Staff Engineer, NPI, Wellness Products

Staff Engineer, NPI, Wellness Products

Work Mode: Hybrid

Location: Hybrid – Kohler, WI

Opportunity

At Kohler Company, we have a long-standing history of delighting our customers through the products and services that we offer.  With an evolved focus on wellness and the products that evoke wellness, we are seeking a highly skilled project engineer, with fiberglass reinforced plastics technical design and manufacturing expertise, that will execute on the wellness new product roadmap by effectively interfacing with both the new product development teams and the manufacturing teams.  If you’re passionate about innovation, enjoy being creative and have an interest in the wellness industry, this could be an opportunity to thrive in a role where you can see the direct impact of your work and where your contributions truly matter.

More about the Wellness Products business

The newly created Wellness Products business has been charged with becoming the premier Mind & Body Wellness provider for at home and professional spa sanctuaries.  The objective of this business is to not only grow an already wellness-centric product portfolio, but also create a clearly differentiated go to market strategy with a tailored angle to captivate the target audience with unforgettable destinations.  Applicants must be passionate about wellness and having expertise in the ever-growing market is a plus! Given the start-up nature of this business, applicants must possess a bias for action, an ability to continually assess with openness to pivoting as the market dynamic changes and must be team-oriented with a willingness to dive in and support with whatever is needed.  Prior start up experience is preferred.

How You’ll Contribute

• Showcase Your Expertise:  Apply structured problem solving to chart a clear path toward execution of new product scoping, feature and cost targets.  Proactively serve up solutions that embody design for manufacturability without compromising the consumer value proposition.
• Foster Collaborative Success & a Growth Mindset:  Partner with cross-functional teammates in Marketing, Purchasing, Engineering, Program Management, Quality, and Industrial Design to advance the wellness new product roadmap by acting with speed, agility and an eye toward continuous improvement in product and process.
• Become a Subject Matter Expert in Wellness: Develop a deep understanding of the wellness market and learn to convert that into what it will take to win in terms of product design, industrialization and operational execution.
• Drive Continuous Improvement:  While building subject matter expertise, look for opportunities to drive efficiencies within both product and process, working collaboratively with all key stakeholders to implement efficiency improvements over the life of the product portfolio, with a specific focus on plastics and acrylic manufacturing processes.

Specific Responsibilities

• Work closely with the new product development teams to develop product launch scopes, clear price/cost/margin targets and a path to execution in manufacturing.
• Lead the creation of detailed industrialization deliverables and resulting timelines to support acting with speed and agility.
• Influences and impacts part design related to Design for Manufacturing/Assembly, error proofing, and fixture design. Ability to drive results with a moderate level of guidance and direction.
• Impacts quality of work utilizing lean manufacturing principles.
• Solves problems related to new tooling and parts by analyzing possible solutions using technical experience, judgment with a moderate level of guidance and direction.
• Works with manufacturing plants to industrialize products to meet project targets of quality, TTM, cost and demand.
• Collaborates cross-functionally within operations and purchasing on make vs buy strategy

Skills/Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited school in the Engineering field
• 8+ years of product development & manufacturing experience
• Experience in the fiberglass or plastics industry is preferred
• Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams
• Excellent communication skills, organized and attentive to detail
• Experience presenting to business leaders or executive management
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as needed (estimated 25-50%)
  
  
  #LI-SC2
  #LI- Hybrid

CUSTOM.PAY.TRANSPARENCY

Why Choose Kohler?
We empower each associate to #BecomeMoreAtKohler with a competitive total rewards package to support your health and wellbeing, access to career growth and development opportunities, a diverse and inclusive workplace, and a strong culture of innovation. With more than 30,000 bold leaders across the globe, we’re driving meaningful change in our mission to help people live gracious, healthy, and sustainable lives.

About Us
It is Kohler’s policy to recruit, hire, and promote qualified applicants without regard to race, creed, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, disability or status as a protected veteran. If, as an individual with a disability, you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact kohlerjobs@kohler.com.  Kohler Co. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.