Senior Product Development Engineer (Mechanical)
Permanent/ Direct Hire
Onsite in Woburn, MA
We’re looking for a skilled Senior Product Development Engineer (Mechanical) to become part of our engineering team. This role requires a professional who combines strong mechanical design capability with hands-on manufacturing expertise, particularly involving machined and welded assemblies. The selected candidate will take ownership of the entire product development cycle, from concept design through to full-scale production.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Drive the end-to-end design of new mechanical products—concept generation, detailed design, and release to production.
- Understand and apply customer and industry standards to ensure compliance with all performance and quality benchmarks.
- Review, update, and approve engineering models and drawings, ensuring proper application and verification of GD&T principles.
- Assess designs for conformance to customer needs, production feasibility, and cost targets, making necessary modifications to enhance manufacturability.
- Produce and maintain precise engineering documentation, including drawings, specs, procedures, and revision records.
- Provide ongoing engineering support throughout the product lifecycle, from prototyping and launch to sustained production.
- Develop and optimize manufacturing methods for both new and existing products, covering tooling, fixtures, routings, and process documentation.
- Design and oversee the creation of fixtures and tooling used for machining, brazing, welding, testing, and related shop operations.
- Work closely with internal process experts in machining, brazing, welding, and heat treatment to ensure efficient, cost-effective solutions.
- Enable the timely launch of new products by coordinating documentation release and supporting floor-level manufacturing.
- Contribute to manufacturing cost control through refinement of processes, tooling, and operational flow.
- Analyze data from inspections and tests (like CMM reports) to verify process capability and implement data-driven improvements.
- Prepare and administer engineering change orders and related records, including ECNs, DMRs, and MRB actions.
- Participate in or lead root cause investigations and implement corrective or preventive actions addressing product and process challenges.
- Assist in cost estimation and quoting for new projects or process updates.
- Champion cost optimization and continuous improvement initiatives affecting products and manufacturing systems.
- Research emerging production methods and technologies to enhance efficiency, quality, and turnaround time.
- Collaborate within multidisciplinary project teams spanning design, quality, supply chain, and operations functions.
- Lead or support R&D activities and continuous improvement programs.
- Provide mentorship and guidance to junior engineers and designers, promoting best practices in design and manufacturing.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
- At least 6 years of experience in manufacturing or product engineering, with hands-on exposure to design, NPI, and production.
- Proven experience in machining operations such as CNC or precision machining.
- Demonstrated ability to create tooling and fixture designs for use in manufacturing environments.
- Practical experience with brazed and/or TIG welded assemblies; knowledge of heat-treated metals is highly desirable.
- Strong working knowledge of engineering drawings and GD&T fundamentals, including the review and approval of full design packages.
- Familiarity with change control processes and quality documentation like ECN/ECO, MRB, and DMR.
- Track record of improving processes, reducing costs, and providing production engineering support.
- Experience collaborating with and/or guiding cross-functional teams and mentoring less experienced engineers.
Preferred Qualifications
- Proficiency with a 3D CAD platform (SolidWorks or comparable).
- Experience using ERP/MRP systems (Oracle, SAP, or similar).
- Knowledge of aerospace or defense standards, such as AS9100 or ASME Y14.5.
- Exposure to Lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies.