Industrial Design Engineer, World Wide Engineering & Innovation - Automation

Amazon • Nashville, TN

2d

About The Position

World Wide Engineering & Innovation (WWEI) is seeking an Industrial Design
Engineer to focus on development and validation of next-generation automation
products in partnership with third-party vendors. This role will work closely
with hardware engineering teams and external partners to design, prototype, and
test automation solutions across material handling, robotics, and industrial
automation applications. The engineer will help translate operational
requirements into product specifications and influence mechanical design, system
architecture, and integration strategies.

This role will lead prototype development, testing, and performance validation,
working with vendors to iterate designs and improve reliability, throughput, and
safety. The Industrial Design Engineer will define test plans, evaluate KPIs,
and provide recommendations on product readiness for pilot deployment. This is a
high-visibility role requiring collaboration with engineering, operations,
safety, and vendor partners to mature early-stage concepts into scalable
automation products and influence long-term automation strategy. This position
requires approximately 25% or more travel to vendor sites, testing locations,
and pilot deployments.

Requirements

• 5+ years of Design/Innovation, research & development, manufacturing, process, industrial engineering, or related experience
• Experience in Design/Innovation, research & development, manufacturing, process, industrial engineering, or related work
• Experience in management of engineering design projects
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in Engineering (any domain) or foreign equivalent, Operations, Business Administration, or a related field
• Knowledge of concepts like system architecture, optimization, system dynamics, system analysis, statistical analysis, reliability analysis, and decision making
• Experience with complex automated material handling equipment, packaging technologies, and systems and high-speed manufacturing
• Experience with design-in-safety
• Experience with process design based on Lean Principles

Responsibilities

• Support development of automation products in partnership with third-party vendors from concept through pilot readiness.
• Translate operational needs into product requirements
• Collaborate with hardware engineering teams
• Work directly with vendors to design, prototype, and iterate automation solutions.
• Evaluate mechanical concepts, review layouts, and ensure designs meet safety, performance, and scalability expectations.
• Lead testing and validation activities, including defining test plans, executing trials, and analyzing performance metrics such as throughput, reliability, and operational efficiency.
• Identify design gaps, drive improvements with vendors, and support engineering trade-off decisions.
• Coordinate prototype builds, support FAT/SAT activities, and ensure readiness for pilot deployment.
• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders including engineering, operations, safety, and maintenance teams to validate product performance in operational environments.
• Influence product direction, document learnings, and support transition from prototype to scalable deployment while managing risks and improving product robustness.

Benefits

• health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage)
• 401(k) matching
• paid time off
• parental leave

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level