R&D Product Manager – Innovation & Product Design

L. Rose Recruiting•Winter Park, FL

17h

About The Position

We are seeking an exceptional R&D Product Manager to drive the next generation of innovation in the woodworking and maker space. This role is built for a rare hybrid: someone who combines engineering rigor with a builder’s mindset. You have strong intuition for what will succeed in the market, the ability to design and prototype physical products, and the discipline to bring ideas from concept to commercialization. This is not a traditional product role. You will play a key role in shaping the future of the company’s product line, with real ownership over what gets built next and how it comes to market. You will lead end-to-end product development—from identifying real-world problems to designing, validating, and launching solutions that are practical, intuitive, and built to perform. This role requires a deep commitment to usability, safety, and design for manufacturability. You are likely a Product Design Engineer, R&D Engineer, Mechanical Engineer (consumer products), or Innovation Engineer who thinks like an engineer but builds like a craftsman. You enjoy working with your hands as much as solving technical problems and are driven to simplify, improve, and iterate. You have an inventor’s mindset —the ability to create something entirely new, approach problems in unexpected ways, and design solutions that are not only functional but genuinely inventive and potentially productizable. You have hands-on experience designing and building woodworking jigs, fixtures, or custom shop solutions , and you understand how these creations solve real problems for real users. As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide examples of inventive jigs or designs that demonstrate your creativity, problem‑solving ability, and craftsmanship. If you’ve ever spent your weekends in a garage, shop, or workspace building something just because you wanted to make it better, you will feel at home here.

Requirements

Strong proficiency in SolidWorks is required
5 to 10+ years in product development, mechanical engineering, or R&D engineering
Proven experience designing and developing physical products from concept through production
Portfolio demonstrating hands-on product design work is required
Demonstrated experience designing and building woodworking jigs, fixtures, or custom shop solutions
Experience with prototyping methods such as CNC, 3D printing, and shop tools
Hands-on familiarity with woodworking tools or similar build-focused environments
Strong problem-solving ability with a focus on practical, real-world solutions
Solid project management and documentation skills

Nice To Haves

Prior invention work, patents, or IP contributions
Experience designing jigs, fixtures, or tool-related products (beyond the required examples)
Experience with CAM or additional CAD platforms such as Autodesk Fusion 360

Responsibilities

Conduct hands-on research in real environments including user interviews, shop visits, testing, and observation
Identify unmet needs within the woodworking and maker communities
Maintain a pipeline of high-quality product concepts with multiple ideas in development at all times
Translate ideas into physical prototypes using CNC, 3D printing, and hands-on shop tools
Design and build jigs, fixtures, and test setups to validate concepts
Refine designs through iterative prototyping and user feedback
Collaborate with engineering and suppliers to ensure feasibility, quality, and scalability
Develop and own product requirements
Define user personas, jobs to be done, and product positioning
Run validation processes to confirm product‑market fit
Collaborate cross-functionally to bring products to market successfully
Act as a thought partner in shaping product direction and innovation strategy
Contribute to a high-performance, builder-focused culture
Bring curiosity, humility, and accountability to a fast-paced R&D environment