Development Engineering Tech II

BENCHMADE•Oregon City, OR

About The Position

The Development Engineering Tech II – Product Development is a key contributor within the Advanced Prototyping Team, supporting product-class-focused Category Managers, Design Engineers, Development Engineers, and Industrial Designers. The role operates within the company’s Ambidextrous Organization Model to help rapidly create, validate, and optimize manufacturable product concepts. Reporting to the Advanced Prototyping Manager, the technician helps accelerate time to market by transforming early-stage designs into physical, testable prototypes. The role includes machining precision components, validating fixtures and tooling, providing manufacturability feedback, and collaborating across teams to refine products and processes. The technician is also expected to mentor junior development technicians, contribute to cross-team learning, and promote experimentation, continuous learning, and technical excellence.

Requirements

3–4 years of CNC machining experience in a prototyping or product development environment.
Full capability to read and interpret G-code.
High school diploma or GED equivalent.
Proficiency in CAM software and working knowledge of precision machining aluminum, steels, and composites.
Strong understanding of machine shop equipment, tooling setups, and process troubleshooting.
Experience interpreting technical drawings and GD&T and using precision inspection instruments.
Ability to manage multiple tasks and adjust priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
Excellent mechanical aptitude and a hands-on approach to resolving challenges.
Strong communication, problem-solving, and mentorship skills.
Self-motivated, highly collaborative, and service-minded, with a get-it-done attitude.

Nice To Haves

MasterCAM experience preferred.
Experience with CMM programming and dimensional analysis preferred.
Experience with standard manufacturing documentation tools preferred.

Responsibilities

Set up and operate CNC machines for early-phase product development; inspect parts, make offsets, and apply program updates to meet cosmetic and dimensional specifications.
Operate Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMM) to validate tolerances and dimensional accuracy, and collaborate with IQA and programmers to interpret results and inform standards.
Fabricate fixtures, components, and test samples with Design and Manufacturing Engineers.
Provide iterative feedback during prototyping cycles to improve manufacturability and reduce time to validation.
Validate prototype and production tooling and provide feedback for standardization and repeatability.
Write standard work instructions and contribute to structured documentation of new processes.
Maintain tooling and fixture inventories and coordinate ordering within areas of ownership.
Participate in Design for Manufacturability (DFM) reviews and help identify design improvements.
Work with category-aligned engineering teams to support New Product Introduction (NPI) goals, rapid prototyping, and early-stage feasibility.
Support the development and execution of concept builds, SMUs, and channel-specific solutions.
Share technical learnings, prototype results, and process improvements across technical teams.
Assist with troubleshooting product development and pre-production builds while balancing quality, cost, and timing constraints.
Mentor and coach junior development technicians.
Support continuous improvement efforts across the prototyping and NPI pipeline.
Promote curiosity, resilience, and accountability, and embrace failure as a path to learning.
Use creative thinking to find solutions that meet product form, fit, and function.
Maintain a service-oriented approach to enabling product team success through fast, high-quality technical execution.
Support innovation metrics including time to prototype, innovation output, learning velocity, prototype quality, and speed to market.