Senior Product Design Engineer in Brunswick, Maine at STARC Systems Inc

The Senior Product Design Engineer leads the design and development of new products from concept through manufacturing launch. The ideal candidate is a self-starter capable of operating with minimal direction, with strong skills in multi-tasking, organization, and self-direction, and a solid foundation in mechanical design engineering. This engineer owns design projects end to end, driving requirements definition, conceptual design, detailed design, prototyping, testing, and the manufacturing implementation of new products and accessories, product improvements, and tooling. Strong 3D CAD skills are required, along with hands-on experience across metals machining and fabrication, injection molded plastics, and integration of mechanical components into finished product assemblies.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & PROGRAM MANAGEMENT:

• Leads active design projects by prioritizing work, resolving design and planning issues, and creating detailed action plans to keep programs on schedule.

• Leads the design and development of new products, accessories, fixtures, and tooling through hands-on CAD work and design team leadership to achieve performance, cost, and schedule goals.

• Develops and evaluates design concepts, performs engineering analysis and testings, and selects materials and manufacturing methods that best meet product requirements.

• Translates customer and market needs into product requirements, design inputs, and validated design outputs.

• Leads design reviews, design for manufacturability (DFM) assessments, and cross-functional gate reviews to ensure designs meet cost, quality, and schedule targets.

• Provides ongoing product support post-launch, including troubleshooting field issues, evaluating reported defects, and driving design or process improvements based on customer and manufacturing feedback.

• Travels as needed to support product testing, gather customer feedback, and assist with field installations; estimated travel up to 5%.

ENGINEERING STANDARDS & RESEARCH:

• Develops and maintains engineering standards throughout the department to support uniform design methods, quality, efficiency, and organizational capacity.

• Researches new materials, technologies, tools, and methods in support of applied design or manufacturing.

• Designs, specifies, and prepares engineering samples, prototypes, and test articles as part of the development process.

• Conducts testing both in-house and at vendor test facilities; records, analyzes, and reports test data and results.

• Partners with manufacturing, quality, and supply chain teams to ensure designs are producible, inspectable, and scalable for production volumes.

• Maintains accurate and up-to-date product documentation including drawings, BOMs, ECOs, and specifications within the PLM system.

• Includes other duties as assigned that are relevant to the role and in support of company needs.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Mechanical Engineering required.

• 7 years of product development and design engineering experience, with a track record of leading projects to successful product launch.

• Proficiency with Office 365 Apps, SolidWorks CAD, project management, and other engineering-related applications.

Knowledge of mechanical engineering disciplines including materials, manufacturing technologies, and processes.

REQUIRED SKILLS/ABILITIES:

• Ability to collaborate in and lead a team environment, providing valuable input and timely work output while developing productive working relationships with co-workers.

• Good, clear, and concise technical communication and writing skills.

• A curious mind interested in learning and motivating the product development process.

• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple programs simultaneously while meeting deadlines and quality standards.

• Entrepreneurial mindset; brings creative problem-solving and resourcefulness to both product and process challenges.

• High attention to detail with strong analytical skills; able to interpret complex specifications and translate them into manufacturable designs.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable state law. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to high. This position requires periodic travel to vendor facilities, test sites, and customer locations to support product testing, gather customer feedback, and assist with installations.