Senior Manager, Engineering

Job Description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Manager, Engineering at UL Standards & Engagement. This is a hybrid opportunity based in Evanston, IL; or Raleigh-Durham, NC; or Ottawa, CAN

The Senior Manager, Engineering will support a diverse portfolio of standards and lead a broad scope of interdisciplinary engineering projects and technical initiatives to advance the mission of UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE) to make the world safer, more secure, and sustainable. The Senior Manager, Engineering will serve as a senior technical contributor and subject matter expert across projects providing technical oversight and applying deep engineering knowledge to address emerging and complex safety science challenges. Leveraging expertise in engineering and applied science, the Senior Manager, Engineering will translate scientific insights, research development discoveries and incident trends into actionable strategies that support the advancement of ULSE standards and engagement activities.

As a people leader, the Senior Manager, Engineering will lead, coach and develop a high performing team of technical professionals, including engineers, scientists and safety specialists that will drive technical excellence and continuous improvement to support the development and maintenance of our safety standards. The role establishes the organizational structure, technical capabilities, talent strategy, and operating practices needed to support a growing portfolio of standards, safety science, and engagement initiatives.

UL Standards & Engagement:

At UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE), we expand the boundaries of safety science to create a more secure and sustainable world. For more than a century, we have created new safety standards and shared our findings with academia, scientists, manufacturers, and policymakers across industries. We identify critical safety and sustainability issues, asking tough questions because we believe a safer world begins with knowledge.

Build a safer, more secure, and sustainable future with us. Join us and work with our Standards teams who develop the standards required to put that knowledge into practice.

What you’ll learn and achieve:

As the Senior Manager, Engineering you will play a key role in the rapid growth of UL as you:

• Define and drive Engineering strategy aligned with organizational objectives, ensure priorities, resources, and project outcomes support broader standards development and advocacy goals.
• Develop and execute a multiyear workforce and capability strategy, including organizational design, headcount planning, talent acquisition, onboarding, retention, succession planning, and leadership development.

• Serve as technical lead and subject matter expert for complex projects and strategic initiatives related to product and consumer safety across technical disciplines.

• Leverage expertise in engineering and regulatory compliance to enable the development, implementation and continuous improvement of safety standards.

• Define and apply engineering methodologies, technical approaches, analytical frameworks and tools used to evaluate safety risks and support evidence based decision making.

• Oversee end-to-end projects, plan and execute activities across the project lifecycle and ensure timely and high-quality deliverables.

• Forecast project needs and anticipate issues. Develop and apply solutions and implement proactive strategies to address complex, undefined and ambiguous challenges.

• Collaborate and partner closely with cross-functional teams to align technical work with organizational priorities and stakeholder needs.

• Provide technical oversight within the Engineering function to ensure quality, consistency and rigor of all Engineering initiatives. Integrate Engineering solutions into existing processes and workflows, ensure recommendations are sound and actionable to support successful deployment and adaptation.

• Lead, guide, coach and train junior and seasoned team members. Cultivate collaborative environment to ensure team’s success in effective execution of standards activities.

• Represent ULSE at industry-related functions such as conferences, seminars and trade shows.

• Develop and present technical content for diverse audiences including committees, working groups, conferences and other stakeholder forums. Facilitate technical discussions among stakeholders, to support consensus building and sound decision making.

• Maintain continued awareness of industry trends and external context related to the portfolio. Stay current with regulatory requirements and compliance frameworks governing public safety.

• Perform other duties as directed

What you’ll experience working at UL Standards & Engagement: We have pursued our mission of working for a safer, more secure, and sustainable world for nearly 130 years, embedding conscientious stewardship into everything we do.

• People: Our people make us special. You’ll work with a diverse team of experts respected for their independence and transparency and build a network, because our approach is collaborative. We collaborate across disciplines, organizations, and geographies to build the global scientific response that today’s global challenges require.

• Interesting work: Every day is different for us here. We see what’s on the horizon and use our expertise to build the foundations of a safer future. You’ll have the opportunity to push the boundaries of human understanding as part of a team working to advance the public good.

• Grow and achieve: We learn, work, and grow together through targeted development, reward, and recognition programs.

• Values. Four core values guide our work: collaboration, respect, integrity, and beneficence. By living our values, we inspire the trust essential to fulfilling our mission and foster partnerships that enable us to pursue a beneficent future in which we all can thrive.

• Total Rewards: All employees at UL Standards & Engagement are eligible for bonus compensation. We offer comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans and a generous 401k matching structure of up to 5% of eligible pay. Moreover, we invest an additional 4% into your retirement saving fund after your first year of continuous employment. Depending on your role, you may be able to discuss flexible working arrangements with your manager. We also provide employees with paid time off, including vacation, holiday, sick, and volunteer days.

What makes you a great fit:

While no one candidate will embody every quality, the successful candidate will bring many of the following professional competencies and personal attributes:

• Demonstrated expertise and broad technical knowledge in engineering principles related to product safety. Experience in ULSE core segment topics including fire safety, mechanical safety, electrical systems, electrification, sustainability, batteries, energy storage and alternative energy technologies.

• Broad knowledge of hazard analysis, risk assessment, testing methodologies, and performance based safety requirements.

• Experience defining direction, executing strategy and achieving tangible results. Ability to align project objectives and outputs to broader team and organizational priorities.

• Strong project leadership skills, with ability to independently manage complex, multi-phase initiatives involving multiple stakeholders and competing priorities, fostering collaboration and partnership across the organization.

• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high performing teams. Experience setting expectations while establishing and operationalizing clear goals and enforcing accountability for both processes and results.

• Excellent communicator and presenter, with ability to distill complex data into clear, compelling narratives and recommendations for a range of audiences.

• Strong consultative and partnership orientation, with ability to establish effective relationships and influence others, including senior leaders and external stakeholders.

• Sound judgement and analytical rigor, with strong commitment to technical quality. Strategic thinker with the ability to innovate and adapt in a dynamic industry landscape.

Professional education and experience requirements for the role include:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science or related field. Advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 9 years of directly related technical work experience.
• Minimum 2 years people management experience.
• Familiarity with product safety, standards development, testing, certification, regulatory compliance, or related technical role.
• Experience developing or applying relevant standards, including UL, ISO, and IEC.
• Experience with US and Canadian Standards and Codes, as well as national, regional, and international standardization bodies.
• PMP or related project management certification a plus.

About UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement

UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement are nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing safety science research through the discovery and application of scientific knowledge. We conduct rigorous independent research and analyze safety data, convene experts worldwide to address risks, share knowledge through safety education and public outreach initiatives, and develop standards to guide safe commercialization of evolving technologies. We foster communities of safety, from grassroots initiatives for neighborhoods to summits of world leaders. Our organization employs collaborative and scientific approaches with partners and stakeholders to drive innovation and progress toward improving safety, security, and sustainability, ultimately enhancing societal well-being.

To learn more, visit our websites UL.org and ULSE.org.

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