Product Development Associate - Refrigeration Team

Whirlpool, Inc.; Benton Harbor (MI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee discount

Fitness reimbursement

Educational reimbursement

Kitchenettes

Job summary

Whirlpool Corporation in Benton Harbor, MI, is hiring a Product Development Associate for our Refrigeration team. The engineer will own global mechanical structures deliverables, collaborate across systems, and drive development, verification, and execution from concept to production.

Responsibilities include cost and quality leadership on NPI, designing plastic and sheet metal components, and applying GD&T, FMEA, and Design for Manufacturing principles to deliver robust appliance products.

Qualifications

• Minimum requirements include a bachelor’s degree in engineering with 1+ years of experience or a science/tech degree with 3+ years.
• Experience in mechanical design for appliances or similar industries is preferred.
• Hands-on experience with design for manufacturing and cross-functional teamwork.

Responsibilities

• Drive cost, quality and NPI projects in the refrigeration field.
• Design and develop plastic and sheet metal components for refrigerators.
• Lead product development from concept to execution using structured tools and analysis.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams; travel regionally and occasionally internationally.

Skills

Mechanical design

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Six Sigma

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

ANSYS

Moldflow

Pro/E

Job description

About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is a leading home appliance company, in constant pursuit of improving life at home. As the only major U.S.-based manufacturer of kitchen and laundry appliances, the company is driving meaningful innovation to meet the evolving needs of consumers through its iconic brand portfolio, including Whirlpool, KitchenAid, JennAir, Maytag, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, and InSinkErator. In 2025, the company reported approximately $16 billion in annual net sales - close to 90% of which were in the Americas - 41,000 employees, and 35 manufacturing and technology research centers. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com.

This role in summary

Whirlpool is looking for a Product Development Associate for our Refrigeration team. The engineer will be responsible for global Mechanical structures sub system deliverables, including development, verification, and execution; working with global cross-system teams during various phases of projects and across various technologies such as structural mechanics, foaming, thermal sealing etc.

This position will be on-site and can sit at Benton Harbor Tech Center or Ottawa Manufacturing Plant.

Your responsibilities will include

• Drive Cost, Quality & NPI projects, drive and support Product Development projects in the refrigeration field.
• Design & Develop plastic and sheet metal components in Refrigerators.
• Drive new product design and development projects from concept development to execution with critical thinking. (Conceptualization, Design, Testing, Implementation)
  • Concept development & conversion into design, Concept evaluation & selection
  • Fine tuning of concept (Hand calculations, Fit & Finish, Material selection, Design for Mfg/Design for Assembly)
  • System level requirement, FMEA (Failure Mode and Effect Analysis), DVP&R(Design Validation Plan and Report) , Six Sigma (OPEX Operational Excellence Tools- Thought Map, Product Map), GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing) Stack up, Drawing review, Usage of Pro/e tools
  • Understanding and reviewing reports of ANSYS, Mold flow, etc.
  • System engineering tool to develop the design
• Drive Product Development and Maintenance of Business projects ensuring that the existing tool base is technically supported and Interaction with Cross Functional Team
• Overall Coordination of NPI, Cost and quality projects with focus on technical solutions and deliverables
• Availability for travel; regional (once a quarter on average) /international (once a year on average)
• Administrative functions: Training,Team Building, NPI and Cost quality project Coordination etc.

Minimum requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering with 1+ years of experience in engineering; OR Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, Materials, or Mathematics with 3+ years of experience in engineering

Preferred skills and experiences

• Bachelor or Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering or Material science
• Experience in the field of Automotive, Aerospace, Heavy industries, Appliance,HVAC industries.
• Problem-solving approach with OPEX (Operational Excellence) or Six Sigma certification
• Hands-on experience in the design and development of appliance products
• Experience facilitating effective communication across cross-functional teams ranging from highly technical resources to business resources and spread out over North America, Asia, and Europe

What we offer

• Generous benefits package, Whirlpool employee discount, fitness & educational reimbursement programs, kitchenettes, and more! Saint Joseph/Benton Harbor locations: Beautiful, recently renovated office space, free coffee, biking/walking trails, and access to The Eddy - Early Childhood Center (depending upon availability - additional costs required).

Additional information

Whirlpool’s Ways of Working Our goal is to provide an environment that helps you bring your best to Whirlpool every day. We offer flexibility and industry-leading time-off benefits that will help you balance what’s important at work and at home, including:

• Always On Flexibility - You will have the autonomy to manage personal, family, and outside-of-work commitments as needed.
• Two-Week Work from Anywhere - Minimum of one-week increments for a total of two weeks per year.
• Sabbatical - Four weeks paid leave after every five years of service.

Connect with us and learn more about Whirlpool Corporation See what it's like to work at Whirlpool by visiting Whirlpool Careers. Additional information about the company can be found on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

Whirlpool Corporation is committed to equal employment opportunity and prohibits any discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity, religion, sex, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or any other category protected by applicable law.