Engineer, Design

2300 Vierling Drive West, Shakopee, Minnesota 55379 United States of America

The Design Engineer works in collaboration with Senior, Lead, and Principal Engineers to design, analyze, and implement robust engineering solutions to address technical, performance, and manufacturing requirements that enhance Oatey's products, systems, and capabilities across rough plumbing, water infrastructure, and related markets. This role contributes to concept development, continuous improvement efforts, detailed designs, and engineering documentation. Supporting both new and existing products throughout their lifecycle under the guidance of senior engineering staff.

The Design Engineer applies sound engineering principles while adhering to established company policies, procedures, and applicable industry codes and regulations. Primary responsibilities include the creation and refinement of concept models, incorporating input from Product Management, Sales, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain teams; finalizing designs and documentation; and developing DFMEAs and validation test plans to ensure robust, manufacturable, and compliant product solutions.

• Develop new products and technologies through ideation, concept generation, design, engineering analysis, prototyping, and validation.
• Support new product development, line extensions, and gap‑fill initiatives aligned with strategic business objectives.
• Translate product requirements into detailed engineering solutions that meet performance, cost, quality, and manufacturability targets.
• Develop design verification and validation strategies aligned with product risk, regulatory requirements, and customer use conditions.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action efforts for design‑related failures identified during testing or in the field.

• Develop and maintain comprehensive product specifications including CAD models, detailed drawings, BOMs, purchase specifications, and related documentation.
• Ensure all design documentation is accurate, complete, and compliant with internal standards and external regulatory requirements.

• Perform feasibility assessments to evaluate technical risk, cost, performance, and manufacturability in support of business cases.
• Conduct DFMEAs, tolerance studies, and design risk assessments to identify and mitigate potential failure modes.
• Utilize engineering analysis tools such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA), prototyping, and laboratory testing to validate designs.

• Execute assigned engineering projects by managing individual design tasks, deliverables, and timelines within a structured product development process.
• Support project plans by identifying technical risks, proposing mitigation strategies, and escalating issues as appropriate.
• Ensure designs progress efficiently from concept through validation and release while meeting project milestones and quality expectations.

• Support sustaining engineering activities including cost reduction, quality improvements, and product enhancements.
• Investigate field issues, warranty claims, and customer feedback to drive design improvements and corrective actions.
• Manage engineering changes (ECRs) through implementation and release.

• Collaborate effectively with cross‑functional teams including Product Management, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Sales, and Marketing.
• Lead technical aspects of assigned projects, coordinating activities and communicating progress to stakeholders.
• Provide technical input and support during design reviews, pilot builds, and production launches.
• Partner closely with Manufacturing Engineering to optimize designs for manufacturability, assembly, automation, and cost reduction.

• Minimum of 3+ years of experience in a new product development or design engineering role.
• Ability to apply engineering principles and methods, including Finite Element Analysis, to analyze high‑stress components and validate designs.
• Practical understanding of intellectual property considerations,…