New Product Development Engineer

Job Title: New Product Development Engineer

Pay Rate: $85K–$95K

Location: Smithfield, RI

Duration: Permanent

Shift: 1st Shift | 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM

• Travel: Approximately 15%, based on business needs.

• Must-Haves:

  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.

  • Minimum of 3 years of mechanical product design and development experience.

  • Strong proficiency in SolidWorks, including 3D modeling, 2D engineering drawings, dimensions, and tolerances.

  • Knowledge of thermoplastic injection molding, mold design, tooling development, and design for manufacturability.

  • Experience with rapid prototyping and 3D printing.

  • Ability to develop test plans, perform product testing, analyze results, and document findings.

  • Hands-on experience with dimensional inspection equipment, including calipers, micrometers, indicators, optical comparators, and CMM systems.

  • Experience with ERP or product-data systems, including bill of materials (BOM) creation and maintenance.

  • Strong technical writing, communication, presentation, and project management skills.

  • Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with hands-on troubleshooting experience.

• Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience managing product development projects from initial concept through production launch.

  • Experience with Micro-Vu inspection equipment.

  • Experience with JD Edwards (JDE).

  • Familiarity with calibration systems and measurement equipment recordkeeping.

  • Experience coordinating with customers, suppliers, and cross-functional engineering and manufacturing teams.

Job Summary:

Silgan Dispensing is seeking an experienced New Product Development Engineer to support the design, development, testing, and production launch of dispensing closures and related packaging products. This position will be responsible for managing product development projects from initial concept through production implementation, including product design, rapid prototyping, injection mold tooling, automation support, testing, and product qualification.

The ideal candidate will have a strong mechanical engineering background with hands-on experience in SolidWorks, thermoplastic injection molding, tooling development, and product testing. This role will work closely with Sales, Operations, Quality, Engineering, customers, and suppliers to develop innovative products, troubleshoot existing designs, and ensure successful production launches.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage new product development projects from initial concept through production launch, coordinating project requirements, timelines, risks, and cross-functional activities.

• Develop product concepts and detailed designs using SolidWorks, including 3D models, 2D engineering drawings, specifications, and tolerances.

• Create and evaluate 3D-printed prototypes and rapid tooling to assess product fit, functionality, manufacturability, and customer requirements.

• Coordinate the design, procurement, evaluation, and qualification of pre-production tooling and molded samples.

• Support the transition of approved product designs into production injection molds and automated manufacturing processes.

• Develop and execute product testing plans, inspection methods, dimensional studies, and basic statistical analyses to validate product performance and quality.

• Troubleshoot and improve existing products, molds, manufacturing processes, and automation systems.

• Collaborate directly with Sales and customers to identify application requirements, present product concepts, resolve technical questions, and provide engineering support.

• Prepare engineering reports, quality plans, qualification documentation, procedures, work instructions, and technical presentations.

• Work closely with Operations, Quality, Engineering, Sales, and suppliers to ensure product requirements are met and designs are production-ready.

• Communicate technical specifications to vendors, evaluate quotations, and monitor supplier quality, project timelines, and performance.

• Create, review, and maintain bills of materials (BOMs) and related product data within JD Edwards (JDE).

• Support calibration documentation and measurement equipment recordkeeping as assigned.

• Ensure compliance with company safety, quality, and operational procedures.