Product Engineer Manager

DMA Industries, LLC•Marion, SC

10d

About The Position

The Product Engineering Manager leads DMA Industries’ Product Engineering Team and manages the development and lifecycle of assigned product lines. The role coordinates product engineering activities between DMA and global manufacturing partners to ensure products meet performance specifications, quality standards, cost targets, and development timelines. The manager oversees DMA’s product development processes, including design reviews, prototype development, validation and verification testing, documentation, and post-launch improvements. Working with Global Product Management, Sales, Marketing, Quality, and other cross-functional teams, the role delivers products that meet customer expectations and support business objectives. The position also establishes departmental priorities and performance expectations, allocates resources, monitors project milestones and costs, reports progress to senior leadership, and improves engineering processes. It leads product development from concept through launch and ongoing improvement, maintains technical documentation, coordinates technical work with manufacturing partners, and provides engineering support to internal teams and customers. The role may require travel to manufacturing partners, other company locations, customer sites, or off-site meetings as business needs dictate.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Science, or a related engineering discipline.
Experience in product engineering, product development, design validation, or a related technical field.
Working proficiency with 2D and 3D CAD software, engineering drawings, dimensional tolerances, and 3D scanning applications.
Knowledge of DFMEA, GD&T, and APQP practices.
Experience with design of experiments, prototype development, bills of materials, product variants, and engineering change management.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint, and ability to analyze data, prepare technical reports, and present findings.
Ability to operate laboratory equipment and related software safely and accurately.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including evaluating technical data, identifying trends, investigating product issues, and recommending practical improvements.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including explaining complex engineering concepts to technical and nontechnical audiences.
Excellent organizational and project management skills, including managing multiple projects, competing priorities, and deadlines.
Ability to collaborate with internal departments, customers, and global manufacturing partners across functional and cultural environments.
Ability to prepare technical documentation, reports, and presentations for management and other stakeholders.
Ability to read, write, and communicate effectively in English; present technical information clearly, respond professionally to management and customer questions, and communicate with people with varying levels of technical knowledge.

Nice To Haves

Experience in the automotive aftermarket or heavy-duty vehicle industry is strongly preferred.
Prior personnel leadership or team management experience is preferred.
Working knowledge of suspension systems, damping design, valve construction, force and stress calculations, metallurgy, materials science, and product optimization is preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, develop, and manage the Product Engineering Team to meet product specifications, quality requirements, cost targets, and schedules.
Set departmental priorities, individual responsibilities, performance expectations, and measurable KPIs.
Develop and maintain a global product development plan aligned with customer needs, market opportunities, business priorities, cost management, and product improvement initiatives.
Partner with the Director of Global Product Management and other functional leaders to prioritize projects and allocate resources.
Assign projects that support technical growth and employee development while maintaining approved budgets and timelines.
Monitor departmental performance, project milestones, resource utilization, and development costs; identify risks and implement corrective actions.
Prepare monthly development progress updates for senior leadership, including status, milestones, risks, challenges, and recommendations.
Improve engineering processes, technologies, tools, and cross-functional workflows.
Ensure customer interactions are professional, responsive, and technically sound.
Support recruitment, interviewing, onboarding, training, performance reviews, coaching, and employee development with Human Resources and department leadership.
Ensure compliance with company policies, procedures, and applicable safety requirements, and maintain a safe, clean, organized work environment.
Lead product development for assigned product lines from concept and design review through prototyping, testing, qualification, launch, and post-launch improvement.
Coordinate with global manufacturing partners to develop products, optimize designs, resolve technical challenges, and meet performance and cost objectives.
Conduct and oversee design verification and validation using engineering calculations, physical testing, design reviews, risk assessments, and other methods.
Maintain accurate, current engineering drawings, product specifications, bills of materials, and related technical documentation.
Apply engineering change controls and documentation practices to keep product designs and specifications current and traceable.
Lead and participate in technical reviews with manufacturing partners and DMA Product Management on designs, optimization, manufacturing feasibility, quality concerns, and development progress.
Monitor competitor products, industry trends, emerging technologies, and market innovations for product development and enhancement opportunities.
Use knowledge of 2D and 3D CAD, GD&T, and 3D scanning to support product design, measurement, comparison, and optimization.
Review product quality and warranty reports to identify recurring issues, potential root causes, and corrective actions.
Collaborate with the Warranty & Product Validation Engineer and other stakeholders to troubleshoot product concerns, resolve warranty issues, improve products, and develop repair SOPs when needed.
Apply product development processes, manufacturing methods, material analysis techniques, and testing standards across assigned product categories.
Use DOE, failure analysis, and risk assessment methods to evaluate design alternatives, validate performance, and improve reliability.
Balance product performance, manufacturing feasibility, quality, and cost when evaluating engineering solutions and design changes.
Provide technical support to Sales, Marketing, and other internal teams, including product information, engineering documentation, and customer presentations.
Ensure product development documentation and testing records are complete, accurate, and maintained throughout the product lifecycle.