Director, Product Development & Engineering, Fluid Power Couplings

About the role

The Director of Fluid Power Couplings leads Gates Corporation’s global strategy, development, and lifecycle management of fluid power coupling products. This position ensures the design, engineering, testing, approval, and continuous improvement of cost-effective, high-performance couplings that support Gates’ hydraulic, industrial hose systems, spanning spiral, wire braid, and textile-reinforced technologies.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Lead and direct the global engineering organization responsible for fluid power couplings, ensuring best-in-class product performance, quality, reliability, and cost competitiveness across the full product lifecycle.
• Oversee development, validation, and optimization of global and regional hose coupling combinations, ensuring compliance with Gates internal standards and all required international standards.
• Provide strategic leadership and governance for all global crimp-specification data systems, ensuring enterprise-wide accuracy, standardization, and real-time availability to manufacturing sites, engineering teams, channel partners, and aftermarket customers.
• Oversee the global strategy for technical drawings, models, and product specifications, ensuring they remain current, validated, and aligned across regions.
• Lead all Type Approval activities, ensuring timely certification, renewal, and technical documentation for hose coupling combinations as required by regulatory and industry bodies.
• Oversee customer specific testing programs, including approvals for First Fit customers and third party coupling evaluations that support increased hose sales.
• Direct global test lab interactions to ensure test methods, equipment, and reporting meet Gates’ standards of excellence.
• Build and manage global innovation teams focused on: New coupling technologies for emerging applications Advanced materials and sealing technologies Novel and scalable manufacturing processes Productivity and cost reduction initiatives Develop mid- and long-term technical roadmaps that align the couplings portfolio with Gates’ strategic product and market growth priorities.
• Partner closely with Global Product Line Management and Regional Product Management to evaluate market needs, new opportunities, and competitive dynamics.
• Provide technical leadership to Application Engineering, regional commercial teams, Operations, and Quality groups for issue resolution, customer support, and strategic initiatives.
• Supply expert evaluation of new and alternative materials, suppliers, and technologies.
• Lead the global strategy for technical drawings, models, and product specifications, ensuring they remain current, validated, and aligned across regions.
• Lead, coach, and mentor a global engineering team across multiple regions and technical disciplines, ensuring high performance, collaboration, and talent development across the function.
• Foster an inclusive, performance-driven culture emphasizing collaboration, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Manage organizational capacity, resource planning, and project prioritization in a matrixed global environment.

Requirements And Preferred Skills

• Strong strategic orientation with the ability to balance long-range technology roadmaps and day-to-day execution.
• Demonstrated ability to lead in high-pressure environments, manage conflict, and prioritize multiple global workstreams effectively.
• Expertise in product design, engineering processes, and manufacturing methods related to metallic components and fluid power systems.
• Knowledge of product costing and financial evaluation of engineering trade-offs.
• Exceptional communication skills with experience presenting complex technical and business information at all organizational levels.
• Proven success leading multicultural, cross-functional teams globally within a matrix organization.
• Strong problem-solving capability, analytical thinking, and decision-making.
• Proficiency in project management, resource planning, and modern engineering tools.
• Independent, proactive mindset with a focus on results, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Materials Engineering, or related technical field (Master’s preferred).
• 10+ years of product design and development experience in fluid power, mechanical components, or related industries.
• 5+ years of project engineering leadership experience.
• 10+ years of progressive management experience leading global or multi-site engineering teams.
• Experience with regulated product certification and industry compliance preferred.

Pay & Benefits

• Payscale: $171,000 - $200,000
• Bonus Eligible: 20%
• Medical, Dental, Vision insurance and other voluntary benefit options: benefits begin on the first day of the month immediately following your date of hire
• Tuition Reimbursement