Product Engineer - Automotive

About the role

The Product Engineer understands customer design and performance requirements, identifies applicable technical specifications, and translates those requirements into feasible, manufacturable product designs in collaboration with Methoding and other cross-functional teams. This role supervises the technical quality of drawings and manages the technical aspects of quote and order reviews so the Company can produce products that meet customer needs for quality, cost, performance, and timing.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical sales and contract support. Respond to customer and Sales inquiries; confirm specifications, risks, guarantees, and feasible solutions.
• Provide product engineering and manufacturing support. Translate customer and operating requirements into safe, manufacturable, cost-effective product designs. Provide design direction, review drawings, resolve manufacturing and installation issues, and improve quality, value, standardization, and reliability.
• Serve as the North American technical authority for diaphragms, fasteners, installation practices, welding, and fabrication. Prepare and verify specifications, designs, drawings, and quality requirements; and support customer or supplier inspections, evaluations, and claims.
• Coordinate field measurements, installations, installers, and ball-sorter operators. Manage ball-sorter equipment, transportation, repairs, spare parts, certifications, and related service issues.
• Share product knowledge across the regional and global network and use technical data to support ongoing improvement.
• Lead assigned engineers, product designers, and project contributors; set priorities, review work quality and timeliness, coach team members, and maintain consistent engineering standards.
• Comply with and promote Company environmental, quality, health and safety, ethical, and social-responsibility requirements.
• Ensure quotes, contracts, recommendations, and technical risks are reviewed accurately and resolved promptly.
• Ensure designs, drawings, and field support meet customer requirements and support safe, efficient production and installation.
• Coordinate diaphragm, resale, and field-service activities accurately, with controlled records, quality, pricing, and timely issue resolution.
• Ensure engineering standards, product knowledge, and improvements are consistently applied across the team and technical network.
• Apply sound engineering principles, data, measurements, and drawings to make practical, cost-effective decisions.
• Balance customer performance needs with safe, feasible, quality, and cost requirements.
• Own recommendations through resolution and work effectively with Sales, Marketing, Operations, Quality, suppliers, and customers.
• Develop others through clear direction and feedback and drive repeatable improvements in design, quality, standardization, and cycle time.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Metallurgical, Materials, Manufacturing, or a related engineering field, or an equivalent combination of technical education and relevant experience.
• Typically 10 years of product, design, application, manufacturing, or field-engineering experience in a heavy-industrial environment.
• Demonstrated ownership of engineering recommendations, drawings, tolerances, materials, manufacturing constraints, root-cause analysis, and practical technical solutions.
• Ability to communicate technical requirements clearly and proficiency with standard office software, CAD, CREO, product-data, document-control, ERP, or similar systems.
• Ability and willingness to travel to customer, supplier, and Company locations, including occasional overnight and international travel.
• Experience with castings, wear parts, mining, cement, aggregates, recycling, foundry operations, or comparable engineered products, including technical contract reviews, guarantees, customer proposals, or application recommendations.
• Experience leading or coordinating engineers, designers, drafters, technicians, or project contributors across functions, plants, regions, or technical networks.
• Safety and quality mindset.
• This position may provide functional or day-to-day supervision to approximately one to five product designers, depending on business structure and assignment. Responsibilities may include setting priorities, reviewing work quality, coaching, and supporting development. Formal direct-report authority will be defined by the approved organization structure.
• Work is performed in office, manufacturing, and customer-site environments. Manufacturing and field locations may involve noise, heat, dust, moving equipment, uneven walking surfaces, and other industrial conditions. The employee must follow all access controls and wear required personal protective equipment. The role requires regular use of computers and engineering software, frequent communication, and the ability to safely access work areas necessary to observe products, equipment, measurements, and installations. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.