Product Attribute / R & D Manager

M-D Building Products; Louisville (KY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

On-site clinic

Company 401k

Tuition reimbursement

Education & development

Mental wellness program

Job summary

M-D Building Products in Louisville, KY, seeks a Product Attribute / R&D Manager to lead OEM quoting and drafting, oversee product specifications, and manage a team of engineers and drafters. You will work with sales, engineering, operations and finance to ensure quotes and data reflect capabilities, costs and specs.

The role requires a bachelor's in engineering, 5+ years in OEM quoting or product engineering, and proven leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related technical field or equivalent
• 5+ years in OEM quoting, product engineering, or related manufacturing role
• Experience leading a team
• Experience with product specifications, technical drawings, or drafting standards

Responsibilities

• Manage all OEM quotes for the Louisville facility with accuracy and timeliness
• Oversee Item Master Requests (IMRs) for the Louisville site
• Oversee Engineering Change Requests (ECRs) affecting the Louisville facility
• Direct drafting function, reviewing technical drawings and specifications
• Maintain and manage product attribute data across systems
• Lead engineers and drafters, including workload and performance management
• Collaborate with sales to translate customer requirements into accurate OEM quotes
• Work with operations to verify quoted specs are producible and aligned with processes
• Identify improvements to the quoting process to increase speed and accuracy
• Act as SME on product attributes and specifications for internal and external stakeholders

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Data accuracy

Reading technical drawings

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related technical field

Tools

Oracle ERP

Product Data Management (PDM) systems

Job description

The Product Attribute / R & D Manager leads the OEM quoting and drafting function out of our Louisville location, overseeing product specifications and attribute data used to generate accurate customer quotes. This role manages a team of engineers and drafters and works cross-functionally with sales, engineering, operations, and finance to ensure quotes, item master requests, engineering change requests, and product data reflect current capabilities, costs, and specifications.

Responsibilities

• Manage all OEM quotes that go through the Louisville facility, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and alignment with product capabilities and pricing guidelines
• Manage the Item Master Requests (IMR’s) that go through the Louisville facility, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and alignment with customer priorities
• Manage the Engineering Change Requests (ECR’s) that affect the Louisville facility, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and alignment with company priorities
• Oversee the drafting function, including review and approval of technical drawings and specifications used in the quoting process
• Maintain and manage product attribute data, ensuring specifications are accurate, current, and consistent across systems
• Directly manage engineers and drafters reporting to this role, including workload assignment, performance management, and development
• Partner with sales teams to understand customer requirements and translate them into accurate, competitive OEM quotes
• Work with operations to validate that quoted specifications are producible and consistent with current processes
• Identify and implement improvements to the quoting process to increase speed, accuracy, and consistency
• Serve as the subject matter expert on product attributes and specifications for internal stakeholders and customers

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related technical field, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• 5+ years of experience in OEM quoting, product engineering, or a related manufacturing role
• Prior experience managing or leading a team
• Experience working with product specifications, technical drawings, or drafting standards

Required Skills/Abilities

• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and product specifications within the industry
• Ability to read and evaluate technical drawings and customer requirements documentation
• Strong leadership and people management skills
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work cross-functionally with sales, engineering, and operations
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills, particularly around data accuracy
• Proficiency with quoting, ERP (Oracle preferred), or product data management systems

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Primarily works in an office setting with regular use of a computer
• May require occasional time on the manufacturing floor to review products or specifications
• Some travel may be required

M-D Building Products has been a trusted name in American construction for over 106 years. Founded in 1920, we have spent more than a century designing, manufacturing, and distributing the products that builders, contractors, and homeowners depend on to get the job done right. What started as a focused commitment to quality weatherstripping has grown into one of the most recognized and respected product portfolios in the construction industry.

We are proud to be an American manufacturer. Every product bearing the M-D name is made right here in the United States, with production facilities in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, our home and headquarters, as well as Louisville, Kentucky, and Gainesville and Brooklet, Georgia. Our facilities are home to skilled, dedicated teams who bring the same pride and craftsmanship to every product they make.

At M-D, we don't just compete in our categories, we lead them. Our products are industry leaders or strong contenders for industry leadership across every line we carry. That standard of excellence isn't accidental. It is the result of more than a century of listening to our customers, investing in our people, and refusing to settle for good enough. The people of M-D are guided by five core values that define how we work, how we treat one another, and how we show up for our customers every day.

Integrity

~ Honesty doesn't need a policy. We do the right thing when nobody is looking.

Vision

~ Tomorrow's success is taken by the steps we take today.

Commitment

~ Every day, we are accountable to each other and our customers.

Communication

~ We listen with intent, communicate with clarity, and speak up for what's right.

Stewardship

~ We serve to promote one another, create opportunities, and provide customer delight.

When you join M-D Building Products, you join a company that has stood the test of time. Not by standing still, but by continuously evolving, improving, and investing in the people who make everything possible. We believe every individual has the potential to make a meaningful impact, and we cultivate a culture that recognizes and develops that potential. If you are eager to learn, motivated to grow, and interested in building a career at M-D, we encourage you to apply.

M-D Building Products, Inc offers a benefits package that includes Medical, Dental, Vision, On-Site Clinic, Voluntary Life Insurance, Lab Card Program, Group Term Life & AD&D, Flexible Spending Accounts, Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, 401(K) with Company Match, Paid Time Off, Tuition Reimbursement, Education & Development, Mental Wellness (Employee Assistance Program), and Voluntary Benefits including Accident, Critical Illness and Hospital Indemnity Insurance.

M-D Building Products, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities for all current employees and applicants. This policy means that no one will be discriminated against because of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, nationality, citizenship, ancestry, sex, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, genetic predisposing characteristics, or any other basis prohibited by law.