Lead Engineer Manager

Job Description

Fortune Brands is hiring for a Lead Engineer Manager to join our Design-to-Value (DtV) team as a core pillar. 

Location: This Lead Engineer Manager will work in a hybrid model out of our Deerfield, IL-HQ with remote days being Mondays and Fridays. 

This position reports into the Product Development Design-to-Value group and is responsible for identifying, assessing, and generating new product opportunities from an engineering, design, sourcing and manufacturing perspective. The Design-to-Value approach integrates consumer, marketplace, design, and cost insights to deliver the ideal consumer experience while unlocking significant margin improvement. This role is a member of an empowered, high performing team that focuses on driving meaningful change across the company by redefining the most strategic product lines.

Responsibilities:

Identify and develop Design-to-Value opportunities:

• In partnership with Product Manager, lead the technical analysis of market, competitive landscape and enterprise-wide product development efforts to identify optimal areas to generate value creation and cost reductions that will drive profitability.
• Drive profitability for current product offerings using broad business acumen and in-depth understanding of Fortune Brands Innovations product development processes. 
• Lead engineering, manufacturing, sourcing, and design team members in collaboration with the Design-to-Value team to identify and procure the relevant competitive set of products and then generate insights and opportunities through ideation, teardowns, clean sheets, prototyping, and other analyses.
• Manage and run all product-related ideation, teardown, and design-for-manufacturing-and-assembly assessments with the full cross-functional team.
• Identify relevant metrics and test own and competitor products against metrics to assess.
• Support the Insights Leader by overseeing the readiness of the products to be tested and provide technical feasibility guidance for surveys.
• Provide direction and manage supplier involvement and collaboration and all Design-to-Value related clean sheet activity with next generation sourcing team.
• Support and execute various analyses (portfolio, spend, etc.) in collaboration with the Design-to-Value analyst to identify trends and opportunities.

Assess and facilitate the implementation of ideas:

• Lead cross-functional teams (e.g. manufacturing, platforming, sourcing, design, category management) to assess ideas for feasibility, cost out and value add potential; facilitate business unit buy-in.
• Develop and deliver communication to the Steering Committee and other stakeholders on ideas, analyses, priorities, and impact.
• Support the transfer of approved projects to project teams for execution and provide follow-up support as needed to ensure challenges are overcome and full value is achieved.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering is required; Master’s degree is preferred 

• Minimum of 10 years of relevant engineering experience is required; experience in product development for consumer products is preferred. 

• Experience with design thinking and/or business case development a plus 

• Demonstrated experience leading projects with accountability for results on cross-functional teams 

• Proven experience looking at cost break down of product components and true understanding of product development financials 

• Demonstrated experience influencing and collaborating with team members

• Strong analytic skills with an emphasis on critical thinking, root cause analysis, and problem solving required 

• Strong communication and presentation skills 

• Demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit with a passion for ideas 

• Demonstrated tenacity; i.e. experience trying multiple approaches to get to the right answer 

Additional Information

Fortune Brands believes in fair and equitable pay. A reasonable estimate of the base salary range for this role is Hiring Pay Range: $90,000 USD - $143,000 USD. Please note that actual salaries may vary within the range, or be above or below the range, based on factors including, but not limited to, education, training, experience, professional achievement, business need, and location. In addition to base salary, employees will participate in either an annual bonus plan based on company and individual performance, or a role-based sales incentive plan.

At Fortune Brands, we support the overall health and wellness of our associates by offering comprehensive, competitive benefits that prioritize all aspects of wellbeing and provide flexibility for our teammates’ unique needs. This includes robust health plans, a market-leading 401(k) program with a company contribution, product discounts, flexible time off benefits, adoption benefits, and more. We offer numerous ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) to foster a sense of belonging for all associates.

Fortune Brands is built on industry-leading brands and innovation within the high-growth categories of water, outdoors and security. The Company makes innovative products for residential and commercial environments, with a growing focus on digital solutions and products that add luxury, contribute to safety and enhance sustainability. To learn more, visit our website at fbin.com.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Fortune Brands is an equal opportunity employer. Fortune Brands evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, disability/handicap status, marital status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic history or information, or any other legally protected characteristic.

Reasonable Accommodations

Fortune Brands is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or interview process, please contact us at [email protected] and let us know the nature of your request along with your contact information.

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