Job Title: Product Development Engineer

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced Product Development Engineer to cultivate a culture of technical excellence through innovation and design, while collaborating with cross-functional teams. This role will ensure on-time, cost-effective, and high-quality new product launches, leveraging a talented technical team.

Responsibilities

• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing team of product development engineers, model makers, and support staff to foster innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Establish and communicate clear goals, performance metrics, and developmental opportunities for team members to drive engagement and growth.
• Lead the end-to-end product development process, ensuring timely and successful product launches while integrating innovation and sustainability into designs.
• Collaborate with Product Management to align market trends and customer needs with innovative, market-leading product solutions.
• Deliver cost reductions and margin improvements through strong business acumen and financial analysis, aligning with the company’s strategic goals.
• Leverage operational understanding of manufacturing, procurement, and quality processes to optimize product design and profitability.
• Influence business-decision design trade-offs to balance cost, quality, function, and marketability across multiple projects.
• Oversee value engineering initiatives to optimize costs while maintaining quality and performance, including standardizing parts, components, and processes.
• Identify and implement material and process improvements to increase operational efficiency and scalability.
• Collaborate proactively with Sourcing, Operations, and Finance to align product development efforts with business objectives and streamline workflows.
• Manage project timelines, budgets, and deliverables to ensure alignment with company objectives while driving continuous improvement in tools, processes, and methodologies.

Essential Skills

• Proven ability to lead engineering teams, model makers, and support staff.
• Experience in setting goals, mentoring, and driving accountability.
• Deep understanding of furniture design, prototyping, and manufacturing processes.
• Experience aligning product specifications with market trends and customer needs.
• Strong business acumen with experience in margin improvement and value engineering.
• Ability to streamline workflows and implement scalable design processes.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Solid understanding of furniture manufacturing processes, including upholstery, frame construction, and material selection.
• Experience with engineering tools such as SolidWorks, AutoCAD, and simulation platforms.
• Proven track record of building and mentoring high-performing teams, including engineers, model makers, and support staff.
• Cross-functional collaboration experience with Product Management, Sourcing, Operations, and Finance.
• Effective communication and stakeholder management across departments and external partners.
• Familiarity with market trends and customer needs in residential and commercial furniture.
• Experience integrating sustainability and innovation into product development strategies.
• Understanding of supply chain dynamics, including vendor lead times, material flow, and logistics planning.

Work Environment

The role involves collaboration with cross-functional teams including Product Management, Sourcing, Operations, and Finance. The work environment is dynamic and innovation-driven, focusing on continuous improvement and technical excellence. Technologies and tools used include SolidWorks and AutoCAD, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and market trends.