Job Description

Job Title: Product Design Engineer

Position Overview

As a Product Design Engineer at Irwin, you will be responsible for developing new product concepts, creating CAD models and prototypes, and evaluating the design and functionality of new and existing products. This role involves cross-functional collaboration, customer interaction, and support for manufacturing and continuous improvement efforts. This position provides an opportunity to drive innovation and support continuous improvement within a collaborative, team-oriented environment.

Responsibilities

Product Development:

• Participate in the design and development of new products by creating 3-D models and prototypes in Creo, ensuring designs meet customer specifications and internal standards, all the while doing so with a Human-Centered Design (HCD) mindset.
• Conduct detailed design reviews, optimizing products for functionality, manufacturability, and cost-efficiency.
• Document all aspects of the design process, including part specifications, material selections, and manufacturing instructions, to support smooth project handoffs to manufacturing.

Continuous Improvement:

• Continuously assess current products and production processes, identifying opportunities for design improvements that reduce costs, improve quality, or enhance functionality.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement changes efficiently, ensuring that updates to designs are documented and communicated clearly across departments.
• Use feedback from manufacturing, customer support teams, and field performance data to make iterative improvements to existing product lines.

Manufacturing Support:

• Work closely with manufacturing floor personnel to address production-related issues by updating designs, troubleshooting problems, and revising components or assemblies as needed.
• Provide detailed and accurate prints, specifications, and instructions to manufacturing teams, ensuring that all parts can be produced efficiently and accurately.
• Participate in production trials and provide engineering support to verify that new designs meet manufacturability and assembly requirements.

Testing and Analysis:

• Develop rigorous testing processes for new products, including functional tests, durability tests, and safety evaluations, ensuring that products meet all performance specifications.
• Analyze test data to verify design accuracy, functionality, and durability; make adjustments as necessary to address any issues identified.
• Document testing procedures and results, maintaining a detailed record of the design validation process to support future development and quality assurance efforts.

Customer (Internal and External) Interaction:

• Engage with customers, dealers, distributors and our insights team to understand their product needs, gather feedback on existing products, and ensure that new designs align with customer expectations.
• Facilitate product demonstrations and participate in technical discussions with customers to clarify design intent and confirm that products perform as expected.
• Use customer insights to drive new design ideas and refine products, creating solutions that enhance customer satisfaction and product marketability.

Concept Development:

• Generate innovative concepts for new products, exploring various design options and using sketches, 3D models, or prototypes to visualize ideas.
• Work with external design firms when necessary, collaborating on concept refinement and incorporating insights into the final design.
• Conduct feasibility assessments for new concepts, ensuring that each concept meets practical constraints such as cost, manufacturability, and performance standards.

Process Research:

• Investigate new manufacturing processes, materials, and technologies that could be applied to enhance product performance, durability, or production efficiency.
• Stay updated on industry advancements and integrate applicable innovations into the design process to maintain a competitive edge.
• Document and evaluate each process or technology under consideration, providing recommendations to management on potential implementation.

Collaboration:

• Facilitate cross-functional meetings with vendors, suppliers, and internal departments, such as manufacturing, quality, and marketing, to align on new product development goals and milestones.
• Share design updates and gather input from various stakeholders, ensuring that all teams are aware of project status, requirements, and timelines.
• Act as a liaison between engineering and other departments, resolving any discrepancies or technical challenges to keep the project on track.

Competitor Analysis:

• Regularly review and analyze competitor products, evaluating design features, materials, and market positioning to identify competitive advantages or improvement opportunities.
• Create detailed reports of competitor analysis findings and present these insights to the team to inform product development strategies.
• Use competitor insights to inspire new design ideas, ensuring that Irwin products remain innovative and competitive within the market.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in product design engineering or a related field preferred. Equivalent experience will be considered.
• Proficiency in CAD modeling, organizational and project management skills, and strong communication and presentation abilities. Creo experience is a plus.
• Familiarity with quality management systems is preferred.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively in a cross-functional team environment.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to follow guidance in resolving technical challenges.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical information clearly and respectfully.
• Demonstrates empathy, active listening, and genuine care for team members and stakeholders.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or listen. The employee frequently is required to walk. The employee is occasionally required to stand; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts and loud machinery. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

FLSA Status: Exempt

Compensation: The base salary range for this full-time position is $70,000 - $90,000. Within this range, individual pay is determined based on several factors, including but not limited to: relevant work experience, job-related knowledge, skills, and complexity of the role.

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