--- title: 'Director of Engineering at DISHER' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-engineering-disher-grand-rapids-s9cvs7a1pwzx' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-11' --- # Director of Engineering at DISHER - **Company:** DISHER - **Location:** Grand Rapids, MI - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-08-25 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-11 - **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/disher/fac377b2-eb22-4b8c-bc85-9c8e1d4064e4 ## Job description Director of Engineering – Grand Rapids, Michigan DISHER is currently partnering with a leader in food stabilization in Grand Rapids, MI to fill their Director of Engineering position. In this role, you will lead a multidisciplinary engineering team, drive project execution, and align R&D/product development initiatives with business objectives. The role combines technical leadership, project management, and financial oversight to ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget. What it's like to work here: This small machine design company is committed to reducing waste and improving the planet through transforming underused resources into nutritious, profitable materials. They have a strong commitment to their company values: Selflessly Serve, Trail-Blaze, Direct Honesty, Never Settle, Work Hard Play Hard. All team members are driven by their desire to serve others and create a more sustainable way of living. What you will get to do: - Lead engineering projects including planning, scheduling, and execution. - Define project scope, timelines, resource allocation, budget, and deliverables. - Ensure projects are completed on time, within budget, and to company and customer quality standards. - Identify risks and implement mitigation strategies. - Drive continuous improvement in project execution and processes. - Provide technical direction across multidisciplinary engineering team. - Review and approve engineering designs, drawings and specifications. - Support design and development using CAD tools. - Ensure adherence to industry standards, safety and regulatory requirements. - Lead and participate in field activities such as installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting. - Serve as technical escalation point for complex operational issues. - Interface with customers, vendors, and internal stakeholders on technical matters. - Lead, mentor, and develop a diverse engineering team across disciplines. - Manage performance, training, and career development. - Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement. - Allocate resources effectively across multiple projects. - Develop and manage project and departmental budgets. - Track financial performance, cost controls, and ROI on engineering initiatives. - Support business strategy by aligning efforts with company goals. - Collaborate with leadership on planning and forecasting. What will make you successful: - Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or chemical engineering, or related field required. - 10+ years of experience, including hands on engineering, project management, field/plant/industrial experience, and direct people management. - Strong leadership and mentorship skills. - Familiar with SolidWorks. - Experience with design, manufacturing, or process systems. - Experience with food, pharma, or relevant industry and safety regulations. - Comfortable driving structure, accountability, and execution across multiple projects. - Experience coaching, growing, and developing engineers through hands-on support and guidance. - Being Comfortable with the pressures of balancing demanding customers, projects, and internal R&D priorities simultaneously. ## About DISHER ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: DISHER is an engineering, product development, manufacturing technology, and talent solutions firm that partners with clients to innovate and build custom solutions across diverse industries. - **Entity Type**: Private (Employee-Owned via ESOP) - **Headquarters**: Zeeland, Michigan, USA - **Founded**: 2000 - **Founders**: Jeff Disher ## Core Business - **Primary industry/industries**: Engineering Services, Product Development, Manufacturing Technology, Talent Solutions - **Target customers**: B2B, primarily mid-market to Fortune 500 companies across a wide range of industries including automotive, consumer goods, medical, and industrial equipment in the US and globally. - **Mission or purpose statement**: "Making a Positive Difference" — through integral relationships and innovative solutions with customers, coworkers, and communities. Their vision is to leave the world better than they found it. ## Products & Services - **Product Development**: Integrated design and engineering services from concept through production, covering mechanical, electrical, and software engineering. - **Manufacturing Solutions**: Services to streamline processes, boost productivity, and advance manufacturing technology, including automation and process optimization. - **Electronics Engineering**: Design and development of electronic systems and embedded solutions. - **Talent Solutions**: Staffing and consulting to place top engineering, design, and technical talent into client teams (both short-term contractors and permanent hires). - **DISHER Extended Network (DEN)**: A vetted network of freelance and contract professionals (engineers, designers, project managers) who work on a project-by-project basis for DISHER clients. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available (Private, ESOP-owned company). No external funding rounds. - **Key Metric**: Core team of 130+ employees, with an extended network (DEN) of over 70 experts. Headcount has grown significantly from a one-person operation founded in 2000. - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not applicable (100% employee-owned). Bi-weekly meetings review state of the business, indicating strong internal transparency on financials. - **Growth Signals**: 130+ core team members signals steady, stable growth over 20+ years. They are an award-winning firm that augments teams for clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies, indicating strong reputation and demand. ## Competitive Advantages - **Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)**: Every full-time core employee becomes an owner of the company, fostering a strong sense of ownership and alignment with the company’s long-term success. This is a powerful differentiator. - **Strong, Intentional Culture**: Built on 12 core culture characteristics (e.g., Unvarnished Communication, Trusting Relationships, Innovation, Stewardship) that are actively lived out through weekly team lunches, offsites, and ongoing feedback. - **Flexibility & Autonomy**: No fixed start/end times for workdays. Team members are encouraged to work where they are most productive (office, remote, or at client sites). - **High Employee Satisfaction**: 98% of teammates say DISHER is a great place to work, as per their internal Great Place to Work survey. - **Community Commitment**: 10% of profits are given back to community and nonprofit organizations. Employees get 20 paid hours of volunteer time annually. ## Strategic Focus - **Deepening Client Partnerships**: Moving beyond being "extra hands" to becoming true partners that help clients achieve their vision. - **Continuous Improvement**: Using workplace assessments (Great Place to Work, Denison Organizational Culture Survey) to refine culture and operations. - **Talent Development**: Investing heavily in their people through DISHER University, individual coaching, and personal development opportunities to maintain a high-caliber team. - **Expanding the Extended Network (DEN)**: Growing their network of vetted freelance talent to provide flexible, scalable solutions for clients. ## Why Work Here - **Culture is Core**: DISHER intentionally builds a collaborative, transparent, and supportive environment. Their 12 core characteristics guide how employees treat each other and customers. - **Flexible & Remote-Friendly**: They have no fixed daily start/end times and support working from the office in Zeeland, MI, from home, or at client locations, based on what is most productive. - **Exceptional Benefits**: - **Employee Ownership (ESOP)**: Full-time employees are immediately enrolled in an ESOP, providing a unique retirement benefit in addition to a 401k. - **Generous Time Off**: Up to 4 weeks of vacation plus 11 paid holidays. - **Parental Leave**: 2 weeks off after the birth or adoption of a child. - **Paid Impact Time**: 80 hours per year for community service, professional development, and charitable work. - **Insurance**: Excellent health, dental, and vision insurance, plus mental health resources. - **Team Bonding & Events**: Weekly all-team Friday lunches, two companywide offsites per year, a Christmas party, a summer picnic, and group sports sponsorships. - **Growth & Development**: Formal programs like DISHER University, educational reimbursement, individual coaching, and subject matter communities. ## Sources 1. [disher.com - Company Homepage](https://www.disher.com/) 2. [disher.com - About Us](https://www.disher.com/about/) 3. [disher.com - Careers Page](https://www.disher.com/careers/) 4. [disher.com - Our Culture Page](https://www.disher.com/our-culture/) 5. 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