Product Engineer

Position Summary: The Product Engineer role is responsible for designing, developing, supporting, and improving new and existing products, kits, and components and fabricating and/or testing prototypes.  Ensures product integrity, technical accuracy, and applicability.  This position also releases final product for manufacture and distribution.  This is an on-site position at our Carrollton, Texas facility.

I.    Description of Essential Job Functions:
•    Manages projects, changes, and/or development from start through completion while communicating, supporting, and interacting with other functional groups.
•    Plans, designs, and develops products or components in projects assigned. Prepares or directs preparation of product or system layout and detailed drawings and schematics. Plans and develops experimental test programs. Directs and coordinates manufacturing or building of prototype products or systems. Analyzes test data and reports to determine if design meets functional and performance specifications.
•    Gathers and analyzes research data and proposed product specifications.  Determines feasibility of designing new or replacement products on existing equipment considering costs, available space, time limitations, and other technical and economic factors.  Confers with research personnel to clarify or resolve problems and develops, designs, or prepares design modifications. When necessary, conducts business case analysis and planning to commercialize new products effectively.
•    Compiles and analyzes operational, test, and research data to establish performance standards for newly designed or modified equipment or product. Evaluates engineering test results for possible application to developments of systems or other uses.
•    Leads and reviews Engineering Change Order projects to update existing products and processes. Publishes technical bulletins and notifications to customers and suppliers as needed.
•    Reviews and analyzes series production of new products as needed to ensure the highest quality standards and lowest cost levels are met.
•    Uses computer-assisted engineering and design software and equipment to perform engineering and design tasks.
•    Creates and updates bills of materials using CAD and ERP systems. Consults with suppliers in relation to parts or products necessary to design or improve products and components.
•    Provides design, prototype, and validation support for improving existing products and kits.
•    Oversees installation and testing of field test units at customer sites or via live video conferencing. Inspects, maintains, troubleshoots, and repairs field test units as necessary.
•    Analyzes product or equipment specifications and performance requirements to determine designs that existing manufacturing or processing facilities and methods can produce.
•    Investigates returns (RMA) and manufacturing and quality issues with products. Initiates corrective actions and engineering changes as needed to improve products. Participates in resolving supplier quality issues with the Purchasing team. 
•    Explores secondary supplier options to reduce existing product costs and lead times. 
•    Consults with suppliers in relation to parts or products necessary to design or improve products and components. 
•    Assists the customer service department in identifying needed aftermarket repair products and services.
•    Provides technical information concerning manufacturing or processing techniques, materials, properties, and process advantages and limitations that affect long-range plant and product engineering planning.
•    Creates product documentation including manuals, specification sheets, and layout drawings to support new products.  Updates product manuals, as necessary, to stay current with product and component changes.
•    Develops in-house and field work instructions to assist with the manufacturing processes and/or installation of products. 
•    Diagnoses, repairs, and installs the company’s related products and unrelated office and warehouse products and equipment on the company’s premises as deemed necessary.
•    Visits new and established suppliers looking for advances in new technology, status of existing products, opportunities for cost savings, current capabilities, and supporting root cause analysis.
•    Monitors and analyzes the technology markets, customer feedback, and benchmarking to identify and understand new product opportunities.
•    Initially trains Technical Support staff on products and supports more complicated issues as they arise.
•    Handles product revisions and customer-requested specials for quoting and manufacturing.
•    Participates in Kaizen and VAVE events.

II.    Supervisory Responsibilities:
•    This job has no supervisory responsibilities. 
  
III.    Qualification Requirements: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 
 
Education and Experience:
•    Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.  Master’s Degree is a plus.
•    5-7 years of engineering experience, preferably in product design engineering duties with a strong work background within a manufacturing environment or exposure to electromechanical products.
•    Experience managing multiple simultaneous projects.
•    Advanced/Intermediate experience with industry drafting and CAD standards.
•    Experience in product design, GD&T, using CAD tools, FEA, and DFMEA. 
•    Electrical circuits, hydraulic circuits, and welding standards experience is a plus.
•    Significant “hands-on the product” type experience with ability to recognize problems, predict potential outcomes, and implement countermeasures quickly enough to avoid problems.
•    Experience preferred with steel and steel fabrication methods.

Computer Skills
•    Ability to use a personal computer utilizing spreadsheet and word processing software applications, databases, and automated systems to accomplish work.
•    Advanced/Intermediate skill level with Microsoft Office Suite; Word, Excel, Project, and PowerPoint preferred. 
•    General Understanding and experience using business ERP systems and software. 
•    Working knowledge and experience with 3D software such as Autodesk Inventor and Vault.

Certificates, Certifications, Licenses, Registrations:
•    None

Company Core Competencies (Standard behavioral performance dimensions are listed below):

Communications  -  Flexibility  -  Cost Consciousness  -  Creativity and Innovation - Customer Focused  -  Facilitating Change  -  Fostering Teamwork  -  Global Mindset - Problem Solving  -  Quality Orientation  -  Safety Focus  -  Valuing Diversity - Accountability & Dependability  -  Core Values and Guiding Behaviors  -  Demonstrating Beliefs and Principles -   Diagnostic Information Gathering - Integrity, Trust, & Respect  -  Leveraging Customer Networks  -  Self-Development & Continual Learning    Technical & Professional Skills and Expertise

Other Skills, Abilities, or Competencies:
•    Ability to lead an engineering project.
•    Ability to use a variety of hand and power tools.
•    Advanced hands-on approach to problem-solving and analysis.
•    Customer service orientation and approach to daily responsibilities. 
•    Ability to function as a team member and contribute to group goals. 
•    The ability to develop, coordinate, and manage multiple concurrent projects.
•    Detail-oriented with the ability to track and monitor projects from inception to completion.
•    Ability to organize personal workload, prioritize activities, and accomplish tasks under deadline pressure.
•    Excellent electrical and mechanical aptitude/troubleshooting skills, and the ability to read engineering drawings.
•    Ability to solve problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardizations exist.
•    Strong oral and written technical communication skills to communicate with managers, fellow employees, customers, and vendors.
•    Maintain thorough knowledge and understanding of each customer’s specifications, standards, and other engineering requirements.
•    Ability to work independently and in a group setting while multi-tasking and adjusting to changing priorities in a minimally supervised, fast-paced environment.
•    Requires independent judgment and discretion with project framework for planning, organization, control, integration, and completion of projects and company objectives.
•    General understanding and working knowledge of manufacturing, assembly, sewing, and welding equipment and tooling, including design, gauges, equipment design, automation, robotics, or manufacturing processes.
•    Working knowledge of material types, specifications, and characteristics used in dock levelers, dock seals & shelters, impactable dock doors, high-speed and high-performance doors, and other entrance automation products and warehouse solutions.
•    Thorough understanding of company products, trade terminology, quality management and control systems and techniques, manufacturing processes including material controls, workflow, scheduling, just-in-time/pull system, machine operation, and company policies as standards.

Other Qualifications, Experience, or Requirements:
•    Limited business travel in the field for project implementation, training, field testing, and/or customer support.
•    Requires a valid motor vehicle operator’s license and the ability to operate a motor vehicle while carefully observing all traffic rules and regulations.
•    Requires the ability to use a variety of office/production related equipment such as a telephone, photocopier, and precision measuring instruments.
•    Work beyond the traditional 40 hours per week may be required as workload or projects dictate, including weekends and holidays.

IV.    Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. The phrases “occasionally,” “regularly,” and “frequently” correspond to the following definitions: “occasionally” means up to 1/3 of working time, “regularly” means between 1/3 and 2/3 of working time, and “frequently” means 2/3 and more of working time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
•    While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, use hands to finger, handle, or touch objects or controls, and talk and/or hear.  The employee is regularly required to stand and/or walk.  The employee is occasionally required to reach above shoulders, climb and/or balance, and/or stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
•    The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds while performing duties such as moving tooling or boxes of parts.  
•    Specific vision requirements of this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

V.    Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
•    The employee must occasionally travel on Company business.
•    The employee regularly works in proximity to moving mechanical parts.
•    The employee occasionally works in high, precarious places, outdoor weather conditions, and is exposed to fumes, airborne particles, and the risk of electric shock.   
•    The employee must wear safety glasses and steel-toed shoes while working in manufacturing areas.
•    The noise level in the work environment is moderate while working in the office but may be loud while working in production areas.

We are the ASSA ABLOY Group
Our people have made us the global leader in access solutions. In return, we open doors for them wherever they go. With nearly 63,000 colleagues in more than 70 different countries, we help billions of people experience a more open world. Our innovations make all sorts of spaces – physical and virtual – safer, more secure, and easier to access. 

As an employer, we value results – not titles, or backgrounds. We empower our people to build their career around their aspirations and our ambitions – supporting them with regular feedback, training, and development opportunities. Our colleagues think broadly about where they can make the most impact, and we encourage them to grow their role locally, regionally, or even internationally.

As we welcome new people on board, it’s important to us to have diverse, inclusive teams, and we value different perspectives and experiences.