Product Owner & Engineering Director, Critical Power

SMT Co. Inc.; Raleigh (NC); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Rise Power Systems, a division of SMT, Inc., seeks a Product Owner – Director of Engineering for Critical Power. The role leads product strategy, mechanical engineering leadership, and cross-functional execution across design, manufacturing, and quality to deliver scalable, compliant power distribution equipment including switchboards and MCCs.

The candidate will build and grow the mechanical engineering function, ensure manufacturability and design-for-manufacturing, and drive continuous

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering required; advanced degree preferred.
• 8+ years of experience in power distribution equipment or related low-voltage electrical products.
• Experience leading mechanical engineering development for mission-critical electrical equipment.
• Strong understanding of PDUs, RPPs, switchboards, busbar systems, and thermal/mechanical design.
• Experience with product ownership, platform development, or product strategy responsibilities.
• Proficiency with SolidWorks, PDM/PLM systems, and engineering documentation processes.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive execution.

Responsibilities

• Define product vision, roadmap, and lifecycle strategy for low-voltage power distribution equipment.
• Own and prioritize product development initiatives in partnership with Product Management, Sales, and Operations.
• Translate customer and market requirements into detailed technical product specifications.
• Drive platform standardization and modular product architecture to improve scalability and reduce engineering lead time.
• Support customer engagement, technical reviews, and go-to-market activities including documentation, training, and product positioning.
• Lead mechanical engineering activities for enclosures, busbar systems, cable management, structural assemblies, and thermal solutions.
• Establish mechanical engineering standards, design practices, and development processes.
• Develop and review CAD models, drawings, and BOMs for production.
• Ensure designs meet requirements for thermal performance, structural integrity, manufacturability, and serviceability.
• Drive design-for-manufacturing (DFM), cost optimization, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Build and lead the mechanical engineering team as the organization grows.
• Collaborate closely with electrical engineering, manufacturing, sourcing, quality, and field service teams.
• Lead design reviews and coordinate execution across disciplines.
• Oversee prototyping, testing, validation, and product release activities.
• Support project execution for custom and standard product configurations.
• Manage engineering changes and continuous product improvement efforts.
• Ensure products meet applicable UL, NEC, IEC, and ANSI standards.
• Support certification activities, testing, and regulatory submissions.
• Monitor field performance and lead root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Establish robust documentation and quality processes to support scalable growth.

Skills

Power distribution

Mechanical leadership

Cross-functional teamwork

Product ownership

SolidWorks

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

SolidWorks

PDM/PLM systems

Engineering documentation

Job description

Rise Power Systems, a division of SMT, Inc., seeks a Product Owner – Director of Engineering for Critical Power. The role leads product strategy, mechanical engineering leadership, and cross-functional execution across design, manufacturing, and quality to deliver scalable, compliant power distribution equipment including switchboards and MCCs.

The candidate will build and grow the mechanical engineering function, ensure manufacturability and design-for-manufacturing, and drive continuous