Director Engineering, New Product Development

PGNA INC•Cranberry Township, PA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of New Product Development (NPD) Engineering leads the design and development of Conair’s next generation of auxiliary equipment for plastics processing, from concept through production launch. The role leads the NPD Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Advanced Research / Co-op groups and serves as the senior mechanical engineering authority for new products. It drives projects through Conair’s stage-gate process, manages engineering schedules and deliverables, and mentors and develops engineers and designers. The Director works closely with Product Management, Sustainment Engineering, Manufacturing, and Purchasing to deliver products that meet customer, cost, quality, and compliance targets. The position is located in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. Conair, a member of the Piovan Group, produces auxiliary equipment for plastics processing, including resin-drying systems, blenders, feeders, conveying systems, temperature-control equipment, granulators, extrusion solutions, and complete manufacturing systems. The Piovan Group develops and produces systems for automating the storage, transport, and treatment of polymers, plastics, and food powders, supporting customers globally from design through installation and start-up.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering required.
Typically 12 or more years of mechanical design and product development experience in industrial equipment or machinery.
At least 5 years leading engineering teams.
Proven record of taking new products from concept through production launch using a stage-gate or phase-gate process.
Strong hands-on mechanical design background, including sheet metal, weldments, castings, machined and molded parts, mechanisms, pneumatics, and heat transfer, airflow, or fluid systems.
Strong working knowledge of GD&T, tolerance stack-up analysis, DFMEA, and design verification and validation.
Familiarity with 3D CAD and PDM/PLM systems sufficient to review designs and guide the team.
Demonstrated DFM/DFA, design-to-cost, and value engineering results.
Familiarity with electrical controls, PLCs, and machine safety standards such as NFPA 79, UL 508A, and the CE Machinery Directive.
Ability to lead, mentor, and develop engineers and designers and manage schedules, resources, budgets, and competing priorities in a cross-functional organization.
Working knowledge of ERP systems.
Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills; sound decision-making; and structured problem-solving skills, such as 8D, 5-Why, and root cause analysis.
Ability to work effectively with customers, Product Management, and executive leadership.
Ability to travel 10–15% of the time, including customer, supplier, trade show, and Conair facility visits, with occasional international travel.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or MBA.
Experience with plastics processing auxiliary equipment, extrusion, or injection molding.
FEA or simulation experience.
Experience designing for in-house sheet metal fabrication.

Responsibilities

Drive NPD projects through the stage-gate process from concept through launch, including requirements definition, gate deliverables, design reviews, and gate recommendations.
Manage engineering schedules, resources, budgets, and deliverables across the NPD project portfolio, including alpha and beta prototype builds and release to production, and report status to engineering leadership.
Serve as technical lead and senior mechanical engineering authority for new products; set design approaches, lead design reviews and problem solving, ensure sound design practices, and identify patentable inventions.
Lead design for manufacturing and assembly (DFM/DFA), design-to-cost, and value engineering for sheet metal fabrication, weldments, castings, machined parts, and molded components.
Plan and oversee prototype testing, verification and validation, and DFMEA with the Lab; ensure products meet applicable safety and regulatory requirements.
Partner with Product Management to translate customer and business-case requirements into product specifications and support product launches, including trade show display equipment.
Coordinate mechanical, electrical, controls, and software development; work with Purchasing and suppliers on sourcing, tooling, and cost targets.
Transition new products into production and Sustainment Engineering with complete and accurate drawings, bills of material, specifications, and manuals.
Mentor engineers and designers, build technical and project skills across the team, and support the engineering co-op program.
Review, hire, and train engineering staff; set goals, manage performance and workloads, and develop future technical leaders.
Establish and track performance metrics, including gate schedule adherence, product cost versus target, and launch quality, and continuously improve the NPD process.
Collaborate with engineering teams in the U.S., Italy, and India, fostering teamwork, innovation, trust, and customer-inspired motivation.