About this opportunity
Rheo Engineering lists this Engineering Manager - Mechanical Design - Peoria opportunity in peoria, Illinois. Review the employer’s description below for duties, qualifications and application requirements.
Job description
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 solutions
Manage engineering project prioritization and the on-time delivery of engineering deliverables
Review and approve designs, calculations, and drawings for accuracy, manufacturability, and compliance with specifications
Partner with Sales and Business Development to scope customer applications, assess feasibility, and provide technical input to quotes and proposals
Interface with Project Managers and customers on technical requirements, design reviews, and problem resolution
Collaborate with Manufacturing Engineering and Production to keep designs producible and cost-effective
Establish and maintain engineering standards, design processes, and documentation practices
Own the engineering change process (ECOs) and design configuration control
Ensure all engineering work complies with the quality system and applicable laws, standards, and regulations
Serve as the senior technical authority and escalation point, personally owning design decisions on the most complex customer applications
Drive continuous improvement in design tools, methods, and cycle time
Track and report engineering metrics and team performance to the Director of Engineering
Stay current on emerging design technology, materials, and methods, and apply the relevant advancements to Rheo’s processes
Take 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 rework
Customer applications are solved with designs that are manufacturable and cost-effective, winning and retaining business
The engineering team is stable, developing, and performing — with workload managed, capability growing, and turnover low
What We’re Looking For
Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Design Engineering, or a related engineering field
7+ years of design or mechanical engineering experience
3+ years in a people leadership, team lead, or engineering management role
Demonstrated 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 on
Superb Communication — you get your ideas, instructions, and points across clearly and naturally, with customers and your team alike
Extreme Ownership — you see a project through from beginning to end, no matter the obstacle
Proactive Problem Solver — you don’t let problems sit; you find the root cause and drive it to resolution
Customer Focus — you keep the customer’s application and outcome at the center of the team’s technical decisions
Competitive 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 experience
5–10 years of people leadership or engineering management experience
Experience in a customer-facing or applications engineering capacity
Experience in pharmaceutical, food processing, medical device, or other highly regulated industries
Familiarity with GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing)
Why Rheo
Privately owned and operated for 30 years and counting
Excellent benefits — see the section below
A smaller team (~100 team members) with a strong, in-person work culture
Lead a team doing unique, high-impact work — direct influence over the safe, efficient, and reliable production of medicine around the world
Real ownership — you shape the technical direction, standards, and growth of the Application Engineering team
Vertically integrated — watch what your team designs get built in the same building
A growing company in a stable, regulated industry where precision engineering matters
Benefits
Leading medical insurance — consistently low rates compared to other businesses in the area
Health Savings Account with employer contributions (plan-dependent)
Dental, vision, and life insurance
Short-term and long-term disability
Identity theft insurance
401(k) with 4% employer match
Generous PTO
Paid paternity and maternity leave
Paid cell phone plan with stipend for a new phone every 2 years
Employee 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.
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Worksite address
peoria, IL, 61639, US
Who can apply
Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.