Product Development Engineer at LAKE CABLE, LLC – Bensenville, Illinois

What would you say to a career that helps keep the world working? One where you take an active role in an industry that literally makes daily life possible for people and businesses alike? Where the rewards and opportunities for growth are as great as your ambition? Then Lake Cable is looking for you.

For more than a quarter century, Lake Cable has been a leading manufacturer of low voltage, industrial power, utility, custom OEM and broadcast-quality cables, all 100% produced in the United States. Thanks to a shared passion and commitment to our customers, we deliver the finest quality products, engineered to exacting specifications. BETTER. SMARTER. FASTER.

Headquartered in Bensenville, IL with over 450 employees and five facilities in the Midwest, Lake Cable is a privately-owned family business. That spirit of family inspires a culture where the success of every team member is a top priority, with competitive benefits and paths to advancement. Our richly diverse team is also committed to sustainability, community involvement, and ethical business practices. Because we believe it’s the only way to do business.

If you’re ready for a leap forward, we should talk. Lake Cable. When Delivery Matters…

Position Summary:

To develop new product groups based on sales demand, new technology, plastic flexibility, etc. To ensure projects are meeting timelines and budget, the Product Development Engineer shall work closely with all departments: Outside Sales, Inside Sales, Design, Scheduling, Production, Process, Quality, Shipping/Receiving, Management. The Product Development Engineer shall report to the Engineering Manager and update teams on all project status.

Essential Functions:

• Collaborate with Outside Sales, Inside Sales, Design, Scheduling, Production, Process, Quality, Shipping/Receiving, Management to meet customer and regulatory requirements.
• Understand and interpret industry standards: UL, CSA, ABS, IEC, IEEE, ETL, DNV, NOM, etc.
• Maintain project management database covering all certification projects
• Collaborate with certification entities to determine requirements, project scope, and sampling plan.
• Develop business cost models and ROI
• Interact with customers to understand their applications, requirements, etc.
• Create specification sheets, production routers, testing protocols, and work instructions
• Determine product’s feasibility and perform analysis on Lake’s current manufacturing capability to produce the new product
• Provide process and production support during the production trial phases (may be in IL or IN)
• Maintain all certification approvals and listings
• Host routine meetings with core teams, Management, and Sales
• Attend expositions and conferences to learn newest technologies, standards, and industry trends

Knowledge:

• Understand basics of wire and cable design and manufacturing including raw materials, troubleshooting, plastic extrusion, etc.
• Understand how to work with certification entities, customers, suppliers, and internal teams
• Understand how to properly manage multiple projects

Skills and Abilities:

• Soft skills are extremely important: leadership, time management, communication, innovation, teamwork, critical thinking, public speaking, emotional intelligence, transparency, collaboration, organization.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision, multi-task, and resolve problems
• Develop business cases (profit, revenue, costs, etc.) to determine the project prioritization
• Identify the strengths and weaknesses of plan (SWOT), develop risk assessment plans, and create plan of action to resolve issues
• Apply various quality and process technique to resolve issues and plan for risk (6S, Fishbone, RCA, etc.)
• Brainstorm with team and intermediate management on new projects
• Mentor and coach operators in developing best practices
• Strong verbal and written reporting, technical
• Work efficiently with numerous project deadlines
• Proactive to take independent initiative and ownership of projects, while maintaining a reliable level of cooperation with co-workers
• Proficient using Microsoft Office applications – Outlook, Word, Excel, PPT, Access, etc.
• Other project management tools and techniques (Gantt Chart, Monte Carlo, etc.), preferred
• CAD software, preferred

Qualifications:

• BS degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Industrial Engineering, preferred
• Minimum of one year of previous work experience in a manufacturing environment, preferred
• Six Sigma experience, preferred
• Project Management experience or PMP, preferred

Benefits

• Paid time off
• 401(k) match
• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Life insurance (company paid)
• Voluntary Life/AD&D
• Voluntary Life/AD&D (child)
• Short-term disability (company paid)
• Long-term disability (company paid)
• Accident Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Tuition reimbursement
• Referral program
• Production bonus
• Competitive pay