Senior Microwave Innovation Engineer - OTR & Ventilation

Midea America; Louisville (KY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Midea America Corp. is seeking a Senior Innovation Engineer to identify unmet consumer needs and lead development of next-generation microwave cooking solutions for the North American market.

You will drive product differentiation across OTRs, CMOs, and emerging cooking platforms, translating insights into viable products and IP. You will oversee concept ideation, technology evaluation, and prototype development toward commercialization, acting as a technical expert in microwave systems,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Product Management, Product Development, Data Analytics, Marketing, or a related discipline; Master’s degree preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in product planning, product management, product development, engineering, innovation management, or portfolio management preferably within the cooking appliance industry.
• Proven experience developing product roadmaps, portfolio strategies, business cases, product requirements, and commercialization plans.
• Experience leveraging data analytics, business intelligence, AI-enabled insights, market research, consumer analytics, and competitive intelligence to support innovation.
• Proficiency with BI and analytics tools such as Power BI, Tableau, SQL, Python; machine learning and forecasting experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop breakthrough product concepts, user experiences, and technology roadmaps to support future product platforms.
• Conduct consumer research, benchmarking, technology scouting, and trend analysis to identify opportunities for differentiation.
• Lead design and optimization of OTR ventilation systems, including airflow, filtration, noise reduction, and venting solutions.
• Evaluate airflow, acoustic, thermal, and cooking-effluent performance to improve ventilation and user experience.
• Design microwave subsystems, including cavities, inverters, high-voltage systems, controls, and interfaces.
• Create and protect innovative technologies and IP; develop invention disclosures and support patent filings.
• Collaborate with external technology providers, startups, universities, and suppliers for opportunities and collaborations.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership across cross-functional teams.
• Support travel to collaborate with overseas R&D centers, suppliers, and manufacturing facilities.

Skills

Data analytics

AI-enabled insights

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Power BI

Tableau

SQL

Python

Job description

Midea America Corp. is seeking a Senior Innovation Engineer to identify unmet consumer needs and lead development of next-generation microwave cooking solutions for the North American market.

You will drive product differentiation across OTRs, CMOs, and emerging cooking platforms, translating insights into viable products and IP. You will oversee concept ideation, technology evaluation, and prototype development toward commercialization, acting as a technical expert in microwave systems,