Product Development Engineer

LifeStraw • Baltimore, MD

110d • $100,000 - $110,000 • Onsite

About The Position

LifeStraw is hiring a hands-on Product Development Engineer to own the technical design and engineering execution of new water filtration products, from working concept through mass production. The role focuses on creativity, CAD, DFM/DFA, BOM management, and supplier-facing technical problem-solving, with ownership of ensuring designs are correct and manufacturable.

The position is based in person at LifeStraw’s Baltimore, Maryland headquarters and reports to the Director of Engineering. The engineer works closely with a lab engineer/researcher based in Hanoi, who leads project validation and testing, and travels to domestic and overseas factories and suppliers as needed, particularly during tooling kickoff, pilot production, and line trials. Travel may be up to approximately 20–30% of the time.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• Three to five or more years of hands-on product design and development experience from concept through mass production, ideally involving physical or consumer products.
• Strong CAD proficiency with Creo, Catia, SolidWorks, or Fusion 360, including concept sketching and part and assembly modeling.
• Strong experience with plastic part design and hands-on injection molding experience.
• Proven experience working directly with domestic and international suppliers and factories, including supplier qualification and on-site support during tooling and production ramp-up.
• Experience collaborating with industrial designers to bring concepts to production-ready designs.
• Willingness to travel to factories and suppliers domestically and internationally, up to approximately 20–30% of the time.
• Strong technical instincts and ability to propose and defend engineering solutions to concept, design, and production problems.
• Positive, hands-on, inquisitive, and self-directed approach to problem-solving.
• Ability to work collaboratively with multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication skills for working with a remote lab/research partner and global suppliers.
• Confidence and ability to drive technical decisions with minimal supervision.
• Cultural awareness and willingness to work across global time zones.
• Strong data-gathering and analytical skills.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree.
• Experience with Windchill for BOM management, change control, and PDM workflows.
• Creo experience.
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes such as extrusion, stamping, bonding, and assembly across materials including plastic, silicone, steel, and glass.

Responsibilities

• Take product concepts from working-principle definition through CAD modeling and sketching, prototyping, design validation, and production release.
• Own technical design decisions, including FEA, material selection, tolerance stack-up, seal calculations, and thread analysis.
• Lead DFM/DFA/DFC reviews and translate findings into manufacturable design changes.
• Create and maintain BOMs, CAD releases, and change control, including Promotion Requests and Engineering Change Notices, in Windchill.
• Build and release tooling and production technical packs in 2D and 3D for suppliers.
• Propose and validate technical solutions to concept, design, and manufacturing problems.
• Partner with the Product Manager at milestone gates, providing technical input and aligning on priorities and status.
• Partner with the lab engineer/researcher in Hanoi on proof-of-concept testing, validation plans, and design iterations based on lab findings.
• Work directly with domestic and overseas suppliers on RFQs, supplier qualification, tooling timelines, and Alpha, Beta, and Golden sample reviews.
• Collaborate with industrial designers, sourcing, and factories to turn concepts into manufacturable products.
• Review and sign off on supplier submissions, including dimensional reports, PPAP, control plans, and work instructions.
• Support Quality with traceability requirements, defect definitions, and inspection criteria.
• Travel to factories and supplier sites during key project phases, including tooling, pilot production, and line trials.
• Take on other Product department initiatives and priorities as needed.
• Commit to LifeStraw’s core behaviors and contribute to its impact on People and Planet, including local volunteering.

What This Job Offers

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