Product Development Engineer

Overview

Job Summary:

As a valued member of the Product Development team, the primary responsibility of a Product Development Engineer is to design, develop, and execute projects for the Waukesha Cherry-Burrell (WCB) product lines, which are manufactured at our Delavan, WI factory and globally. The goal is to drive growth, profitability, and vitality for our product offerings. This role involves leading projects that focus on ideation, research, design, and development of new, next-generation products, as well as extensions and enhancements of existing products.

The objective is to deliver innovative solutions to end-user and customers that are on time, within budget, and in accordance with performance specifications. The WCB product lines include pumps, valves, scraped surface heat exchangers, and other fluid displacement devices for applications in processed food, beverage, dairy, personal care, and other sanitary and industrial uses.

• Design and develop new products utilizing advanced modeling tools and engineering principles
• Document and analyze design feasibility studies, tolerances, FEA (finite element analysis), CFD (computational fluid dynamics) reports to ensure product meets requirements
• Apply engineering analysis to make data-driven design decisions. Develop and review design prototypes, perform tests, and finalize product design to facilitate production
• Analyze new materials, technologies, and processes to evaluate functionalities for all new product development or improvement of existing products
• Comply with Stage-Gate NPD processes while designing new products
• Develop and review design prototypes, perform lab test plans, and finalize product design to facilitate production to ensure products meet requirements and expectations
• Prepare comprehensive cost estimates for new product designs
• Track progress of assigned projects and report out to major stakeholders
• Conduct research and analysis to evaluate new products or improve product performance and efficiency of existing products
• Coordinate with the other members of the engineering team to expedite the design process and establish priorities
• Collaborate with internal manufacturing partners, contract manufacturers, designers, and product specialists to optimize designs for manufacturability
• Interface with Product Managers, Applications Engineers, Manufacturing Engineers, Quality, Purchasing, and other functions of organization during all phases of product development
• Perform other product development related duties as requested, directed, or assigned

• Strong hold on engineering principles (mechanics, thermal and fluid sciences), knowledge of basic manufacturing methods and Sanitary Design standards and guidelines from 3-A and EHEDG
• Proven track record of meeting commitments with the highest level of standards, ethics, and integrity
• Proficient with computers, CAD (Inventor/Autodesk) and MS Office software including Outlook, Word, Excel, and Power Point
• Ability to be resourceful, think creatively and analytically, problem-solve, experiment, and adapt, and make bold decisions and recommendations
• Proven ability to coach, train and interact with all levels of employees from senior managers down
• Outstanding relationship-building skills with the ability to effectively communicate, verbally and in writing, at every level, with customers, suppliers, and employees of the organization
• Ability to manage and prioritize competing tasks and projects, strong organizational skills
• Must be a team player who can also work independently
• Flexibility to handle multiple projects at once and work on projects with the greatest business need
• Ability to work with diverse global teams, especially from Engineering to Sourcing
• Strong work ethics and positive attitude
• Energetic with a clear sense of urgency and direction; able to inspire and invigorate associates at all levels; promote concepts effectively

• 5-10 years of design experience or 4-8 years with master’s degree
• New Product Design and Stage-Gate process experience
• Experience with CAD (preferred CAD/PDM system is Inventor/Autodesk Vault)
• Experience or exposure to FEA, CFD and…