Director of Engineering, Hydrogen

As the Director of Engineering on Iwatani’s hydrogen team, you are responsible for developing and implementing Iwatani Corporation of America’s (ICA) strategic priorities to enable fuel cell mobility in North America. You will lead a core team of engineers that collaborates very closely across ICA’s hydrogen business including current business operations, new project development, and strategies for future growth. Your leadership, diligence, and technical acumen are critical to the success of ICA’s business and to the broader hydrogen market. This role is based in the Irvine, CA office with opportunities for hybrid/remote work.

Job Duties
 Lead the development of hydrogen station specifications and equipment designs for future project implementation.
 Establish and lead collaborations with equipment manufacturers and technology providers across the hydrogen supply chain.
 Implement Iwatani’s Hydrogen Center of Excellence to capture and analyze operational data of ICA’s assets – identify and implement improvements using a data driven approach.
 Help diagnosis, troubleshoot, and suggest improvements of ICA hydrogen assets.
 Support the implementation of preventative maintenance processes, spare parts inventory, and asset management with ICA’s operations team.
 Collaborate closely with ICA’s leadership team to align strategic direction.
 Interface with a broad set of stakeholders including customers, public entities, private partners, and consortia.
 Instill a strong focus on safety and ensure compliance with regulatory and HSSE protocols in collaboration with ICA’s HSSE Director.
 Instill a mindset for continues improvement (Kaizen) and empower the team to reflect, learn, and suggest changes.
Competencies
 Strong interpersonal skills to build lasting partnerships and represent Iwatani to a broad set of stakeholders.
 Possess excellent technical communication skills, cable of engaging both peers and non-technical audiences effectively.
 Demonstrate a solid foundation in first principles and experience with a suite of engineering modeling tools.
 Exhibit excellent organizational, prioritization, and time management skills.
 Ability to build workflows, processes, and procedures to document engineering work and management of change effectively.
 Capable of building relationships across company functions, driving change, and facilitating the adoption of newly defined engineering workflows. 
Supervisory Responsibilities
 Supervise the engineering team, including leading recruiting efforts, interviews, and hiring in collaboration with human resources.
 Manage multiple engineering projects simultaneously and provide clear direction across the Iwatani hydrogen team to execute.
 Provide transparent and constructive feedback to team members with the goal of continuous improvement. Continue to seek feedback from all levels of the organization.
Requirements
 Holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering, physics, chemistry, or related degree from an accredited college or university.
 Possess 7+ years of experience with at least 3 years in engineering leadership.
 Strong interest in the clean energy sector, preferably in hydrogen and fuel cells.
 Demonstrates a proven track record of managing complex engineering projects.
 Experience with troubleshooting and design iteration in a field of emerging technology.
 Experience leading an engineering team that uses data to scope and execute continuous engineering improvement projects.
 A self-starter with creative thinking and problem solving skills.
 Experience with a suite of software platforms including standard workplace tools and engineering packages.
 Ability to embrace Japanese business culture with a focus on respect for people, respect for the planet, and continuous improvement.
 Flexibility to work in both an office and field environment with travel up to 25%.
Preferred Experience
 Advanced degree in technical, business, or environmental fields.
 Professional Engineer (PE) license
 Experience in the hydrogen industry.
 Ability to lead across multiple work functions within the division, aligning the organization using influence and indirect authority.
 Experience working with and receiving the buy-in of international teams.
 Possess strong operational and financial acumen, executive presence, and the ability to lead.

Location - Irvine, CA