Product Engineer

Company / Location Information

A.O. Smith is a global leader applying innovative technologies and energy-efficient solutions to products manufactured and marketed worldwide. The company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of residential and commercial water heating equipment and boilers, as well as a manufacturer of water treatment products for residential and light commercial applications.

A. O. Smith is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with approximately 12,000 employees at operations in the United States, Canada, China, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Primary Function

The Product Engineer is responsible for sustaining and improving existing product lines while supporting new product development and manufacturing operations. This role focuses on continuous improvement, cost optimization, product quality, and maintaining accurate engineering documentation using Solid Works.

Responsibilities

Product Sustaining & Lifecycle Management

• Lead engineering support for currently manufactured products to ensure performance, reliability, and compliance.
• Investigate and resolve field issues, customer complaints, and internal quality concerns.
• Maintain product design integrity through controlled engineering change processes (ECR/ECO).

Continuous Improvement

• Identify and implement design improvements to enhance product performance, reliability, and manufacturability.
• Drive initiatives focused on reducing defects, improving durability, and simplifying designs.
• Collaborate cross-functionally (Quality, Manufacturing, Supply Chain) to execute improvement projects.

Cost Reduction & Value Engineering

• Analyze product cost structures and identify opportunities for material and component cost reductions.
• Lead value engineering efforts, including alternative materials, supplier changes, and design simplification.
• Support sourcing initiatives by working with suppliers to optimize cost and performance.

Product Quality Review

• Participate in and lead product quality reviews, including root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Utilize tools such as FMEA, 8D, and statistical analysis to address quality issues.
• Partner with Quality Engineering to ensure compliance with internal standards and regulatory requirements.

New Product Development Support

• Support design and development activities for new products, including prototyping, testing, and validation.
• Provide design-for-manufacturing (DFM) and design-for-assembly (DFA) input.
• Assist in transitioning new products from development to production.

Manufacturing Support

• Provide engineering support to manufacturing teams to resolve production issues and improve throughput.
• Develop and refine work instructions, assembly processes, and production documentation.
• Participate in troubleshooting and process optimization on the production floor.

CAD Design & Documentation

• Create, modify, and maintain 3D models, assemblies, and detailed drawings using Solid Works.
• Ensure all engineering documentation is accurate, complete, and compliant with company standards.
• Manage BOMs, drawing revisions, and data within the PDM/PLM system.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field required.

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of product engineering or design engineering experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience with sustaining engineering and product lifecycle management strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of plastic part design and understanding of plastic injection molding processes.
• Knowledge or water treatment and regulatory compliance preferred, but not required.

Technical Skills

• Proficiency in Solid Works (3D modeling, assemblies, and drawing creation).
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes (e.g., injection molding, machining, assembly).
• Experience with cost reduction and value engineering.
• Familiarity with quality tools (FMEA, root cause analysis, Six Sigma methodologies).
• Knowledge of PLM/PDM systems is preferred.

Competencies

• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and drive projects to completion.
• Detail-oriented with a focus on…