Product Development Engineer

at  Levolor

Hunter Douglas is the world’s leading manufacturer of window coverings and a major manufacturer of architectural products. We are a brand that you know and trust. With more than 100 years of innovation, we’ve defined our industry with proprietary products that deliver revolutionary style and functionality and can be found in millions of homes and commercial buildings globally.
As a member of the Hunter Douglas family of brands, LEVOLOR, Inc. is a leading manufacturer and marketer of custom and sizable window covering products including blinds and shades. LEVOLOR is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1911, we are committed to delivering innovative, high quality products to consumers under the most recognized brand in our industry today.
We are searching for candidates that are driven, intelligent, creative, and entrepreneurial. By offering challenging and accelerated opportunities for growth, powered by a shared hunger for success, we create a space for your career to thrive. In return for your expertise, we are committed to providing competitive and robust total compensation and benefit packages to ensure you feel valued. Our dream is to become the fastest growing, most loved, window covering company in the world. What’s yours?

POSITION OVERVIEW

This position is a part of the Core Brands R&D engineering team responsible for new product development in the window coverings business. The position reports to a Principal Product Development Engineer.

Primary responsibilities include ideation and development of new products through a stage gate process and implementing improvements to existing products. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Lead new product development projects from concept through production launch.
• Research, design, analyze, fabricate, test, evaluate, modify, verify, validate and qualify window covering products.
• Theoretical and hands-on review of designs, prototypes, and finished product to ensure a robust design and product requirements are met.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (R&D, Product Management, Program Management, Test lab, Operations, Sourcing, and others) to research and understand consumer and customer wants/needs, benchmark competitive products, and develop innovative products that are cost effective and meet those wants/needs.
• Prioritize safety by overseeing and ensuring New Product Development, productivity, and quality improvements meet and exceed regulatory compliance standards.
• Optimize product designs (e.g., fit, function, interference, tolerance stack ups, etc.) for manufacturability.
• Ensure new products meet fit, function (performance), and quality requirements (DFMEA, DVP&R, gage R&R as well as supporting PFMEA, Control Plans, DOE and PPAP).
• Develop product prototypes and perform product testing for internal evaluation as well as for customer and consumer testing/feedback.
• Create and update product specifications, test plans, sample plans, trial logs, timelines, project trackers, and other key documents.
• Work with cross functional teams for cost reduction initiatives related to design, performance, materials, manufacturability, and assembly processes.
• Maintenance of existing products in regards to documentation, design improvements, and part changes resulting from customer feedback, Quality Assurance, Manufacturing, Sourcing, and Product Management groups.
• Lead manufacturing trials, testing, measurements, and related documentation from initial engineering trials through production qualification. Evaluate results and propose/lead changes to product design, tooling, and/or process.
• Travel as needed in the US, Mexico, and Asia (typically up to 20%).
• All other duties as assigned