Director of Product Development & Applied Engineering Search
Originally published: March 2026 | Reviewed by Rob Cohlan
Rob Cohlan, founder of HVACExec.com and a specialized HVAC and applied engineering recruiting firm, placed a Director of Product Development and Applied Engineering for a Middle East-based HVAC OEM launching a US product development facility.
After the Director was in role, the client retained HVACExec again to assemble the full engineering staff around that leader. HVACExec recruited eight additional applications engineers and product applications specialists, building a complete nine-person operation from zero.
This case study explains what the Director role required for an international OEM entering the US market, how the applied engineering team build was sequenced around the Director’s needs, and what multi-hire launches require when an HVAC manufacturer creates a new US engineering capability.
Search Results at a Glance
- Director placed: 1 Director of Product Development and Applied Engineering to lead the US facility launch
- Team built: 8 additional applications engineers and product applications specialists hired after the Director started
- Total build: 9 personnel assembled, creating a complete US applied engineering function
- Coverage: Unitary, Applied, Air Handling, Central Plant
- Execution proof: team filled through targeted outreach, not inbound applications
- Program fit: this engagement reflects a structured multi-hire build, aligned to the multi-hire fee discount program
If you are planning a similar build, submit a job order to scope the roles and sequencing.
The Client. A Middle East HVAC OEM Building US Engineering Capability
The client is a Middle East-based HVAC OEM that designs, manufactures, and distributes air conditioning products across four categories: Unitary, Applied, Air Handling, and Central Plant.
The decision to establish a US product development facility reflected a strategic requirement; North American HVAC product expectations and compliance constraints must be engineered in from the start.
US product development work is shaped by HVAC product development and applied engineering standards, as well as by air conditioning equipment certification and performance standards that influence how products are specified, validated, and adopted in the market.
A US applied engineering function reduces lag, speeds customization, and improves the OEM’s ability to compete in North American applications.
What was the Director’s Role Required?
This was a facility launch mandate. The Director was not inheriting an established team or process. They were building the function from zero.
The client required a builder profile, not an optimizer profile. The Director had to create workflows, define protocols, hire the team, and translate North American market requirements back into an international product development organization.
The role also had a commercial spine. Product development outputs, new models, new series, and custom specifications existed to drive competitiveness and sales. Candidates who treated product development as isolated R&D were screened out.
Director of Product Development Scorecard
Non-Negotiables
- Technical fluency across Unitary, Applied, Air Handling, and Central Plant
- Experience launching or building an applied engineering or product development function
- Working knowledge of US requirements, ASHRAE standards, AHRI certification, and energy code realities
- Ability to bridge international engineering culture with North American application demands
- Commercial orientation, engineering work tied to growth outcomes
- Leadership capability to attract and develop applications engineers and product specialists
- Temperament for ambiguity in a new facility with limited initial infrastructure
Differentiators
- Prior international OEM product development experience tied to US market entry
- Track record of launching models or series that achieved US commercial traction
- Cross-category applied engineering breadth, not narrow specialization
- Demonstrated success working with cross-cultural engineering teams
- Network access inside the US HVAC applications engineering community
Why This Director Placement Required a Specialist Recruiter
This Director role required evaluation across three dimensions at the same time.
- HVAC product engineering depth
- US market standards and compliance fluency
- Cross-cultural organizational fit in an international OEM context
A generalist search firm can evaluate leadership. It cannot reliably validate both the depth of HVAC engineering and the US market constraints. HVACExec’s niche focus enables that evaluation.
How HVACExec Executed Both Engagements
Phase 1. Director Placement
The Director search used targeted sourcing focused on applied engineering and product development leaders with experience in the North American market. Candidate evaluation pressure-tested builder capability and cross-cultural bridge skills, not only technical expertise.
The selected Director brought technical credibility, commercial orientation, and the ability to build a new function under international oversight. The placement succeeded. The client confirmed that success by expanding the mandate.
Phase 2. Eight-Hire Applied Engineering Team Build
After the Director started, HVACExec was retained to assemble the full engineering staff around them. The build covered applications engineers and product applications specialists across the four product categories.
This was not one search repeated eight times. Each role required its own technical profile, its own candidate community, and its own compensation reality. The team build was sequenced based on the Director’s operational priorities, technical coverage gaps, and team composition needs.
To see how HVACExec presents technical candidate profiles for evaluation, view candidate profiles.
The Nine-Person Team. What Was Built From Zero
- Director of Product Development and Applied Engineering
- Applications Engineers covering Unitary products
- Applications Engineers covering Applied systems
- Applications Engineers covering Air Handling systems
- Applications Engineers covering Central Plant systems
- Product applications specialists supporting customer-facing technical requirements across product lines
The outcome was a complete US applied engineering operation that did not exist before the first placement.
What a Nine-Person Team Build Creates for an International OEM
A Middle East HVAC OEM that enters the US with a purpose-built applied engineering team can develop models optimized for North American requirements, respond to custom requests faster, and support specification-driven sales with real engineering depth.
This capability takes years to assemble without a recruiter who already knows the applied engineering community. The sequential engagement, Director first, then full team build, is the strongest signal of execution quality. It reflects trust earned through results.
FAQs.
What does a Director of Product Development and Applied Engineering do in a US facility launch?
They build the applied engineering function, define protocols, and lead development work that aligns products to North American standards and customer requirements. They also hire and develop the applications engineering team that supports specification-driven sales.
Why place the Director before hiring the full team?
Because the Director defines technical priorities, team structure, and culture. The team build works best when hiring is sequenced around that leader’s operational plan instead of guessing role definitions in advance.
What makes an applied engineering team build different from filling individual roles?
Each role draws from a different candidate community and supports different products and customer needs. A team build requires coordinated sequencing, consistent evaluation standards, and a balance of senior and developing talent across categories.
What do HVAC applications engineers need to know to succeed?
They need product-specific selection and performance knowledge, the ability to support system design decisions, and fluency in standards and certification realities that influence specification and compliance.
How does HVACExec manage multi-hire builds?
HVACExec structures the engagement as a sequenced build. It starts with the anchor leader, then fills roles based on operational priority, coverage gaps, and team architecture needs. This approach improves coherence and reduces mis-hires.
What should an international OEM plan before launching a US product development facility?
Define the North American requirements the facility must solve, choose a Director who can build from zero, plan the applied engineering coverage needed across product categories, and select a recruiting partner with access to the right engineering community.
Next Steps for International OEM Engineering Builds
For Manufacturers: If you are opening a US engineering function or staffing an applied engineering role around a new Director, start the intake by submitting a job order or byconnecting via contact us. If multiple hires are planned, review the multi-hire fee discount program.
For Engineers: If you work in HVAC applications engineering or product development and want to explore roles tied to OEM growth and new facility launches, submit your resume confidentially and review career opportunities.
