Product Design Engineer

We've been leading the Weiler way for four generations, creating value-enhancing solutions for cleaning, grinding, cutting, deburring and finishing. It's not just what we do, but how we do it. If you have the passion and energy to spark success and are bold enough to see the possibilities, join us to help build our future, and we'll help build yours.

The ideal candidate will be located within a commutable distance to Cresco, PA.

Hybrid Work Schedule Eligible. Typical Work Schedule: 8:30am est. to 5pm est., Monday through Friday.

Position Summary:

The Product Design Engineer is responsible for the design, development, and validation of new products, providing engineering support to Marketing, R&D, Production, Sales, and Purchasing throughout the entire product lifecycle. The role spans activities from concept generation and technical research through prototyping and manufacturing. The Product Design Engineer provides comprehensive technical documentation and expertise to the industrialization team to enable effective manufacturing integration and supports ongoing product optimization.

The Product Design Engineer leads and supports small to mid-sized development projects, evaluates new concepts and technologies, defines key product characteristics, ensures manufacturability, and drives continuous improvement of products and processes. The position requires close cross-functional collaboration and strong technical ownership for multiple product groups.

Essential job functions and responsibilities:

Product Development & Engineering Design

• Design and develop new products from concept through finalized, production-ready solutions that enable the industrialization team to optimize serial manufacturing.
• Develop prototypes and validate them using existing production processes, including the evaluation of alternative manufacturing methods.
• Support initial production batches to ensure smooth process integration and stable ramp-up of new products in collaboration with the industrialization team.
• Define product specifications, key performance characteristics, material requirements, and dimensional tolerances critical to product quality and performance.
• Identify and implement material or component substitutions and alternatives to improve product yield, cost efficiency, and overall performance.
• Introduce new technological solutions, materials, binders, or raw material systems into regular production in close collaboration with the industrialization team.

Project Management & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Manage small to mid-sized research and development projects in accordance with Stage-Gate NPD and NTD (New Technology Development) processes.
• Develop and maintain project charters, work breakdown structures, risk assessments, schedules, and defined deliverables using appropriate project management tools (e.g., Monday).
• Coordinate and align activities across R&D, Strategic Marketing, Industrialization, Quality, Production, Sales, Purchasing, and external partners.
• Prepare and submit investment proposals related to new products, manufacturing equipment, tooling, and new technologies.
• Provide regular project reporting, planning, and forecasting against agreed milestones, budgets, and target periods.

Technical Leadership & Research

• Evaluate new product concepts and emerging technologies in alignment with Product Management (PM) requirements.
• Conduct competitive analysis of products, materials, and technologies, including benchmarking of performance, specifications, cost structures, and pricing.
• Identify technical risks and perform structured risk assessments throughout the product development process.
• Develop and implement effective solutions to technical challenges related to materials, components, manufacturing processes, and product performance.
• Continuously improve existing designs using appropriate, robust, and cost-effective technologies.

Manufacturability & Process Engineering

• Develop products and prototypes that are compatible with approved manufacturing methods, materials, equipment, and tooling.
• Optimize designs during the development phase to support manufacturability, minimize operator dependency, and maximize process capability.
• Validate prototypes and initial production batches, providing technical support to the Industrialization team for process integration and optimization.
• Collaborate closely with Industrialization and Production teams to ensure designs facilitate stable, efficient, and high-quality manufacturing.

Documentation & Lifecycle Management

• Create, maintain, and manage engineering documentation, including drawings, specifications, BOMs, routers, test reports, and validation records.
• Ensure that all project deliverables are accurately documented, properly stored, and fully traceable.
• Support product lifecycle management for assigned product groups, including ongoing improvements, updates, and phase-out activities.

Customer & Market Support

• Provide technical support to customers and internal sales teams, including product consultations and technical presentations.

Represent the company professionally in customer-facing technical discussions when required.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college/university in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering field
• Minimum 3 years of relevant engineering experience in product design, development, or process engineering
• Experience in industrial manufacturing environments preferred

Required Skills & Competencies

• Proficient in CAD systems, mechanical drawing, and technical drafting.
• Deep understanding of product development and manufacturing processes.
• Experienced in project management, including Stage-Gate or similar product development frameworks.
• Skilled in preparing, reviewing, and interpreting technical documentation, including drawings, BOMs, and routers.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational abilities.
• Effective at working cross-functionally and communicating with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Willingness to occasionally lead or coordinate project teams
• High level of responsibility for new product development, cost management, and achievement of technical objectives.