Sourcing Engineer in Lombard, Illinois at Coda Resources LTD

Work within the Product Development and Sourcing team to drive the end-to-end product development process. This role partners closely with U.S. customers while coordinating with domestic and overseas sourcing, engineering, and production teams. The position is responsible for managing communication, costing, and sampling activities to ensure successful product launches.

The ideal candidate will have strong technical acumen combined with solid project management skills.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Sales, Product Development, Purchasing) to manage all aspects of new product launches for industrial and retail customers.
• Define project specifications by analyzing product designs, customer requirements, and performance standards.
• Coordinate engineering and research activities, working closely with U.S. and China engineering teams; assist with product specifications and drawings. Act as a technical liaison between suppliers, engineering, and sourcing teams.
• Drive projects from concept through production, including sourcing, purchasing, assembly, packaging, and shipment. Ensure alignment across production, logistics, and quality teams.
• Lead sourcing activities for new product development, including supplier selection, capability assessment, quality improvement, and supplier readiness.
• Maintain daily communication with domestic and overseas factories and agents to ensure development aligns with customer expectations.
• Track and manage all aspects of development, including sampling, costing, testing, packaging, and purchase orders.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, including tech packs and bills of materials (BOMs), ensuring accuracy and completeness.
• Manage vendor relationships, including negotiations, shipment coordination, quality issues, and chargebacks.
• Create and maintain sourcing and quality documentation, including audit reports, supplier scorecards, first article inspections (FAI), and shipment inspection standards.
• Review prototypes and final samples to ensure compliance with specifications.
• Partner with the compliance team to communicate product and testing requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Industrial, or related field preferred)
• Strong technical aptitude with the ability to quickly learn new products and technologies
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• Strong project management skills with the ability to drive projects across cross-functional and global teams
• Ability to quickly develop a deep understanding of new product categories, markets, and manufacturing processes
• Strong communication and collaboration skills; team-oriented mindset

Preferred Qualifications

• 1–3 years of experience in sourcing or product development within an industrial or retail environment (HVAC or automotive preferred)
• Experience with product costing and pricing structures
• Experience working with overseas manufacturers
• Willingness to travel to trade shows, customer meetings, and manufacturing sites as needed