Engineering Director Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Alabama
Engineering director roles in Alabama are concentrated in Huntsville's aerospace and defense corridor, where employers like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and SAIC regularly hire senior technical leaders. Birmingham's growing technology and healthcare sectors add further opportunity. International candidates at this level typically require H-1B visa or O-1 visa sponsorship from employers with established immigration programs.
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Get Access To All JobsAt Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world.
Position Overview
The Senior Director is responsible for leading the site’s process-facing engineering functions—including process engineering, automation, and maintenance—to ensure the team has the capacity, capability, and leadership to support site startup and long-term manufacturing goals. This role provides both administrative and technical leadership for engineering operations.
As a member of the Lilly Site Lead Team, the Senior Director contributes to shaping the site’s strategic direction, building organizational capability, and managing cross-functional issues. The team works collectively to achieve long-term business objectives, adapt to evolving corporate and external environments, and develop the site for future success.
During the project delivery and startup phases, the Site Lead Team will operate dynamically to support project execution, build the organization, implement GMP systems and processes, and establish site culture. This will require strong collaboration, creativity, and resilience.
Responsibilities
Pre-Startup & Startup Phase
- Organizational Development: Collaborate with the Site Lead Team to build a capable, inclusive, and resilient organization focused on safety, quality, and operational excellence.
- Functional Strategy: Define priorities and roadmap for process engineering, automation, and maintenance. Develop systems and processes by leveraging internal expertise and external best practices.
- Safety Leadership: Actively contribute to the site HSE Lead Team to ensure safety is embedded throughout project delivery and startup.
- Project Support: Act as end user for process equipment—providing input on design, commissioning, and startup plans to align with both project and long-term site goals.
- Team Structure: Design and evolve the engineering organization to ensure the right resources and leadership are in place for GMP manufacturing.
- System Readiness: Ensure qualified and safe states for equipment, processes, utilities, and facilities are established and maintained.
- Corporate Alignment: Build strong technical relationships with corporate teams and champion strategic initiatives at the site level.
Post-Startup Phase
- Ongoing Strategy Execution: Continue refining and executing the engineering roadmap, aligning functional goals with site priorities.
- Compliance & Standards: Ensure adherence to corporate policies and standards across environmental, safety, and quality domains.
- External Benchmarking: Maintain an outward focus to identify and apply best practices from across the industry and internal network.
- Asset Management: Partner with Facilities Engineering to manage site investments—planning, prioritizing, and executing capital projects aligned with site objectives.
- Operational Integrity: Ensure equipment remains in a qualified and safe state, and that maintenance is performed and documented to the highest standards.
- Governance & Controls: Establish and maintain robust control systems to manage compliance and escalate issues appropriately.
- Leadership Development: Cultivate future technical and managerial leaders for the site and potential global roles.
Basic Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline.
- 10+ years of experience in a leadership role managing teams within the pharmaceutical industry.
Additional Preferences
- Experience in API manufacturing, including implementation of a Process Safety Management program.
- Strong understanding of cGMPs and their application to manufacturing operations.
- Proven ability to build effective relationships across all organizational levels—from site leadership to frontline teams.
- Demonstrated success in leading projects from initiation to completion, meeting timelines, budgets, and performance standards.
- Track record of developing and managing high-performing, engaged teams with a focus on safety, quality, and strong team culture.
Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.
Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.
Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and are open to all employees. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia Network, Black Employees at Lilly, Chinese Culture Network, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), PRIDE (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN), Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL), enAble (for people with disabilities). Learn more about all of our groups.
Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $163,500 - $239,800. Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k); pension; vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities). Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees.
At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world.
Position Overview
The Senior Director is responsible for leading the site’s process-facing engineering functions—including process engineering, automation, and maintenance—to ensure the team has the capacity, capability, and leadership to support site startup and long-term manufacturing goals. This role provides both administrative and technical leadership for engineering operations.
As a member of the Lilly Site Lead Team, the Senior Director contributes to shaping the site’s strategic direction, building organizational capability, and managing cross-functional issues. The team works collectively to achieve long-term business objectives, adapt to evolving corporate and external environments, and develop the site for future success.
During the project delivery and startup phases, the Site Lead Team will operate dynamically to support project execution, build the organization, implement GMP systems and processes, and establish site culture. This will require strong collaboration, creativity, and resilience.
Responsibilities
Pre-Startup & Startup Phase
- Organizational Development: Collaborate with the Site Lead Team to build a capable, inclusive, and resilient organization focused on safety, quality, and operational excellence.
- Functional Strategy: Define priorities and roadmap for process engineering, automation, and maintenance. Develop systems and processes by leveraging internal expertise and external best practices.
- Safety Leadership: Actively contribute to the site HSE Lead Team to ensure safety is embedded throughout project delivery and startup.
- Project Support: Act as end user for process equipment—providing input on design, commissioning, and startup plans to align with both project and long-term site goals.
- Team Structure: Design and evolve the engineering organization to ensure the right resources and leadership are in place for GMP manufacturing.
- System Readiness: Ensure qualified and safe states for equipment, processes, utilities, and facilities are established and maintained.
- Corporate Alignment: Build strong technical relationships with corporate teams and champion strategic initiatives at the site level.
Post-Startup Phase
- Ongoing Strategy Execution: Continue refining and executing the engineering roadmap, aligning functional goals with site priorities.
- Compliance & Standards: Ensure adherence to corporate policies and standards across environmental, safety, and quality domains.
- External Benchmarking: Maintain an outward focus to identify and apply best practices from across the industry and internal network.
- Asset Management: Partner with Facilities Engineering to manage site investments—planning, prioritizing, and executing capital projects aligned with site objectives.
- Operational Integrity: Ensure equipment remains in a qualified and safe state, and that maintenance is performed and documented to the highest standards.
- Governance & Controls: Establish and maintain robust control systems to manage compliance and escalate issues appropriately.
- Leadership Development: Cultivate future technical and managerial leaders for the site and potential global roles.
Basic Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline.
- 10+ years of experience in a leadership role managing teams within the pharmaceutical industry.
Additional Preferences
- Experience in API manufacturing, including implementation of a Process Safety Management program.
- Strong understanding of cGMPs and their application to manufacturing operations.
- Proven ability to build effective relationships across all organizational levels—from site leadership to frontline teams.
- Demonstrated success in leading projects from initiation to completion, meeting timelines, budgets, and performance standards.
- Track record of developing and managing high-performing, engaged teams with a focus on safety, quality, and strong team culture.
Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.
Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.
Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and are open to all employees. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia Network, Black Employees at Lilly, Chinese Culture Network, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), PRIDE (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN), Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL), enAble (for people with disabilities). Learn more about all of our groups.
Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $163,500 - $239,800. Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k); pension; vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities). Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees.
Engineering Director Job Roles in Alabama
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Search Engineering Director Jobs in AlabamaEngineering Director Jobs in Alabama: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for engineering directors in Alabama?
Huntsville-based defense contractors including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, Northrop Grumman, and SAIC have established visa sponsorship programs and regularly hire engineering directors. In Birmingham, companies in healthcare technology and advanced manufacturing, such as Protective Life and Vulcan Materials, also sponsor senior engineering roles, though sponsorship practices vary by company and position.
Which visa types are most common for engineering director roles in Alabama?
The H-1B is the most common visa category for engineering directors in Alabama, as the role typically requires at least a bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field, satisfying the specialty occupation requirement. Candidates with extraordinary achievement may qualify for the O-1A. Multinational executives transferring within a company may pursue the L-1A. Each path depends on the employer's willingness to sponsor and the candidate's qualifications.
Which cities in Alabama have the most engineering director sponsorship jobs?
Huntsville leads by a wide margin, driven by Cummings Research Park, Redstone Arsenal, and the broader aerospace and defense ecosystem that makes it one of the densest engineering employment hubs in the Southeast. Birmingham is the second-largest market, with opportunities in healthcare IT, financial technology, and manufacturing. Smaller pockets of engineering leadership hiring exist in Decatur and Mobile, primarily tied to manufacturing and port logistics.
How to find engineering director visa sponsorship jobs in Alabama?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically for visa sponsorship availability, making it straightforward to search engineering director openings in Alabama without sorting through roles that don't offer sponsorship. Because director-level positions in Alabama are often tied to Huntsville's defense sector or Birmingham's technology employers, filtering by industry alongside sponsorship status on Migrate Mate helps narrow results to the most relevant opportunities for international candidates.
What state-specific factors should engineering director candidates know about Alabama's hiring market?
Many engineering director roles in Huntsville require or strongly prefer U.S. security clearance eligibility, which affects international candidates who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Clearance-dependent positions may not be available for visa sponsorship at all. Candidates should confirm clearance requirements before applying. Alabama's relatively lower cost of living compared to coastal tech hubs is frequently reflected in prevailing wage determinations for H-1B petitions filed in this region.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored engineering director jobs in Alabama?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.