Product Development Associate - Refrigeration Team

Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is a leading home appliance company, in constant pursuit of improving life  the only major U.S.

-based manufacturer of kitchen and laundry appliances, the company is driving meaningful innovation to meet the evolving needs of consumers through its iconic brand portfolio, including Whirlpool, Kitchen Aid, Jenn Air, Maytag, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, and In Sink Erator . In 2025, the company reported approximately $16 billion in annual net sales - close to 90% of which were in the Americas - 41,000 employees, and 35 manufacturing and technology research centers.

Additional information about the company can be found at

Whirlpool is looking for a Product Development Associate for our Refrigeration team. The engineer will be responsible for global Mechanical structures sub system deliverables, including development, verification, and execution; working with global cross-system teams during various phases of projects and across various technologies such as structural mechanics, foaming, thermal sealing etc.

This position will be on-site and can sit at Benton Harbor Tech Center or Ottawa Manufacturing Plant.

• Drive Cost, Quality & NPI projects, drive and support Product Development projects in the refrigeration field.
• Design & Develop plastic and sheet metal components in Refrigerators.
• Drive new product design and development projects from concept development to execution with critical thinking. (Conceptualization, Design, Testing, Implementation)
  • Concept development & conversion into design, Concept evaluation & selection
  • Fine tuning of concept (Hand calculations, Fit & Finish, Material selection, Design for Mfg/Design for Assembly)
  • System level requirement, FMEA (Failure Mode and Effect Analysis), DVP&R(Design Validation Plan and Report) , Six Sigma (OPEX Operational Excellence Tools
    - Thought Map, Product Map), GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing) Stack up, Drawing review, Usage of Pro/e tools
  • Understanding and reviewing reports of ANSYS, Mold flow, etc.
  • System engineering tool to develop the design
• Drive Product Development and Maintenance of Business projects ensuring that the existing tool base is technically supported and Interaction with Cross Functional Team
• Overall Coordination of NPI, Cost and quality projects with focus on technical solutions and deliverables
• Availability for travel; regional (once a quarter on average) /international (once a year on average)
• Administrative functions:
  Training,Team Building, NPI and Cost quality project Coordination etc.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering with 1+ years of experience in engineering; OR Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, Materials, or Mathematics with 3+ years of experience in engineering

• Bachelor or Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering or Material science
• Experience in the field of Automotive, Aerospace, Heavy industries, Appliance,HVAC industries.
• Problem-solving approach with OPEX (Operational Excellence) or Six Sigma certification
• Hands-on experience in the design and development of appliance products
• Experience facilitating effective communication across cross-functional teams ranging from highly technical resources to business resources and spread out over North America, Asia, and Europe

• Generous benefits package, Whirlpool employee discount, fitness & educational reimbursement programs, kitchenettes, and more! Saint Joseph/Benton Harbor locations:
  Beautiful, recently renovated office space, free coffee, biking/walking trails, and access to The Eddy
  - Early Childhood Center (depending upon availability - additional costs required).