Product Engineer

HSM; Hickory (NC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental and vision insurance

401(k) with company match

3 weeks PTO + holidays

On-site medical clinics

Teladoc access

Tuition reimbursement

Partner discounts

Job summary

Hickory Metal Plant in Hickory, NC is seeking an experienced Product Engineer to drive development from concept through launch. You will create components and assemblies, maintain CAD models and BOMs, and coordinate testing with Quality and Regulatory teams to ensure safety and performance.

You will shape product roadmaps, analyze customer needs, and translate market trends into actionable requirements while collaborating with Manufacturing and Process Engineering to ensure readiness for

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Product Design, Materials, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering.
• Experience in product engineering, development, design engineering, or manufacturing engineering.
• Ability to translate customer needs and market trends into product recommendations.
• Knowledge of product roadmaps, target costing, margins, and commercialization.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD software and engineering drawings.
• Experience with ERP/PLM and document-control systems.

Responsibilities

• Identify product opportunities by researching customer needs and market trends.
• Shape product strategy with briefs, business cases, and roadmaps.
• Design and develop components and finished products with proper materials and processes.
• Plan feasibility studies, proof-of-concept builds, and tests.
• Coordinate prototypes, testing, and design verification with Quality.
• Support production launches from concept to stabilization.
• Improve existing products by analyzing sales, margins, and feedback.
• Collaborate across teams, communicate requirements, and resolve issues.

Skills

3D CAD (SolidWorks/Creo/CATIA)

Product development

Root cause analysis

ERP/PLM

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or related field

Tools

SolidWorks

Creo

CATIA

Autodesk Inventor

Job description

Hickory Metal Plant
Hickory, NC 28602, USA

Founded in 1944, HSM is athird generation, privately held company with a rich history of innovation and a commitment to our people. With 25 locations across the U.S. and corporate headquarters in Hickory, NC and Huntersville, NC, we specialize in manufacturing components for furniture, bedding, transportation, packaging, automotive, and healthcare industries. Our expertise also includes designing and building automated production machinery. HSM products from sofa springs to swimming pool noodles and bus seats, touch everyday life in countless ways.

At HSM, our success is built on our people. We foster a culture of teamwork, innovation, and shared success. If you’re looking for a meaningful place to grow and make an impact, we want to hear from you!

What You’ll Do

Identify product opportunities: Research customer and end-user needs, benchmark competing products, and evaluate new markets and applications for TSM’s manufacturing capabilities.

Shape product strategy: Develop product briefs and business cases outlining requirements, target costs, pricing assumptions, expected demand, and investment needs. Help maintain product roadmaps and prioritize development opportunities.

Design and develop products: Create components, subassemblies, and finished products using appropriate materials and manufacturing processes. Maintain 3D CAD models, engineering drawings, bills of material, specifications, and controlled design records.

Explore and test concepts: Plan feasibility studies, proof-of-concept builds, and experiments to resolve technical uncertainties and evaluate mechanical features, material interactions, and product performance.

Validate designs: Coordinate prototypes, laboratory testing, first article inspections, and design verification. Partner with Quality and regulatory resources to incorporate applicable safety, performance, customer, and industry requirements.

Support production launches: Coordinate development milestones from approved concept through tooling, pilot production, launch, and stabilization. Work with Manufacturing and Process Engineering to confirm readiness and resolve design-related issues.

Improve existing products: Review sales, margins, customer feedback, warranty, scrap, and rework data to recommend product improvements and cost reductions that preserve safety, quality, and performance.

Collaborate across teams: Serve as the engineering contact for assigned products, communicate requirements and risks, and use structured root cause analysis to resolve concerns with customers, suppliers, and internal partners.

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Product Design, Materials, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline.
• At least five years of experience in product engineering, product development, design engineering, or closely related manufacturing engineering.
• Experience taking manufactured products from concept through launch, including involvement in market research, product planning, or commercialization.
• Ability to translate customer needs, competitive research, and market trends into product recommendations.
• Knowledge of product roadmaps, business cases, target costing, margins, and commercialization.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD software such as SolidWorks, Creo, CATIA, or Autodesk Inventor, along with engineering drawings and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing.
• Working knowledge of foam, metal, vinyl, textiles, plastics, adhesives, fastening applications, and associated manufacturing processes.
• Experience developing specifications, bills of material, prototypes, validation plans, and controlled engineering documentation.
• Working knowledge of ISO 9001 and formal product design and development controls.
• Experience using structured root cause analysis methods such as 8D, Five Why, Fishbone, or A3.
• Experience with ERP, PLM, document-control systems, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Strong analytical, project management, and communication skills, with the ability to explain technical tradeoffs and manage priorities across facilities and functions.

Preferred Experience

• Seven or more years of relevant engineering experience.
• Product development experience with medical devices, medical furnishings, hospitality furnishings, sleeper mechanisms, or collegiate furnishings. Related experience with commercial or institutional furniture, seating, bedding, mechanisms, or other durable products is also valuable.
• Experience developing products that combine multiple materials or manufacturing processes.
• Experience with articulating, folding, reclining, or sleeper mechanisms.
• Familiarity with applicable product safety and performance requirements, including structural integrity, stability, load capacity, durability, cleanability, and flammability.
• Experience with quality systems, risk management, traceability, and validation practices applicable to medical devices and furnishings.
• Experience with APQP, PPAP, DFMEA, PFMEA, Control Plans, MSA, SPC, and customer-specific requirements, where applicable.
• Experience with JD Edwards.

Travel

This position requires up to 25% travel for customer and supplier visits, market research, industry events, testing, product launches, and support across TSM facilities.

If you enjoy combining hands‑on product development with customer and market insight, we encourage you to apply.

Why Join Us?

• Health & Wellness: Affordable medical, dental, and vision insurance plans, including an innovative global healthcareoptionfor qualified participants.
• Retire: 401(k) with company match, fully vested from day one.
• Paid Time Off: Competitive PTO: 3 weeks of PTO + company paid holidays.
• On-Site Medical Clinics: Free for you and covered dependents.
• Teladoc: 24/7 access with no copay.
• Professional Development: Tuition reimbursement,professional developmentassistanceandcareer growth opportunities.
• Discounts: Enjoy discounts with HSM partners, including Dollywood Parks & Resort, Verizon Wireless, and more.

EEOC

At HSM, we believe that our diversity creates a productive workplace. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectionate or sexual orientation, genderidentityor expression, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated againston the basis ofdisability.

#IND2

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.