors, industrial motors, appliance motors, and controls. Nidec motors can be found in products that range from cell phones, computers and home appliances to industrial and mining equipment – and everything in between. Our product line features a full line of high efficiency motors for industrial applications in water treatment, mining, oil and gas, and power generation, and for commercial applications such as pool and spa, condensers, cooling towers and large refrigeration units.
From keeping us comfortable in our homes to pumping clean water to making our cars more safe, electric motors are an indispensable part of our daily lives. At Nidec, our employees are on the forefront of developing new motor technologies. As we move deeper into the age of robotics, the impact of motors will only increase.
With over 140,000 employees stationed worldwide, Nidec continues to be a unique organization, and each location maintains its individual personality.
Job Description
The Director, Engineering is a senior management role responsible for defining and executing engineering strategy to support business objectives, operational excellence, and innovation. This role oversees engineering teams and programs to ensure delivery of safe, reliable, high‑quality, and cost‑effective products, systems, or services.
Responsibilities
- ◆Define and execute engineering strategy aligned with business goals, product roadmaps, and operational needs
- ◆Establish engineering priorities, roadmaps, and investment plans
- ◆Ensure alignment between engineering execution and enterprise standards, safety, and quality expectations
- ◆Oversee delivery of engineering projects, programs, and initiatives
- ◆Establish and enforce engineering standards, design practices, and review processes
- ◆Ensure engineering outputs meet performance, reliability, regulatory, and customer
requirements
- ✓Support development and optimization of products, processes, or systems across the lifecycle
- ✓Partner with Product, Manufacturing, or Operations on new introductions, scale‑ups, and continuous improvement
- ✓Evaluate and adopt new technologies, tools, or methodologies to enhance engineering effectiveness
- ✓Lead, mentor, and develop engineering managers, engineers, and technical specialists
- ✓Establish performance expectations, capability models, and succession plans
- ✓Foster a culture of technical excellence, accountability, collaboration, and innovation
- ✓Collaborate with Product Management, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, EHS, and IT
- ✓Support enterprise initiatives such as growth, transformation, digitalization, and M&A integration
- ✓Ensure engineering activities comply with safety, regulatory, and quality
requirements
- ✓Identify and mitigate technical, operational, and execution risks
- ✓Support investigations and corrective actions for significant technical or quality issues
- ✓Establish KPIs to measure engineering performance, quality, delivery, and efficiency
- ✓Use data and analytics to drive decisions and continuous improvement
- ✓Standardize processes and improve engineering productivity and scalability
- ✓Own engineering budgets, forecasts, and resource planning
- ✓Balance cost, schedule, and performance priorities across programs
- ✓Ensure effective utilization of engineering talent and external partners
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
We begin with dreams. Dreams drive our motivation. Dreams are our future. The world's dreams, people's dreams, our dreams. Our passion creates ideas that make dreams come alive. Technology and products that were only dreams become reality.
All for dreams. Dreams challenge and the Nidec-Group will continue to meet the challenge. For the world's and people's tomorrows; the world's first, the world's best technologies and products; we will continue our part in creating a better society.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- •Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field
- •Requires 3+ years of managerial experience.
- •Typically 10–15+ years of progressive engineering experience
- •Significant experience leading engineering teams, managers, and complex technical programs
- •Broad knowledge of engineering principles, systems, and development methodologies
- •Proven people‑leadership and organizational‑development capability
- •Strong strategic thinking, problem‑solving, and decision‑making skills
- •Ability to influence executive leadership and cross‑functional stakeholders
- •Experience managing complex projects, trade‑offs, and technical risk
- •Executive‑level communication and presentation skills
- •High integrity, accountability, and results orientation
Travel
- •Both Domestic and International Travel up to 10%
Additional Job Details
Work Shift Schedule
No Soliciting
Nidec will not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third party recruiting agencies in response to Nidec job postings. No fee will be paid to third parties who submit unsolicited candidates directly to our hiring managers. Pre-approval from the Nidec Talent Acquisition team is required before any external candidate can