Product Development Engineer

Employee Relations Associates, Inc.; Charlotte (NC); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Job summary

Employee Relations Associates, Inc. is seeking a Product Development Engineer to join its engineering team in the greater Charlotte area, onsite in North Charlotte.

The role focuses on developing new mechanical products from concept through design validation and release, balancing performance, cost, durability, and manufacturability. The successful candidate will transform customer needs into practical engineering solutions, create 3D CAD models and documentation, and drive multiple projects

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical discipline.
• 3+ years in mechanical design or product development in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong proficiency with SolidWorks or comparable 3D CAD.
• Experience creating production-ready 3D models, drawings, and documentation.
• Experience taking designs from CAD through prototyping, testing, validation and release.
• Understanding of design for manufacturability, tolerances, materials, and mechanical principles.
• Experience with PDM or product-data management environments.
• Hands-on with prototypes, components, and assemblies.
• Ability to manage multiple projects with attention to detail.
• Strong collaboration with engineering, suppliers and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Develop new mechanical products from concept to production release.
• Translate customer needs into engineering solutions.
• Create detailed CAD models, assemblies, drawings and docs.
• Evaluate design concepts for performance, cost, durability and manufacturability.
• Apply design-for-manufacturability to ensure efficient production.
• Build and support prototypes for testing and iteration.
• Plan and conduct product testing, validation, and design verification.
• Refine designs based on test results and feedback.
• Coordinate with suppliers, fabricators and internal teams.

Skills

Mechanical design

Problem‑solving

Communication skills

Detail orientation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

3D CAD

PDM

Job description

Product Development Engineer
North Charlotte (Onsite)

Position Summary

Our client is seeking a Product Development Engineer to join its growing engineering team in the greater Charlotte area. This role is focused on developing new mechanical products from early-stage concept through design validation and product release. The Product Development Engineer will take conceptual ideas, customer needs, and functional requirements and turn them into practical, manufacturable products. The ideal candidate is a hands‑on mechanical engineer who enjoys the full development process—concept generation, detailed design, prototyping, testing, troubleshooting, and refinement. This person should be comfortable working through open-ended design challenges and making sound engineering decisions that balance performance, cost, durability, and manufacturability.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop new mechanical products, components, and assemblies from initial concept through production release.
• Translate conceptual ideas, product requirements, and customer needs into practical engineering solutions.
• Create detailed 3D CAD models, assemblies, drawings, and supporting engineering documentation.
• Develop and evaluate multiple design concepts based on performance, cost, durability, manufacturability, and ease of assembly.
• Apply design-for-manufacturability principles to ensure products can be produced efficiently and consistently.
• Build and support prototypes to evaluate design concepts and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Plan and conduct product testing, validation, and design verification activities.
• Analyze test results, identify design weaknesses, and refine products through iterative development.Reverse engineer existing products, components, and assemblies when needed to support redesign or new product development efforts.
• Manage engineering changes and maintain accurate product data, drawings, and documentation within the CAD/PDM environment.
• Work with suppliers, fabricators, and internal stakeholders as needed to confirm design feasibility and resolve technical questions.
• Take ownership of assigned development projects and drive them forward from concept through final release.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Technology, or a related technical discipline.
• 3+ years of mechanical design or product development experience in a product-based or manufacturing environment.
• Strong proficiency with SolidWorks or a comparable 3D CAD platform.
• Experience creating production-ready 3D models, assemblies, drawings, and engineering documentation.
• Demonstrated experience taking designs beyond the CAD stage into prototyping, testing, validation, and release.
• Strong understanding of design for manufacturability, tolerances, materials, and mechanical design principles.
• Experience working within a PDM or product-data management environment.
• Strong mechanical problem-solving skills and the ability to work through open-ended design challenges.
• Comfortable working hands‑on with prototypes, components, and assemblies.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities while maintaining strong attention to detail.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with engineering, suppliers, and other technical stakeholders.

Preferred Experience

• Experience designing fabricated metal, mechanical, industrial, or electromechanical products.
• Exposure to manufacturing processes such as welding, machining, forming, fabrication, molding, or assembly.
• Experience with prototype development and product testing.
• Experience with design for manufacturability and design for assembly.
• Experience with reverse engineering, product redesign, or product‑improvement initiatives.
• Familiarity with engineering change processes and production release.
• Experience working with suppliers, fabricators, or contract manufacturers.

TalentBridge employees are eligible for many benefit offerings such as medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short term disability, 401(k) and holiday pay!