The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) represents over 300 electrical equipment manufacturers that make safe, reliable, and efficient products and technologies that power, connect, and light our world. Together, our members contribute a full 1% of U.S. GDP and directly provide over 580,000 American jobs, adding more than $330 billion to the U.S. economy. Learn more at makeitelectric.org.
The Managing Technical Director, Built Environment and Industrial/Core, is responsible for working with the staff and members to develop forward‑looking technical work plans, ensuring those plans are aligned with end market strategies, the NEMA Technology Roadmap, and overall organizational strategy, and that they anticipate future industry trends and technology evolution. The position brings strategic thinking regarding technology and market trends as well as policy developments to assure NEMA’s technical work plans align with industry priorities and strategies.
The position also plays a pivotal role in developing and maintaining partnerships with outside technical and standard-setting organizations to enhance scale, influence, and achieve shared objectives. Responsibilities include management of projects, staff, and budget. Success in the role includes maintaining high levels of member satisfaction by actively listening to member feedback and quickly and comprehensively addressing identified issues, coordinating closely with NEMA’s Membership Department to retain and recruit new members, and managing and developing technical staff to sustain strong performance and enhance member value. The Managing Technical Director, Built Environment and Industrial/Core is a member of the NEMA Leadership Team.
The position reports to the Senior Vice President, Technical Affairs, is located in Arlington, Virginia, and may include up to 20 percent domestic and international travel.
Key Responsibilities:
- Technical Strategy-Setting and Work Plan Execution
- Develop and execute forward‑looking technical committee work plans in coordination with technical staff, ensuring alignment with end market strategies, the NEMA Technology Roadmap, and organizational priorities, and anticipating future industry trends and technology evolution
- Manage a team of technical experts to ensure on‑time and on‑budget delivery of technical committee work plans by establishing, tracking, and managing appropriate performance metrics to deliver measurable value for members
- Regularly review and update work plans to maintain alignment with member priorities, evolving technologies, industry trends, and organizational strategy
- Build and maintain strategic partnerships with external organizations to enhance NEMA’s influence and advance mutual objectives
- Collaboratively draft and execute industry strategy and work plans with peers across multiple NEMA Departments, leveraging the full capabilities of the organization to deliver measurable results
- Strategic interface with Regulatory, Government Relations, Business Intelligence, and Communications teams, ensuring technical activities are aligned with policy objectives, advocacy strategies, and external messaging
- Technical and Market Acumen
- Serve as a subject matter expert in buildings, industrial, and core electrical products and systems, translating technology awareness into strategic insights to guide domestic and international standards development, building code development and advocacy, and other technical priorities
- Communicate complex technical issues to target audiences, including policymakers, senior executives, and external stakeholders, to support advocacy, thought leadership, and industry positioning
- Represent NEMA publicly at conferences, external committees, and media engagements to advance organizational objectives and industry leadership
- Member Engagement
- Drive high levels of member satisfaction by actively listening to member feedback and quickly and comprehensively addressing identified issues
- Partner closely with the Membership Department to support recruitment and retention of member companies
- Regular engagement (e.g., quarterly check‑ins) with member representatives across to surface needs early, preempt issues, and identify new opportunities
- Serve as the primary point of contact for technical and other inquiries, ensuring timely resolution and continuous improvement of the member experience
- Track, analyze, and report on member engagement metrics, translating feedback into actionable insights for NEMA leadership
- Guide new and existing members to the most relevant NEMA engagement channels, including technical committee participation, lead onboarding of new technical participants
- Team Leadership
- Lead and manage a team of Technical Program Managers, ensuring strategic alignment, accountability, and consistent delivery of results
- Develop staff by identifying areas for improvement, setting clear performance expectations, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement to enhance individual and team effectiveness
- Leadership Team
- Participates as a member of NEMA’s Leadership Team (LT), which serves to drive execution of organizational goals by setting operational cadence.
- Collaborate across departments to create developmental opportunities for staff. Identify, manage, and resolve operating issues at LT level and advise Management Team as necessary.
- Model NEMA’s Core Values: Respect, Integrity, Teamwork, Leadership, and Agility
Experience and Qualifications
- Undergraduate degree required; advanced technical degree preferred
- Ten or more years of full‑time experience in relevant technical or industry fields
- Demonstrated, results‑oriented leadership with strong team management capabilities
- Deep knowledge of existing and emerging building, industrial, and core electrical technologies
- Strong technical expertise, including a deep understanding of domestic and international standards development processes; ASP or CSP certification is a differentiator
- Excellent program management skills, including planning, time management, and budget execution
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage persuasively and confidently at the executive level
- Strong relationship management skills, including the ability to resolve conflicts quickly, fairly, and diplomatically
- Creative, adaptable leader with a strong learning mindset and motivation to take on new challenges
- Ability to thrive in a matrixed organization and consistently embody NEMA’s core values of respect, integrity, teamwork, and leadership
- Demonstrated commitment to advancing NEMA’s mission and values
NEMA offers a competitive salary and excellent benefits package including paid holidays and personal time, flexible working hours, 401(k) plan, health/dental insurance, and partial pre-tax parking/Metro subsidy.
Interested individuals should apply directly to NEMA at: NEMA CAREERS
EOE/M/F/V/D.