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We are searching for a Director of Engineering to lead all engineering functions at our medical device disposables and consumables manufacturing site. This is a senior appointment at a site with deep-rooted expertise in both legacy automated production lines and precision manual assembly processes — and a clear, leadership supported mandate to transform both.
The Director of Engineering will be accountable for four strategic pillars: accelerating automation and digital transformation across legacy and manual operations; delivering disciplined, measurable CI and OpEx savings year on year; transitioning the site to sustainable energy generation and usage; and building an engineering organization recognized for its sustained talent pipeline, capability, and culture.
This is a transformation role, not a maintenance role. The right individual brings both the vision to articulate where the site needs to go and the operational discipline to get it there — on time, within budget, and without compromising the quality and compliance standards expected in a regulated medical device environment at our Manufacturing Facility in Houston, TX.
1. Automation & Digital Transformation
- Develop a prioritized, risk-managed automation roadmap that systematically upgrades legacy automated systems and progressively transitions labor-intensive or high-risk manual operations to validated automated solutions.
- Introduce Industry 4.0 capabilities across the site: real-time process monitoring, machine vision, digital work instructions, OEE dashboards, connected asset management, and predictive maintenance platforms.
- Own the full validation lifecycle (IQ/OQ/PQ/CSV) for all new and modified equipment and software, maintaining compliance with FDA 21 CFR Part 820, ISO 13485, and applicable GMP/GDP standards.
- Collaborate with IT and Global Engineering to evaluate, pilot, and scale digital tools that generate measurable throughput, quality, or cost improvement for the site.
- Ensure automation investment decisions are staged and risk-assessed to protect product quality and supply continuity throughout every phase of transition.
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- Own and deliver an annual engineering-led savings target spanning energy cost reduction, yield and right-first-time improvement, scrap elimination, material efficiency, labor productivity, and capital avoidance.
- Embed a structured CI culture using Lean, Six Sigma, and Value Stream Mapping methodologies across all manufacturing and support processes.
- Build and manage a prioritized CI project pipeline with clear owners, milestones, and financial accountability — reporting monthly progress to site leadership.
- Partner with Quality, Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance to ensure savings initiatives are sustained, validated, and properly reflected in the site P&L.
- Interrogate every legacy process before automating it — simplifying, standardizing, and eliminating waste at the process level first.
- Develop compelling investment business cases with clear NPV, payback period, and risk-adjusted return analysis.
3. Energy Transition & Sustainability
- Design and own a site-wide energy transformation roadmap covering renewable generation (solar PV, co-generation), energy storage, demand response, and green utility procurement.
- Establish clear energy KPIs — kWh per unit of output, carbon intensity, utility cost as a percentage of revenue — and drive consistent year-on-year improvement.
- Identify, develop business cases for, and deliver a pipeline of energy efficiency capital projects across production equipment, HVAC, compressed air, cleanroom utilities, and site infrastructure.
- Leverage government incentive programs, energy grants, and strategic supplier partnerships to maximize the financial return on sustainability investments.
- Integrate the site energy strategy with corporate ESG commitments and any applicable regulatory or public sustainability reporting requirements.
- Serve as the site's internal authority and external spokesperson on energy and environmental engineering.
4. Team Leadership & Talent Development
- Lead, develop, and inspire a multi-disciplinary engineering organization — setting clear performance expectations, providing meaningful coaching, and creating genuine career development pathways.
- Build capability deliberately and strategically: identify future skill requirements in automation, data analytics, energy systems, and regulatory engineering, and grow those skills from within.
- Foster a culture of psychological safety, intellectual rigor, and courageous problem-solving in which engineers feel empowered to challenge assumptions and innovate.
- Attract and retain top engineering talent through credible leadership, purposeful work, and a site reputation for delivering industry-leading engineering.
- Establish structured engineering reviews, knowledge-sharing forums, and cross-functional communities of practice.
- Represent Engineering at the site leadership table — collaborating across Operations, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Finance, and HR as a peer and strategic partner.
5. Quality, Compliance & Safety
- Ensure all engineering activity complies fully with applicable regulatory frameworks: FDA, ISO 13485, CE requirements, and relevant environmental and safety legislation.
- Champion a safety-first engineering culture in which no project, modification, or maintenance activity proceeds without appropriate risk assessment and safety sign-off.
- Support internal and external audits — regulatory, customer, and corporate — providing engineering evidence, root cause analysis, and corrective action commitments with confidence.
- Maintain robust engineering change control discipline: every process and equipment change properly documented, risk-assessed, and validated prior to implementation.
WHAT YOU’LL BRING TO ALCON:
- Bachelor’s Degree or Equivalent years of directly related experience (or high school +18 yrs; Assoc.+14 yrs; M.S.+7 yrs; PhD+6 yrs)
- The ability to fluently read, write, understand and communicate in English
- 10 Years of relevant experience
- 6 Years of Demonstrated Leadership
- Location: Onsite
- Travel Requirements: Up to 10%
- Relocation Assistance: Yes
- Sponsorship Available: No
PREFERRED:
- Direct experience in medical device disposables, consumables, or single-use product manufacturing is strongly preferred.
- Regulated industry in aerospace, automotive or energy.
- Working knowledge of FDA 21 CFR Part 820 and ISO 13485 quality management requirements.
- Experience with energy generation assets such as solar PV, combined heat and power (CHP), or battery storage in an industrial setting.
- Familiarity with Industry 4.0 platforms: MES, SCADA, digital twin environments, OEE analytics, or predictive maintenance tools.
Leadership Competencies
- Visionary yet grounded: can articulate a compelling engineering future for the site while maintaining uncompromising delivery on near-term commitments.
- Commercially fluent: connects engineering decisions to business value and communicates confidently in financial terms at the leadership table.
- Decisive under ambiguity makes sound, evidence-based decisions in complex, fast-moving regulated manufacturing environments.
- Collaborative and influential: builds genuine trust and alignment across Operations, Quality, Regulatory, Finance, and senior site and corporate leadersh
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