Sr. Product Development Engineer

Assignments are broad in nature, usually requiring leadership, creativity, innovation and excellent problem-solving skills. Knowledge in the selection of various bearing materials, liner systems, wear of dissimilar materials and experience with voice-of-the-customer, product definition and requirements development, based on customer needs, are key areas that will set apart potential candidates. 

The Senior Product Development Engineer will work externally with customers to better understand and define product development efforts while collaborating internally to ensure timely coordination and communication with Business Development, Product Managers, Sales, Operations and other disciplines to identify, prioritize and efficiently execute product development initiatives that align with our company goals.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Perform the following duties as needed to lead Heim’s product development activity focused on expeditiously driving business growth:

• Drive metric improvements in the areas of speed-to-market, product cost and business growth.  Establish and document goals and develop measurable metrics to gauge performance against goals.
• Partner with Business Development and Product Management teams to create and execute a robust new product development roadmap based on customer needs and company strategic direction.
• Develop detailed project plans for product development projects and estimate development costs with an emphasis on delivering products to customers as quickly as possible.
• Manage product development projects and monitor project milestones to deliver new products to customers on time and within budget.
• Develop and document product requirements to be used to define the scope, application and performance of the product.
• Responsible for the design, development, modification, and implementation of new products.
• Lead and conduct research and trade studies on design options to determine the best approach, and products, to be used, or developed, that meet customer requirements while also satisfying company goals and objectives related to improving overall growth and delivering products to customers in an efficient manner. 
• Support Sales, Business Development and Product Management to ensure timely responses to customer inquiries related to custom applications, new products and general technical support.
• Visit customers to review and understand applications and propose solutions that utilize existing and new products.
• Support Manufacturing Engineering and Business Development teams in the preparation of labor and material estimates for proposals.
• Develop rigorous test plans for the qualification of the products being developed, and manage the execution of the tests.  Document and release test results.  Evaluate test results and recommend design modifications for performance improvements.
• Lead, participate in, and support the following:
• Concept, planning, design and execution stages of major new products or product enhancements
• Risk assessment analysis
• Prototyping and testing of concept designs
• Design reviews
• Design verification and product validation testing

Create product documentation including documentation intended for customer use.