Product Engineer

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James Hardie is the industry leader in exterior home and outdoor living solutions, with a portfolio that includes fiber cement, fiber gypsum, composite and PVC decking and railing products. Our family of trusted brands includes Hardie®, Timber Tech®, AZEK® Exteriors, Versatex®, fermacell®, and Stru Xure®.
With over 8,000 employees and our U.S. operating entities headquartered in Chicago, we boast 31 operating sites, 6 recycling facilities, and 6 research and development centers globally. Powered by a dynamic workforce, we’re united by our purpose of Building a Better Future for All™ through sustainable innovation, a Zero Harm culture, and a commitment to empowering our people and communities.
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The Product Engineer translates product requirements, industry standards and building-code evaluation criteria into practical, defensible testing strategies. This role combines standards interpretation, mechanical design, hands‑on fabrication including 3D printing, engineering calculations and statistical analysis to develop reliable test methods and purpose‑built test equipment for current and future products.

The ideal candidate is equally comfortable studying technical standards, creating a 3D model (Solid Works), building and instrumenting a test fixture, analyzing the resulting data, and presenting a clear technical argument for the recommended test plan. The position will also help develop nonstandard or adapted test protocols when established methods do not fully address the product or performance question, with the goal of producing repeatable methods that may support future internal specifications, acceptance criteria or consensus standards.

The Product Engineer will report to the Codes & Compliance Manager, Outdoor Living Solutions, at the Wilmington Innovation Center.

Key Responsibilities

• Interpret ASTM, ANSI, ICC-ES acceptance criteria, building-code provisions, agency requirements and other technical standards to define test intent, specimen configuration, conditioning, instrumentation, loading, acceptance criteria and reporting requirements.
• Perform engineering calculations supporting test design and product evaluation, including statics, mechanics of materials, adjustment load factors, stress, strain, deflection, section properties, fastener behavior, tolerances and uncertainty as applicable.
• Prepare, submit, and maintain compliance documentation (e.g., ESRs, CCRRs, technical files, and supporting packages) on specific projects.
• Partner with R&D, Quality, Operations, Applications, Marketing, external consultants and third‑party laboratories to align testing and certification activities with business objectives.
• Develop adapted, improvised or novel test protocols when published standards do not adequately address the product, application or failure mode.
• Coordinate with external laboratories and agencies (Intertek, QAI, ICC‑ES, CCMC, etc.) to define test programs, review results, and manage certifications.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
• 3+ years of relevant experience in product engineering, mechanical design, laboratory testing, test engineering, product development or a related role
• Hands‑on fabrication including 3D modeling and printing
• Strong mathematical and engineering‑calculation skills with the ability to document assumptions, formulas, units and conclusions.
• Proficiency in statistical analysis and data visualization using Excel, Minitab, or comparable analytical tools.
• Working knowledge of ASTM standards, ICC-ES acceptance criteria,…