Design Engineer

Position Summary

The Design Engineer drives the advancement of Hi‑Cone’s sustainable beverage packaging systems by optimizing design performance and contributing to next‑generation platform development. This role focuses on system innovation, operational efficiency, and LCA enhancement, leveraging customer feedback and CBI (customer back innovation) insights to inform platform refresh initiatives. The Design Engineer delivers high‑quality designs aligned to defined specifications, supporting both the evolution of existing systems and the creation of future packaging solutions.

The position collaborates across several functional teams to translate insights into actionable development projects, validate system performance, and ensure reliable, efficient delivery of sustainable packaging technologies. This role also offers significant opportunities for learning and growth while making a direct impact on both near‑and long‑term organizational goals.

• Execute development activities that advance prioritized projects within the CBI pipeline, ensuring technical readiness and on‑time delivery.
• Validate product optimization initiatives and assess system compatibility to support robust end user performance.
• Support IP landscape assessments for emerging product concepts to guide innovation and protect strategic differentiation.

• Lead cross‑platform design standardization initiatives to ensure consistent engineering practices and alignment with long‑term platform strategies.
• Manage the Engineering Change Request (ECR) process to efficiently resolve platform issues and maintain design continuity.
• Partner with IT to synchronize engineering database structures with Hartness systems, enabling accurate, accessible technical data.
• Maintain comprehensive and up‑to‑date documentation for all design modifications to support traceability and governance.

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or similar engineering discipline required.
• 0–3 years of experience in engineering design and product development.
• Experience with 3D CAD, Solid Works preferred.
• Exposure to a broad range of manufacturing processes and applications.
• Familiarity with a stage gate product design and development process.

• Learning Agility:
  Quickly understand and apply new concepts to drive execution.
• Analytical Thinking:
  Evaluate and interpret complex data to define desired outcomes and potential solutions.
• Collaborative:
  Strong team-oriented approach to problem analysis and resolution.
• Adaptability:
  Ability to adjust to changing project requirements, emerging technologies, and evolving industry trends.

• Product Design:
  Clear focused approach to innovative development grounded in stage gate process to ensure cross functional alignment.
• Product Testing:
  Proficient in evaluation, instrumentation, and data analysis to ensure compliance with specifications and standards.
• Manufacturing Methods:
  Strong background in manufacturing processes with capability to identify key requirements in method selection.

• Frequently required to reach with hands and arms.
• Regularly required to sit and walk.
• Occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 35 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

• Regularly will work in an office setting.
• Regularly will work in a manufacturing setting and required to wear personal protective equipment (hearing protection, safety shoes, safety gloves, safety glasses, hi‑viz apparel).

• Normal business hours with occasional extended hours as needed.
• Flexibility with schedule to meet critical deadlines.
• Travel to other divisional and vendor locations, domestic and international, up to 20% as needed.

The base salary range for this position is $75,000 – $80,000 annually. Actual compensation will be determined based on factors such as the candidate’s…