KitchenAid Espresso Product Development Engineer

Whirlpool•Saint Joseph, MO

5d•Onsite

About The Position

As an Analyst Systems Engineer, you will serve as the primary System Integrator for our Espresso category, bridging the gap between business strategy, system architecture, and technical execution. Working with cross-functional partners and senior technical leaders, you will own the end-to-end integration of complex systems—driving concepts from early-stage validation to full product approval. In this elevated role, you will lead concept selection, hold accountability for Design Validation Plan (DVP) closures, manage safety and regulatory approvals, and ensure project execution meets critical timing, cost, and budget KPIs. This position offers an exciting opportunity for an engineer with a strong systems-thinking mindset to drive technical decision-making and deliver high-performing KitchenAid products to market.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering
1+ years of engineering experience in product development, system integration, or testing execution

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, Chemical, or related discipline)
Proven experience applying systems engineering tools (e.g., CSM, DVP&R, risk mitigation, trade-off analysis) to complex consumer products or electro-mechanical systems
Strong technical leadership skills with a demonstrated ability to drive cross-functional alignment and push technical issues to resolution
Experience managing external suppliers or OEM partners on technical requirements, root-cause troubleshooting, and build execution
Clear, impactful communication skills with the ability to articulate complex technical risks, trade-offs, and project status to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
Financial and business acumen, including basic project expense tracking, cost estimation, and risk management
High self-motivation, critical thinking skills, and an "Own It" attitude toward project success and product excellence

Responsibilities

Lead Concept Validation & Selection: Own the generation and evaluation of subsystem and system concepts using Concept Selection Matrices (CSM). Develop robust concept validation plans, execute proof-of-concept testing, and align cross-functional teams around the winning design.
Drive Design Validation & Product Approval: Accountable for full Design Validation Plan (DVP) execution through Industrialization Phase. Oversee Global Product Approval (GPA) management in partnership with the Verification and Validation (V&V) team, guarantee compliance with safety sign-offs, PHM closures, and codes/regulatory certifications.
Cross-Functional Issue Resolution: Maintain and drive the technical design and process issues list to closure. Partner with OEMs to provide technical solutions, optimize experimentation methodologies, and resolve root-cause failures.
Deliver to Project KPIs: Generate ideal development schedules to hit Open to Ship (OTS) targets. Manage product design to meet overall target product costs and identify smart engineering solutions to minimize capital expenditure.
Manage Project Engineering Financials: Hold accountability for managing project engineering expenses to established budgets, providing accurate monthly forecasting for KitchenAid engineering spend.
Oversee Build Planning & Configuration: Document build configurations and design levels across development cycles while establishing build quantity plans necessary to complete full validation testing.