Product Development Engineer

Actalent•Hicksville, OH

27d•$100,000 - $120,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Product Development Manager will lead the design and delivery of innovative new products, technologies, and customer-facing solutions that drive company growth and deliver superior value to our customers. This strategic role is critical to differentiating our company from its competitors and building a sustainable pipeline of innovative solutions in the foodservice space. The ideal candidate is highly creative, technically skilled, customer-focused, and process-driven, capable of taking concepts from ideation through to production launch with excellence and efficiency. There are potential growth opportunities to join the executive leadership team.

Requirements

Mechanical, electrical, or software product design experience
End-to-end project ownership from concept to launch
Process orientation with a focus on continuous improvement
Strong interpersonal and customer engagement skills
Experience in rapid prototyping and iterative design
Analytical mindset with cost modeling and ROI focus
Solid understanding of the foodservice equipment space (preferred)
5+ years of NPD/R&D experience
5+ years of full product development lifecycle experience
Bachelor's Degree
Creativity & Vision: Thinks outside the box and encourages new ways of solving problems.
Agility: Thrives in fast-paced environments and adapts quickly to shifting priorities.
Results Driven: Consistently meets project goals and customer expectations on time.
Risk Management: Able to navigate innovation with structure and foresight.
Presentation & Communication: Effectively communicate ideas and solutions to internal stakeholders and external partners.

Nice To Haves

Industry Knowledge: Direct experience or familiarity with foodservice industry practices and customer needs is strongly preferred.
Nice to have direct report experience
Experience with ERP systems

Responsibilities

Lead New Product Development (NPD): Drive the full lifecycle of product development from ideation and concept generation through prototyping, validation, production handoff, and market launch.
Project Management: Own timelines, resources, budgets, and stakeholder coordination across multiple NPD projects, delivering results that meet both customer and company expectations.
Customer & Market Engagement: Partner directly with customers to understand needs, collect feedback, and deliver solutions tailored to real-world use cases.
Innovation & Trend Analysis: Monitor market trends, competitive technologies, and foodservice innovation to position the company as a leader in next-generation solutions.
Prototype & Test Rapidly: Use agile methods and quick iteration to validate ideas and reduce time-to-market.
Process & Documentation: Establish and improve scalable development processes, design standards, and best practices for repeatable success.
Cross-functional Leadership: Collaborate with internal teams (engineering, manufacturing, quality, marketing, sales) and external vendors to ensure product success.
Cost & Business Analysis: Evaluate development investments through ROI modeling and cost analysis, ensuring designs are aligned with business goals.
Acquisition Integration: Lead and support the technical integration of newly acquired technologies or product lines into the company's systems and standards.