As a hiring manager I would most certainly require a portfolio, and it had better show design process.
That said, if a position came down to an ID or an ME with comparable portfolios, I would have to have a really compelling reason to opt for the ME.
I used to work with an ME who thought he was an ID. His reasoning for going ME over ID was that he wanted the things he designed to be produce-able, but he couldn’t develop a concept and present a proposal to save his hide, yet acted as though his CAD screenshots were entitled to be manufactured because he had tenure… Add a strong dose of passive aggressive behavior into the mix and you have the perfect storm of what gives ME’s a bad rep with some ID’s.
Moral of the story, even if you never get into ID, don’t be that guy, but if you do get into ID, have a compelling edge.