Engineer - NPI, Faucets, Metals & Vikrell req

Engineer - NPI, Faucets, Metals & Vikrell

Work Mode:
Onsite

Location: Onsite four days per week - Kohler, WI

This is more than a job posting for Kohler, one of the oldest and largest privately held companies headquartered in North America. This is an invitation to collaborate and apply your craft in a creative, conscious, and characterful culture.

As a Manufacturing Engineer, New Product Integration (NPI) you will engage as a core project team member, as the Operations Lead Role, to drive early manufacturing involvement and execute the manufacturing New Product Development (NPD) deliverables, while synchronizing with plant NPI and Operations teams to ensure New Products are “Right the First Time,” achieving Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost.

• Ensure Global and Regional alignment to the Kohler Development Process across Operations, New Product Development functions and Brands. Drive Manufacturing input into NPD projects to improve design effectiveness and reliability through Design for Manufacture and assembly (DFMA), design reviews, Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA) and regular feedback.
• Project Manager for all operations functions such as quality, engineering, data services production, and materials, related to NPI and NPD projects. These projects include, but are not limited to, new product launches, DfX initiatives, fulfillment strategies, Plan for Every Part (PFEP), cost reduction implementations, capacity evaluations, supply chain integrity, costing, REA initiation, and process development.
• Apply product cost models, with plant NPI and Operations support, to actively manage product costs through development and meet launch targets.
• Provide technical support for Make versus Buy analysis, utilizing cash cost modeling and consideration of Global Capacity and Asset Optimization.
• Together with plant NPI and Operations, develop plant project execution timelines and project plans for all manufacturing locations and feed back into overall timelines for projects.
• Accountable, in coordination with plant NPI personnel, for achieving scheduled ‘Inventory in Stock’ date. Support plant NPI and Operations project managers, on all projects as assigned, to ensure complete and accurate communication of project facts.
• Responsible for fulfilling all Operations related deliverables for Global FMV NPD process, including the active creation and execution of contingency plans to mitigate risk or to keep project launches on schedule.
• Drive Time to Market Improvements. Ensure Quality and Performance Levels are met for New Product Launches (i.e. launch with no Deviations and match process capability to specifications).
• Utilize Supply Chain Organization in line with the Operations Strategy to develop the product fulfillment strategy.
• Applying engineering fundamentals to problem solving & make appropriate decisions, justify risk under critical review. Develop conclusions and recommend actions.
• Operate without need for technical supervision.
• Liaise closely with all levels of production, engineering, NPD, purchasing, and marketing providing clear information where necessary. Use relationships to maintain a network to support Production Strategies.
• Present project status and escalations to multiple levels of operations leadership including Managers/Directors/VP.

• Bachelors degree from an engineering discipline
• Exposure to industrial, mechanical, or manufacturing engineering environments—through internships, co‑ops, academic projects, or early career roles is a plus.
• Knowledge and experience of multiple manufacturing processes, including but not limited to assembly, casting, forging, injection molding, stamping and/or finishing
• Experience on new color, material, and finish development is a plus
• Experience of communicating information at all levels across various functions: written & verbally, concisely and accurately
• A tenacious, enthusiastic, results driven individual with excellent time management skills
• A confident user of Microsoft office software & SAP
• Must be structured and organized, with an ability to work on their own, within a team, and lead a small team. Management experience would…