Product Development Engineering Manager

PRIMARY FUNCTION:

The Product Development Engineering Manager will be responsible for administration and technical leadership of the engineering and Product Development team.  This role is integral to driving growth, innovation, and operational excellence. The Product Development Engineering Manager will have a proven track record in leading high-performing teams, delivering new products, and fostering cross-functional collaboration to ensure business success.  The core deliverables are:

• Build a culture of technical excellence through innovation, design, and cross-functional partnerships
• Ensure on-time, on-cost, on-quality new product launches leveraging a talented technical team
• Proactively collaborate with cross-functional teams including Product Management, Sourcing, Operations, and Finance to ensure project alignment
• Champion continuous improvement within the product development process to support company growth

The ideal candidate would have 5+ Years experience in a leadership role managing engineering teams within a furniture design environment.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBLITIES

• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing team of product development engineers, model makers, and support staff to cultivate a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Establish and communicate clear goals, performance metrics, and developmental opportunities for team members to drive engagement and growth.
• Lead the end-to-end product development process, ensuring timely and successful product launches while consistently integrating innovation and sustainability into designs.
• Collaborate with Product Management to align market trends and customer needs with innovative, market-leading product solutions.
• Deliver cost reductions and margin improvements through strong business acumen and financial analysis, aligning with the company’s strategic goals.
• Leverage operational understanding of manufacturing, procurement, and quality processes to optimize product design and profitability.
• Influence business-decision design trade-offs to balance cost, quality, function, and marketability across multiple projects.
• Oversee value engineering initiatives to optimize costs while maintaining quality and performance, including standardizing parts, components, and processes.
• Identify and implement material and process improvements to increase operational efficiency and scalability.
• Collaborate proactively with Sourcing, Operations, and Finance to align product development efforts with business objectives and streamline workflows.
• Manage project timelines, budgets, and deliverables to ensure alignment with company objectives while driving continuous improvement in tools, processes, and methodologies.
• Foster a growth-oriented mindset across the product development team, emphasizing strategic oversight and process innovation.
• Travel Required
• All other duties as assigned.