Engineering Manager - Mechanical Design - Peoria

Engineering Manager – Mechanical Design Equipment Application Engineering | Peoria, IL (In-Person) | Full-Time | Relocation Assistance Provided Compensation: $125,000 – $160,000 Reports To: Director of Engineering Great engineering teams don’t happen by accident. Someone has to set the technical bar, clear the obstacles, and build a team engineers want to be part of. If that’s the challenge you’re after, keep reading. Rheo Engineering designs and builds the powder handling systems used to make life-saving medicine. Application Engineering is where a customer’s requirements become a real, manufacturable machine — every project different, most of them on a tight clock. We’re looking for an Engineering Manager to lead that team: owning technical quality and on-time delivery, developing the engineers on it, and bridging customers, sales, manufacturing, and production. What You’ll Do Supervisory Lead, mentor, and develop the Application Engineering team — setting priorities, managing workload, and supporting hiring, performance management, and career growth Non-Supervisory Own the engineering workflow that translates customer requirements into manufacturable, applied product designs and solutionsManage engineering project prioritization and the on-time delivery of engineering deliverablesReview and approve designs, calculations, and drawings for accuracy, manufacturability, and compliance with specificationsPartner with Sales and Business Development to scope customer applications, assess feasibility, and provide technical input to quotes and proposalsInterface with Project Managers and customers on technical requirements, design reviews, and problem resolutionCollaborate with Manufacturing Engineering and Production to keep designs producible and cost-effectiveEstablish and maintain engineering standards, design processes, and documentation practicesOwn the engineering change process (ECOs) and design configuration controlEnsure all engineering work complies with the quality system and applicable laws, standards, and regulationsServe as the senior technical authority and escalation point, personally owning design decisions on the most complex customer applicationsDrive continuous improvement in design tools, methods, and cycle timeTrack and report engineering metrics and team performance to the Director of EngineeringStay current on emerging design technology, materials, and methods, and apply the relevant advancements to Rheo’s processesTake on other duties as assigned by leadership What Success Looks Like Application engineering deliverables — designs, drawings, and technical proposals — are completed on time, to spec, and require minimal reworkCustomer applications are solved with designs that are manufacturable and cost-effective, winning and retaining businessThe engineering team is stable, developing, and performing — with workload managed, capability growing, and turnover low Experience What We’re Looking For Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Design Engineering, or a related engineering field7+ years of design or mechanical engineering experience3+ years in a people leadership, team lead, or engineering management roleDemonstrated experience translating customer or application requirements into manufacturable product designs Software Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams)Proficiency in 3D CAD software (Autodesk Inventor preferred)Familiarity with an ERP system (Epicor Kinetic preferred) Traits People Leadership — you develop engineers, set clear direction, and build a team people want to stay onSuperb Communication — you get your ideas, instructions, and points across clearly and naturally, with customers and your team alikeExtreme Ownership — you see a project through from beginning to end, no matter the obstacleProactive Problem Solver — you don’t let problems sit; you find the root cause and drive it to resolutionCustomer Focus — you keep the customer’s application and outcome at the center of the team’s technical decisionsCompetitive Drive — an insatiable desire to build a better product than the competition Values Alignment is a Must Initiative: instinct for taking action to improve, solve, and deliver.Collaboration: proactive communication with your stakeholders.Competence: ability to do your job well.Reliability: persistent follow-through on commitments.Bold Humility: courage to speak, act, and listen without arrogance. Preferred Qualifications 10–15 years of design engineering experience5–10 years of people leadership or engineering management experienceExperience in a customer-facing or applications engineering capacityExperience in pharmaceutical, food processing, medical device, or other highly regulated industriesFamiliarity with GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing) Why Rheo Privately owned and operated for 30 years and countingExcellent benefits — see the section belowA smaller team (~100 team members) with a strong, in-person work cultureLead a team doing unique, high-impact work — direct influence over the safe, efficient, and reliable production of medicine around the worldReal ownership — you shape the technical direction, standards, and growth of the Application Engineering teamVertically integrated — watch what your team designs get built in the same buildingA growing company in a stable, regulated industry where precision engineering matters Benefits Leading medical insurance — consistently low rates compared to other businesses in the areaHealth Savings Account with employer contributions (plan-dependent)Dental, vision, and life insuranceShort-term and long-term disabilityIdentity theft insurance401(k) with 4% employer matchGenerous PTOPaid paternity and maternity leavePaid cell phone plan with stipend for a new phone every 2 yearsEmployee referral program Working Conditions This is a fully onsite, office-based role at our Peoria, IL facility, with regular time on the manufacturing and production floor for design reviews, prototyping, and cross-functional collaboration. You must be able to move about the office and production floor and occasionally lift up to 25 pounds. Appropriate PPE is required when on the manufacturing floor, where you will work in proximity to operating machinery and equipment. Travel is minimal — less than 5% of the time. Standard 8-hour workday; additional hours may be required to meet business and project deadlines. The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met to perform the essential functions of this role, with or without reasonable accommodation. Rheo Engineering is an equal opportunity employer.