Hands-On R&D Engineering Lead — Industrial Equipment, Union NJ

Actalent; Union (NJ); Vor Ort; USD 83.000 - 86.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

Actalent in Union, NJ seeks an experienced Research and Development Engineering Manager to lead new mechanical product development and large-scale industrial equipment from concept to pilot, testing, and production rollout. You will own designs, work closely with technicians and production staff, and drive about one new unit per year while maintaining hands-on leadership on the shop floor.

You will guide cross-functional teams through design, build, test, troubleshoot, and manufacturing

Qualifikationen

• 57+ years of engineering experience, and strong experience in mechanical or industrial equipment.
• Approximately 23 years of R&D or new product development experience, focusing on designing and developing new products rather than solely supporting existing ones.
• Proven experience taking products through the full lifecycle: design, build, testing, troubleshooting, and production.
• Experience working with larger‑scale mechanical, industrial, or capital equipment rather than only small devices or components.
• Ability to hit the ground running without requiring extensive training in this type of engineering environment.
• Comfort working in a hands‑on engineering and manufacturing setting, staying close to the equipment and production processes.
• Demonstrated capability in mechanical design engineering, including creating and refining designs for new products.
• Strong troubleshooting skills to identify, analyze, and resolve engineering issues during testing and manufacturing.
• Experience supporting designs as they transition onto the production floor, including manufacturing support and production engineering exposure.
• Comfort collaborating directly with production personnel, welders, material handlers, R&D technicians, and other shop-floor staff in a direct, warehouse-style environment.
• Ability to provide engineering leadership, take ownership of R&D projects, and guide technical work, even without a specified minimum number of management years.

Aufgaben

• Lead and support the research and development of new mechanical products and industrial equipment from concept through production.
• Develop new product designs and guide them through the full lifecycle, including design, build, testing, troubleshooting, and transition to manufacturing.
• Oversee and actively participate in product testing to validate performance, safety, and reliability before production release.
• Identify and resolve engineering issues during testing and after products reach the manufacturing floor, driving continuous design improvements.
• Work closely with the R&D technician and engineering team during the development and build of new units, ensuring technical accuracy and manufacturability.
• Support new products as they transition onto the production floor, providing engineering guidance and resolving production‑related challenges.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with engineering, production, welders, material handlers, and other manufacturing personnel to address issues and optimize new product introduction.
• Help ensure manufacturing teams are fully prepared and trained to successfully build newly developed products, including communicating design intent and key assembly details.
• Drive new product development efforts in alignment with the companys goal of developing approximately one new unit or design per year.
• Provide hands‑on engineering leadership while remaining closely connected to the product, shop, and production environment.
• Own products from design through production, including involvement in prototype builds, testing, troubleshooting, and production rollout.
• Offer manufacturing support by monitoring early production runs, gathering feedback from the shop floor, and implementing design or process improvements as needed.
• Demonstrate engineering leadership by taking ownership of R&D projects, guiding technical work, and setting direction for new product initiatives.
• Stay engaged with the equipment and manufacturing environment, balancing leadership responsibilities with direct, hands‑on engineering involvement.

Kenntnisse

Engineering experience

R&D / NPD

Mechanical design

Troubleshooting

Cross-functional collaboration

Hands-on leadership

Production engineering

Prototype development

Conveyors & automation

CAD experience

Jobbeschreibung

Actalent in Union, NJ seeks an experienced Research and Development Engineering Manager to lead new mechanical product development and large-scale industrial equipment from concept to pilot, testing, and production rollout. You will own designs, work closely with technicians and production staff, and drive about one new unit per year while maintaining hands-on leadership on the shop floor.

You will guide cross-functional teams through design, build, test, troubleshoot, and manufacturing