Director of Engineering

Arrow Machine and Fabrication Group is an engineering-focused solution provider of machined castings, fabrications, and assemblies. We serve OEM customers across various industries, including rail, material handling, mining, defense, heavy truck, agriculture, power systems, construction, nuclear, engineered products, architecture, and forestry. We have access to the broadest range of metalwork solutions worldwide through our elite group of companies. Arrow focuses on providing innovative design, quality craftsmanship, and exceptional customer service.

Group Division:

At Arrow Engineered Products, we design and manufacture turnkey solutions for a wide range of customers with needs in nuclear, chemical mixing, heat exchanger, and autoclave systems, including fuel storage and various custom-designed pressure and non-pressure systems, all in compliance with ASME, PED, ULC, and API certified design criteria.

Compensation Range: $160,000 up to $180,000 annually

Position Summary: Reporting to the VP/General Manager, the Director of Engineering leads engineering and quality across Cambridge North, Stratford, and Woodstock, with all engineering resources and the Quality Manager reporting directly to the role. As AEP's code authority, you will own our ASME and TSSA Certificates of Authorization for ASME Section III and VIII, CSA B51 and CSA N285/N299 work. You will protect Quality's independent stop-work authority, develop the team, and grow AEP into new markets. This is not a desk role: you will personally review critical designs, solve fabrication problems on the shop floor, and stand behind our product with customers and auditors. Must hold a P.Eng. license with Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO).

Primary Responsibilities:

Engineering & Quality Leadership and Team Development

• Lead the engineering and quality organization directly — Quality Manager, Project Supervisors, Mechanical Designers and Estimating — including hiring, performance management, development planning and succession.
• Establish and enforce engineering standards, procedures, design templates and calculation methodologies across all facilities.
• Review and approve engineering deliverables and estimates, ensuring alignment with project scope, specification, quality and customer requirements.
• Own the engineering and quality budget, resource plan and technology roadmap, including CAD, code calculation software, quality/document management systems and ERP integration.
• Provide regular reporting to the Vice President / General Manager on engineering and quality performance, capacity, certificate status, risk and capability development.

Certificates of Authority & Quality Management System

• Serve as the named accountable owner of AEP’s Certificates of Authority and quality programs, including ASME Certificates of Authorization (N / NPT / NS scope as held or pursued) and all associated registrations, ensuring they are maintained, renewed and extended in step with the business plan.
• Own the Quality Assurance Manual and the quality management system as a whole, including the policies, procedures and program documents that AEP’s engineers design to and work under, and approve all revisions to them.
• Direct the Quality Manager in the execution of the quality program — internal and external audits, supplier qualification and surveillance, calibration, document and records control, training and qualification records, nonconformance and corrective action.
• Ensure the Quality Manager exercises independent authority to identify quality problems, stop work, place holds and control the disposition of nonconforming material, with a direct and unimpeded escalation route to the Vice President / General Manager where quality is placed in conflict with cost or schedule.
• Maintain, for every certificate held, a clear line of sight between the code and customer requirements, the engineering practices that satisfy them and the objective evidence that demonstrates compliance.
• Serve as the accountable interface to the Authorized Nuclear Inspector (ANI) and Authorized Inspector (AI); the Quality Manager conducts the day-to-day interface, surveys, audits and inspection coordination under that accountability.
• Lead preparation for, and closure of findings from, ASME triennial surveys and interim audits, Authorized Inspection Agency reviews, registrar audits and utility supplier qualification audits.
• Ensure that quality metrics, audit findings, customer complaints and nonconformance trends are reviewed at management level and drive corrective action in engineering practice, not only in documentation.

Code Authority & Nuclear Quality Program

• Serve as AEP’s senior technical authority for pressure-retaining and nuclear-class work, including design responsibility under ASME BPVC Section III, Division 1 (Subsections NCA, NB, NC, ND and NF as applicable) and Section VIII, Division 1.
• Own and maintain the quality assurance program supporting AEP’s ASME Certificates of Authorization, including the requirements of Subsection NCA-3800 and ASME NQA-1, and ensure the organizational structure documented in the program reflects the independence and authority those requirements demand.
• Maintain compliance with CSA N285.0 for pressure-retaining systems and components in CANDU nuclear power plants, and with the CSA N299.1 / .2 / .3 / .4 quality assurance program requirements for the supply of items and services to nuclear power plants, including selection of the appropriate N299 level for a given scope of supply.
• Own design registration and certification deliverables, including TSSA design registration and CRN submissions, design reports, code data reports and supporting document packages.
• Maintain currency with CSA B51, ASME B31.1 and ASME Sections II, V and IX as they apply to AEP scope, and ensure the quality program keeps pace with code revisions, addenda and customer specification changes.

Estimating & Commercial Partnership

• Hold final approval authority on estimates for custom machining and fabrication work, including code work where the compliance burden materially affects cost.
• Ensure estimates properly reflect the true cost of code compliance — quality documentation, NDE, PWHT, material traceability, third-party inspection and hold points.
• Work alongside Business Development in customer-facing technical and quality discussions, bid clarifications and scope negotiation, and contribute engineering insight to market and pricing strategy.
• Confirm, at the bid stage, that the scope under consideration is covered by AEP’s certificates and quality program, and identify early where new scope requires program extension, additional qualification or customer approval.
• Evaluate and qualify vendors and sub-tier suppliers, including the flow-down of nuclear procurement and quality assurance requirements, and the audit and surveillance of those suppliers.

Manufacturing Integration & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure designs are executable by AEP’s actual fabrication and machining capability; the Director must be equally credible on the weld side and the machining side of the business.
• Partner with Operations on weld procedure development and qualification (WPS / PQR), weld mapping, NDE planning and inspection and test plans, with the quality function owning the qualification records and objective evidence.
• Drive timely resolution of non-conformances, corrective actions and design changes without compromising code position.
• Lead measurable improvement in engineering throughput, estimating accuracy, first-time-right documentation and quality escape reduction.
• Performs other duties as necessary in support of the factory over all goals.
• Complies with requirements as outlined in the company handbook and OHSA.
• Follows and comply with all Operational Procedures and policies as outlined in the Employee Handbook, Quality and Environment programs (i.e. add in all your certifications)

Education, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• Licensed Professional Engineer (P.Eng.), Ontario. Candidates licensed in another Canadian jurisdiction must be eligible for PEO licensure.
• 12+ years in metal fabrication, machining and pressure equipment engineering, including 5+ years leading and developing engineering teams.
• Demonstrated design and/or fabrication responsibility under ASME BPVC Section III, Division 1 — Class 1, 2 and 3 components, and Subsection NF supports where applicable.
• Direct experience operating within an ASME nuclear Certificate of Authorization environment (N, NPT and/or NS), including participation in at least one ASME / AIA joint survey.
• Demonstrated accountability for a quality management system in a code-regulated environment — ownership of a Quality Assurance Manual, management of audits and corrective action, and experience leading or directly overseeing a quality function.
• Working command of ASME Section VIII Division 1, CSA B51 and ASME B31.1, and of the Ontario design registration and CRN process through TSSA.
• Applied knowledge of CSA N285.0 and the CSA N299 series, with familiarity with ASME NQA-1 and 10 CFR 50 Appendix B principles, including the organizational independence provisions of NQA-1 Requirement 1 and NCA-3800.
• Familiarity with ISO 9001 quality management principles and with auditing practice; lead auditor training an asset.
• Substantive experience across both custom fabrication (welding, forming, rolling, heavy assembly) and precision machining — an essential requirement of this role.
• Pressure boundary competence, including vessel and tank design, code classification, code class boundary determination, NDE selection, and material selection and traceability.
• Estimating capability for custom, low-volume, high-consequence work.
• Executive presence and sound commercial judgement, with the confidence to hold a technical or quality position under commercial pressure.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, appropriate to customers, regulators, auditors and the shop floor alike.

Leadership Attributes

• A developer of people, who measures success partly by the capability of those they leave behind.
• A collaborator by instinct, able to build trust across departments and across sites.
• Approachable and present — visible in the engineering office, in the quality function and on the manufacturing floor.
• Calm and decisive under schedule and commercial pressure.
• Personally accountable, and candid in escalating issues early.
• Protective of the independence of the quality function, and visibly unwilling to trade code or quality position for short-term schedule or cost relief.

Assets

• Experience leading an organization through the initial issue or scope expansion of an ASME nuclear certificate.
• Exposure to SMR and new-build component work in addition to refurbishment and life-extension scope.
• Experience supporting diversification into industrial processing, energy, water and wastewater, hydrogen or advanced manufacturing markets.
• Experience with medical, defence or other regulated non-power nuclear applications.
• Experience consolidating engineering and quality functions under a single leadership structure.

Equipment/ Tools/ Technology Used:

• SolidWorks and/or AutoCAD; Mastercam exposure an asset.
• Pressure vessel design software (PV Elite, Compress or equivalent); FEA capability an asset.
• ERP / MRP systems, document control and quality management systems.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office software (Excel, Word, Outlook etc.).

Physical Demands:

• Combination of engineering office and active manufacturing floor; standing and walking for extended periods.
• PPE required: safety boots, safety glasses, hearing protection, gloves as required.
• Travel to customer sites, sub-supplier facilities and other AEP locations as required.
• Ability to work in a manufacturing environment, which may involve standing or walking for extended periods, exposure to loud noise, and working in various temperature conditions.
• Occasional lifting or moving of materials or equipment up to 25 lbs.
• The role is primarily based in a manufacturing facility, with regular interaction with operation team and management teams.

Regular travel may be required to visit other company locations, suppliers, or customers.

What We Offer – Your Benefits Package

At Arrow, we’re proud to offer a benefits package that supports your health, finances, and future.

Health & Wellness

• Health, dental, and vision coverage from day one!
• Virtual healthcare with Lumino Health
• Employee and Family Assistance Program (Homewood Health)
• Fitness membership discount
• Work boots and prescription safety glasses program

Financial Benefits

• Automatic Enrollment in Company-Paid Deferred Profit Sharing
• RRSP Match Program
• Life and travel insurance for you and your family
• Profit Sharing
• Employee Discount Program

Time Off & Culture

• Three weeks vacation days to start
• Regular company events and team activities
• Supportive, inclusive workplace culture

Career Growth

• Tuition reimbursement for job-related education and training

Arrow is committed to diversity and inclusion. We provide accommodations throughout the recruitment process in line with the Human Rights Code and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

Candidates please note, we do not use AI for application screening.

Disclaimer: Only emails from [email protected] are official. Any other contact is unauthorized. #IND-HP