Technical Director Job Description and KRAs

A Technical Director sets the technical direction of the company and is usually a member of the board. They own technology strategy, engineering standards and long term capability across products and projects. The role decides which technologies to invest in, which to retire, and how the firm stays competitive on engineering. A strong Technical Director keeps standards high, guides major design decisions and builds the senior technical bench.

Detail	For this role
Department	Engineering
Level	Senior management
Reports to	Managing Director
Direct reports	Chief Engineer, Head of R&D, General Manager Engineering
Experience	18+ years in engineering with senior leadership and board exposure

Technical Director job description template

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Job title: Technical Director

Department: Engineering

Reports to: Managing Director

Location: [City], [office, branch or site]

About the role

Key responsibilities

Set the company technology strategy and the roadmap for products, platforms and engineering capability.
Own company wide engineering standards, design codes and quality gates.
Decide major technology investments, tool platforms and partnerships, and present them to the board.
Guide the toughest design and technical risk decisions across projects and products.
Sponsor R&D direction and align it with market and business strategy.
Build the senior technical bench and succession for chief engineers and discipline heads.
Represent the company on technical matters with key clients, regulators and industry bodies.
Oversee protection and use of intellectual property and technical know how.
Track engineering competitiveness on cost, quality and lead time against the market.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in engineering (BE or BTech)
Master's degree or MBA is an advantage
Long record in senior technical leadership
18+ years in engineering with senior leadership and board exposure

KRAs and KPIs for a Technical Director

Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.

Key result area	How to measure it
Technology strategy	Board approved technology roadmap reviewed and updated every year
Standards	Company engineering standards current and applied on every project
Investment returns	Major technology investments meet their business case within plan
Succession	Successors identified and in development for all key technical roles
Competitiveness	Engineering lead time and cost improved against the prior year
IP portfolio	Company IP portfolio maintained with no lapsed critical filings

Skills and tools

Technology strategyEngineering governanceBoard level communicationTechnical risk managementInvestment appraisalStandards and quality systemsLeadership and successionIndustry networking

Tools used day to day: Technology roadmapping tools, Portfolio and PLM systems, Financial modelling in Excel, Engineering standards library, Board reporting dashboards.

Reporting line and career path

Moves up from: Chief Engineer, General Manager Engineering, Head of R&D
Next roles: Chief Technology Officer, Managing Director, Board Member

Interview questions for a Technical Director

How do you build a technology roadmap that the board will fund?
How do you decide when to retire an old technology or platform?
Describe a major technical investment you led and how it paid off.
How do you keep company engineering standards alive on busy projects?
How do you plan succession for chief engineers and discipline heads?
How do you judge whether your engineering is competitive on cost and lead time?

Managing a Technical Director in ZeniaHR

AttendanceGeneral shift with frequent travel to sites, clients and plants. Mobile app punch with a check-in spot when off site, and web punch on the allowed office network at head office. Attendance corrections for the team route through the reporting manager then HR before month close.LeavePlan leave around board and budget cycles. Name a backup approver among the direct reports during absence. Leave balances, comp-off and encashment eligibility flow from the leave ledger set up with ZeniaHR support.Performance and KRAsReviewed by the managing director on an annual cycle against the KRAs above set as goals. Runs a quarterly technology review with direct reports and records their reviews, and any probation reviews, through the review cycle.

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Frequently asked questions

What does a Technical Director do?

A Technical Director owns the company technical strategy, usually from the board. They set the technology roadmap and engineering standards, decide major technology investments, guide the hardest design decisions, sponsor R&D and build the senior technical team. Their job is to keep the company technically strong and competitive over the long term.

Is a Technical Director higher than a Chief Engineer?

Usually yes. A Technical Director sets technology strategy and standards for the whole company and often sits on the board. A Chief Engineer is the top technical authority on a plant, project or product and signs off designs. Chief Engineers commonly report to the Technical Director on technical matters.

What qualifications does a Technical Director need?

A strong engineering degree and long senior experience are essential. Many hold a master's degree or an MBA for the strategy and investment side. Boards look for a proven record of technical leadership, sound judgement on major decisions and the ability to build technical teams.