Design Engineer

Summary:

The Design Engineer is responsible for designing and developing individual products and complete product lines of moderate to advanced levels of difficulty, complexity or breadth of scope. This includes early product conceptualization through detailed design specifications and into product manufacturing support.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Design Insights: Maintain high level knowledge of design, research, engineering and marketing developments to constantly improve design ability, related product and industry knowledge
• Consumer Insights: Study consumer trends and proactively adapt and conceptualize these trends as suggestions for future products or product line introductions and enhancements
• Conceptualization: Work closely with Product Strategy to conceptualize new product ideas based on an understanding of competitive products and consumer / market needs
• Prototyping: Create or direct the efforts of inside and outside resources to create mock-ups and prototypes to evaluate conceptual designs
• Detail Design: Determine all aspects of the product design such as (but not limited to) materials, construction, mechanical assemblies, aesthetics, shape, color, surface finish, and manufacturing processes in cooperation with other business functions involved in the development of new products
• Atypical Product Development: Collaborate with appropriate partners for projects such as military contracts, special make ups for retail partners, etc.
• Product Design Visual Communication: Effectively communicate design intent and ideas to customers through sketches, illustrations, models and prototypes
• Presentations: Publicly present product concepts and designs to a diverse variety of audiences, catering to their specific needs
• Product Specification Creation: Document entire product design through effective and product appropriate technical specification packages from the component level up to the final assembly, including but not limited to engineering drawings, technical illustrations, product and material specifications, and bill of materials; oversee all change management of specification packages
• Intellectual Property: Assist in all activities pertaining the creation of new, or infringement of existing intellectual property as related to product design
• Product Cost: Conduct cost analysis on new product designs and ensure the designs meet expected goals
• Product Samples: Coordinate development and production of all sample product required to prove out the design
• Timeline Adherence: Assist in driving the team to the project schedule and assume accountability for all responsible components of the product development process
• Test Standards: Maintain and readily communicate applicable internal and external test and safety standards per respective product type, ensure standard test plans are up to date
• New Test Creation: Perform DFMEAs and other analysis with cross functional teams to determine needs for new test requirements, collaborate with Test Team to establish new test standards
• Sustainability and Regulatory Compliance: Maintain high level of expertise and readily communicate all sustainability related standards, including, but not limited to internal and external RSLs, vendor and industry requirements
• Product Validation: Evaluate designs through structured test planning relative to applicable function, performance, safety, and sustainability standards
• Test Result Communication and Documentation: Actively determine pass/fail results of tests, supply timely and constructive feedback of testing results, and document all results for future reference
• Design for Manufacturing: Collaborate with Operations team to improve cost and ease of manufacturing throughout development and after product launch
• Quality Product: Acknowledge that your work affects the quality level of the final product and collaborate with the Quality team to ensure appropriate Quality Assurance/Quality Control;
• Perform the above tasks at an elevated level with medium structure and guidance, and provide continuous improvement
• Perform other tasks as assigned

Minimum Requirements:

• Minimum 4-year degree in Engineering or related study, or 6 years equivalent experience required
• 4+ years prior experience in a similar position
• 1+ years experience in product development of products with similar complexity
• Interpersonal and oral presentation skills
• Project management experience
• Computer experience and knowledge of Microsoft applications required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project).
• Strong CAD experience required, preferably proficient in Solidworks and/or Adobe Illustrator
• Expertise in common manufacturing techniques including but not limited to injection/compression molding, casting, sheet metal, machined parts, textile welding, cut and sew.
• Strong skills with basic shop/lab tools and procedures
• Competence and familiarity with basic shop/lab tools and procedures
• Passion for the product line(s)
• Continuous improvement mindset – lean experience is highly desirable
• Active outdoor participant is highly desirable

Working Conditions:

• Casual office environment
• Must be able to travel 15% of the year: domestic and international travel, and travel to key accounts, sales/marketing events and key suppliers and contractors required

This is intended to describe the general nature and level of work done by people assigned to this job. It is not intended to provide an exhaustive list of the duties or requirements.