Lead Product Engineer

Kimball Midwest•Columbus, OH

23d•Onsite

About The Position

Kimball Midwest, a national distributor of maintenance, repair, and operation products, is searching for a Lead Product Engineer at our Columbus, Ohio location. As a Kimball Midwest associate, you will experience why we have been listed as one of the Top Workplaces in Columbus 13 years in a row! Our sales revenue growth is dynamic, increasing from $1 million in 1983 to more than $500 million today. Throughout all our growth we have kept the family owned and operated culture alive. At Kimball Midwest, you are a name and not a number and we pride ourselves on our unique culture.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or 5+ years of equivalent hands-on product research, development, and testing experience.
Experience thinking through potential product failure points and creating way to test them.
Strong attention to detail and organization regarding documentation of product testing, performance, and conclusions.
Proven ability to design testing methods from first principles when formal standards do not exist.
Strong technical judgment and the ability to make data-driven decisions regarding product approval and performance claims.
Demonstrated ability to work independently on long-term technical projects while effectively collaborating within a cross-functional team.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly document test results and present technical information to non-engineers.
Working knowledge of private-label product development and aftermarket product distribution within industrial, automotive, fleet, construction, or MRO environments.

Nice To Haves

Extensive experience conducting mechanical, electrical, and chemical product testing, including hands-on testing such as grinding, cutting, drilling, and chemical evaluation is preferred.
Comfortable operating in ambiguity and solving open-ended technical problems.

Responsibilities

Lead the evaluation and validation of new products for introduction into the Kimball Midwest MRO catalog across a wide range of product categories, including abrasives, cutting tools, fasteners, chemicals, electrical, hydraulics, tools, shop supplies, storage, fleet, and body shop products.
Design, execute, and document comprehensive product testing to verify performance, durability, safety, and supplier marketing claims.
Develop custom test methods and procedures when industry standards do not exist, ensuring results are repeatable, defensible, and technically sound.
Serve as the technical authority responsible for approving the functional capabilities and performance claims of new and existing products.
Research competitive and alternative products to benchmark performance and identify opportunities for differentiation or improvement.
Identify and procure testing equipment as required to support product development and validation.
Support private-label and private-brand product development by collaborating with suppliers and internal teams to refine technical specifications and performance requirements.
Evaluate domestic sourcing options for existing imported products and new product concepts.
Create and maintain clear, detailed documentation of test procedures, results, and conclusions to support repeatable testing and long-term knowledge retention.
Develop internal testing standards and best practices to improve consistency and efficiency across product categories.
Partner with Product Development, Marketing, Quality Assurance, and Category Management to provide technical guidance throughout the product lifecycle.
Review and suggest edits to catalog pages, technical literature, and marketing materials to ensure accuracy and credibility of technical claims.
Present testing results, product evaluations, and technical findings in internal meetings and sales forums.
Support the development of technical product training materials and hands-on product demonstrations.
Collaborate closely with the Quality Assurance Engineer to align testing methodologies and interpret results.
Communicate technical expectations and feedback clearly to suppliers and internal stakeholders.