Project Engineer – Ventilation Hood

Location: Charlotte, NC |
Schedule: full-time, on-site

An established manufacturer of commercial kitchen ventilation equipment is building out its internal engineering capacity for its exhaust hood product line. This Project Engineer role centers on hood airflow performance, fan system specification, fire suppression integration, and certification compliance, while also offering cross-project exposure to a new electric outdoor patio heater development effort- an opportunity for broader product experience than a single-product hood manufacturer would typically provide.

• Design and modify commercial hood systems with a focus on airflow performance, capture/containment efficiency, and noise reduction
• Lead and manage testing laboratory certification workflows for UL 300A (core standard), EN 60335 (Canadian market), UL 710, UL 507, and ETL
• Ensure continuous compliance with NFPA-96 standards
• Integrate fire suppression systems (ANSUL, Range Guard, Amerex, etc.) into hood designs to maintain certified, seamless protection
• Specify and integrate fan systems, motors, drives, VFDs, and supporting electrical components
• Apply electrical and controls expertise to support the outdoor electric patio heater development project, including navigating UL 1278 and EN 60335 certifications
• Create new product drawings and modify existing models in Solid Works
• Specify components and provide technical inputs on Bill of Materials (BOMs), part numbers, and supplier selection
• Provide technical content for installation and operation manuals
• Act as the engineering point of contact to resolve plant production issues and technical customer inquiries

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or Electrical Engineering
• 3+ years of industry product engineering experience at a commercial ventilation, hood, food service equipment, fan, or similar manufacturer
• Total work experience of 4+ years, so this should not be a first job post-graduation
• Direct experience navigating UL or ETL certification regimes for ventilation, electrical, or appliance equipment
• Strong electrical safety mindset with familiarity in NEC/NFPA-70
• Proficiency in Solid Works (or equivalent 3D modeling software)

• Direct experience with UL 300A, UL 710, NFPA-96, or EN 60335 (range hoods for the Canadian market)
• Past engineering experience within the commercial kitchen ventilation space or broader food service industry exposure
• Direct experience with fire suppression integration (ANSUL, Range Guard, Amerex) or fan system/motor controls/VFD specifications
• Experience with Building Automation Systems (BAS), commercial HVAC controls, or familiarity with PLC programming
• Background in acoustic/noise engineering for fan systems, or experience with heat pump/electric heating products

This position offers deeper, broader product exposure than a candidate would typically get at a pure hood manufacturer, combining core ventilation engineering work with cross-project involvement in a new electric patio heater development initiative.