Bradshaw Home, a national housewares provider specializing in kitchenware and cleaning products, is seeking an experienced and innovative Director of Engineering to join our team. The Director of Engineering will be instrumental in driving engineering excellence and fostering innovation within our organization. This role will oversee a Sr. Mechanical Engineer and a Sr. Product Production Manager, ensuring the successful design and production of our consumer goods. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership abilities, technical expertise in CAD and SolidWorks, and experience conducting stress analyses. A background in plastics engineering and design, along with familiarity with materials, manufacturing processes, and housewares products, is highly preferred. This position will report directly to our Senior Vice President of Product Development.
Responsibilities
- Lead and mentor the engineering team, including a Sr. Mechanical Engineer and a Sr. Product Production Manager.
- Drive the engineering and development of new kitchenware and cleaning products, ensuring high standards of engineering excellence and innovation.
- Utilize CAD and SolidWorks to create, develop and refine product designs.
- Conduct stress analyses to ensure product durability and safety.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Product Development, Industrial Design, Marketing, Creative Dept and manufacturing, to bring innovative products to market.
- Participate of the entire product lifecycle, from initial concept through production and market launch.
- Help with the Value Analysis/Value Engineering (VAVE) efforts to optimize product performance and cost-effectiveness.
- Stay current with industry trends, materials, and manufacturing processes to continuously improve product offerings.
- Ensure compliance with relevant industry standards and regulations.
- Manage project timelines, budgets, and resources effectively.
- Foster a collaborative and high-performance engineering culture within the team.
Lead:
- Technical Assessment: Conduct thorough evaluations for both development and manufacturing phases, ensuring technical feasibility and adherence to specifications.
- RFQ Management: Issue Requests for Quotations (RFQs) to suppliers, assessing cost, manufacturing feasibility, and execution timelines.
- Technical Product Appraisal: Conduct comprehensive technical evaluations of products to ensure they meet design and performance criteria.
- Product Use Standards Documentation: Develop and distribute written product use standards to factories and Quality Control (QC) teams to ensure consistent manufacturing quality.
- Regulatory Assessment: Ensure all products comply with relevant regulatory standards and certifications.
- Development Plan Implementation: Coordinate the implementation of the product development plan, ensuring CAD designs are aligned with factory tooling and production processes.
- Operations Planning: Develop detailed production and operations plans, including the requirements for operational facilities.
- Quality Control Review: Perform regular reviews of Quality Control processes to maintain high standards in product manufacturing.
- Final Product Testing: Conduct in-house final product tests and extended lab tests to evaluate product quality and performance under controlled conditions.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
- 10+ years of experience with a proven track record of leading engineering teams, preferably in the consumer goods industry.
- Expertise in CAD and SolidWorks is essential.
- Strong background in conducting stress analyses.
- Experience with plastics engineering and design is highly preferred.
- Knowledge of materials and manufacturing processes.
- Familiarity with housewares, kitchenware, and/or cleaning products is advantageous.
- Demonstrated experience in Value Analysis/Value Engineering (VAVE) initiatives.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and project management skills.
- Ability to work effectively in a hybrid work environment, with in-office presence required Tuesday through Thursday.
Bradshaw Home is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from all qualified candidates. If you are a forward-thinking engineering leader with a passion for innovation and excellence, we encourage you to apply and become a part of our dynamic team.