Product Design Engineer

Safari Land • Jacksonville, FL

18h • Onsite

About The Position

The Safariland Group is seeking a creative, self-motivated, detail-oriented Product Design Engineer to join its Engineering Team. The team designs, develops, and launches new products and provides engineering support for current product lines. Products include handgun holsters, mounting accessories, and related gear for commercial, shooting, hunting, outdoor, and law enforcement customers, manufactured using processes such as injection molding, thermoforming, cut-and-sew, and leatherworking.

The Product Design Engineer develops detailed 3D and 2D SolidWorks designs, evaluates fit, function, and manufacturability, and supports prototyping, testing, production tooling, and new product introductions. The role works with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Marketing, Sales, and Patent Lawyers. It is an onsite, full-time position in a light manufacturing environment, scheduled Monday through Friday, with some flexibility in an eight-hour workday between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Requirements

• Two to four years of extensive hands-on experience with detailed product design and development for consumer markets.
• At least two years of experience and demonstrated modeling proficiency with 3D CAD design software.
• At least one year of experience creating 2D engineering detail drawings in accordance with ASME Y14.5 guidelines.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and a high level of English proficiency.
• Comfort and willingness to work with unloaded and deactivated handguns daily.
• Fundamental experience and comfort using hand tools, such as drills, drivers, Dremel tools, and wrenches, for prototype assembly.

Nice To Haves

• A Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Design, or an applicable Product Design or Development field is preferred.
• Experience designing plastic parts for injection molding is desirable.
• Previous product design experience for thermoforming, vacuum forming, or cut-and-sew manufacturing methods is beneficial.
• Mechanical or pneumatic production fixture design experience is a plus.
• Skill with engineering measuring tools or gauges to accurately reverse engineer and create CAD models of physical parts is needed.
• Experience using 3D printers, desktop scanners, CNC machines, and other manufacturing equipment such as mills, lathes, saws, buffers, and sewing machines is a bonus.
• Working knowledge of handguns, functional mechanisms, and related accessories such as lights and optics, or experience using holsters, is an advantage.
• Certified SolidWorks Associate or Professional certification, strong fundamentals in top-down and bottom-up component design, advanced part modeling, and some surfacing capability are ideal.

Responsibilities

• Create detailed 3D SolidWorks CAD models of parts that meet functional requirements and are sufficiently detailed and accurate for the intended manufacturing process.
• Create 3D SolidWorks CAD assembly models, typically with relatively low component counts, to support part design and verification of fit and functionality.
• Create 2D detailed engineering drawings from 3D CAD models using SolidWorks.
• Conduct FEA or plastics analysis in SolidWorks to simulate functional requirements or identify manufacturing concerns, including wall thickness, flow, warpage, sinkage, draft, and undercuts.
• Collaborate with injection mold Tool Engineers and manufacturing and design technicians to optimize designs for manufacturability.
• Execute or coordinate fabrication of prototype parts and assemblies using internal equipment for design evaluation and testing.
• Source and coordinate procurement of new hardware and outsourced fabricated components for prototype testing as needed.
• Generate component detail drawings and specifications to support Supply Chain sourcing of raw materials and externally fabricated piece parts.
• Assist with the design and fabrication of new mechanical or pneumatic tabletop assembly fixtures for Production.
• Assist with first-article dimensional inspection of molded or purchased parts.
• Evaluate test-run assembly samples for alignment with fit, form, and function requirements.
• Conduct destructive and nondestructive testing in accordance with internal product performance requirements.
• Create bills of materials for new product designs in the ERP system.
• Participate in pilot and test runs for new product introductions and assembly-process training with Manufacturing Engineers.
• Produce internal product documentation, QC reference drawings, assembly aids, and work instructions in accordance with internal guidelines.
• Support Marketing, Sales, and Patent Lawyers with product design images or written functional and feature overviews as needed.
• Collaborate with the team and guide Engineering Coordinators or Interns on support tasks for assigned projects.

What This Job Offers

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