Project Engineer, Product Engineer

HCT by kdc/one is a recognized leader in designing, developing, and manufacturing innovative packaging solutions for the beauty and personal care industry. With expertise spanning custom packaging, stock components, and full turnkey development, HCT partners with global brands to transform concepts into high-quality manufacturable products.

As a Project Engineer at HCT, you will serve as the technical owner of packaging developments from concept through production. This role bridges customers, sales teams, project managers, and global factories by translating complex engineering requirements into clear, actionable decisions that keep projects on track.

This is a highly hands‑on engineering role focused on design for manufacturability, technical problem solving, and guiding critical decisions that impact tooling strategy, cost, quality, and timelines. You will play a key role in ensuring packaging designs are not only visually compelling but also optimized for real‑world manufacturing and assembly.

• Develop and review 2D and 3D designs using Solid Works for primary and secondary packaging components
• Create technical drawings with proper tolerancing and GD&T to ensure production accuracy
• Ensure designs are optimized for manufacturability, assembly, aesthetics, and performance
• Guide key decisions regarding materials, tolerances, tooling strategy, and cost/performance trade‑offs

• Translate complex technical topics into clear recommendations for customers and internal teams
• Present risks, trade‑offs, and solutions to enable fast and confident decision‑making
• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for clients, sales, and project managers
• Lead technical discussions, design reviews, and factory/customer calls
• Own technical timelines and proactively remove development roadblocks
• Focus efforts on high‑risk, high‑impact issues rather than over‑reviewing minor details
• Support fast‑paced development cycles with strong organization and engineering judgment

• Partner closely with factories during tooling, sampling, and production ramp‑up
• Conduct dimensional, functional, and aesthetic reviews (CpK, fit, and finish evaluations)
• Support tooling qualification and resolve technical deviations during sampling or production
• Provide practical engineering guidance based on real manufacturing capabilities

• Diagnose technical issues quickly and recommend clear corrective actions
• Balance speed, cost, and quality during intense development phases
• Build FDM prototypes to validate concepts and support design and sales presentations

• Knowledge of plastic injection molding, blow molding, die casting, thermoforming, and mass production processes
• Understanding of tolerance stack‑ups, tooling qualification, measurement systems, and AQL methods
• Strong problem‑solving and analytical thinking skills
• Structured thinker who prioritizes what matters most in high‑pressure situations
• Comfortable presenting to senior stakeholders and clients
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Calm and effective under tight timelines and heavy workloads

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Packaging Engineering, or related field
• Minimum 3 years of technical experience within cosmetics or consumer packaging development
• Advanced Solid Works experience (200+ hours), including complex surfacing and drafting
• Working knowledge of GD&T principles
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office
• Competitive pay and benefits package.
• Opportunity to work in a hybrid environment (3 days in the office, 2 days remote).
• Exposure to impactful projects within the cosmetic packaging industry.
• Collaboration with a skilled team in an innovative setting.
• Potential for professional growth and development.