Senior Product Development Engineer - KitchenAid

Whirlpool, Inc.; Saint Joseph (MI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Whirlpool employee discount

Fitness reimbursement

Education reimbursement

Kitchenettes

Job summary

Whirlpool Corporation is seeking a Senior Product Development Engineer for KitchenAid at our St. Joseph Technology Center in MI. The role focuses on system architecture design to drive strategic innovation and growth within the KitchenAid Breakfast category.

Responsibilities include category planning, technical leadership, architecture strategy, VOC/VOE translation, and leading advanced development with robust V&V plans to ensure successful launches.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering required.
• 4+ years of industry experience in product development.

Responsibilities

• Drive category planning: identify opportunities and translate knowledge gaps into development projects.
• Provide technical leadership as SME and foster systems‑thinking across the engineering team.
• Define architecture strategy with clear trade‑offs and guardrails for KitchenAid Breakfast architectures.
• Translate VOC inputs into VOE‑level requirements for system validation.
• Lead advanced development projects and trade‑offs to ensure on‑time launches within guardrails.
• Develop and execute robust V&V plans to verify all system requirements.

Skills

Systems engineering

VOC to VOE translation

Cross‑functional influence

Advanced development

DVP/V&V frameworks

Education

Engineering degree

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.

This role in summary

Whirlpool is seeking qualified candidates for a Senior Product Development Engineer – KitchenAid. This onsite role at our St. Joseph Technology Center in MI will focus on system architecture design for strategic innovation and business growth within the KitchenAid Breakfast category.

Responsibilities

• Drive Category Planning: Identify business and innovation opportunities, translating knowledge gaps into Advanced Development projects to de‑risk product delivery.
• Provide Technical Leadership: Serve as a Subject Matter Expert, capturing architecture knowledge and fostering a systems‑thinking mindset across the engineering team.
• Define Architecture Strategy: Create clear attribute trade‑off spaces, product variant rules, and requirement guardrails for the KitchenAid Breakfast category product architectures.
• Translate Stakeholder Needs: Convert Voice of Consumer (VOC) inputs into clear, measurable Voice of Engineer (VOE) system‑level requirements.
• Lead Target Setting: Own competitive set testing and technical target setting, supporting Marketing and Legal on claims validation and messaging.
• Develop V&V Plans: Establish and support robust Verification and Validation (V&V) plans to ensure all system requirements are fully met.
• Lead Advanced Development Projects: Direct technical decision‑making, design reviews, and trade‑offs (cost, quality, time) to ensure projects launch within guardrails.
• Execute Predictive Validation: Drive full system validation utilizing predictive modeling and “test‑to‑learn” methodologies from concept through product validation stages.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering.
• 4+ years of industry experience in product development.

Preferred Skills and Experiences

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Systems or Chemical).
• Systems Engineering Expertise: Strong experience in Requirements Management and establishing robust Design Verification Plans (DVP) or V&V frameworks.
• Cross‑Functional Influence: Proven ability to collaborate with and influence cross‑functional, non‑technical stakeholders (e.g., Marketing, Legal, Consumer Insights).
• VOC to VOE Translation: Experience translating the Voice of the Consumer (VOC) into actionable Voice of the Engineer (VOE) technical specifications.
• Advanced Development / Front‑End Innovation: Experience managing front‑end or advanced development projects specifically aimed at de‑risking technology before mass production.

What we offer

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

Whirlpool’s Ways of Working

• Always On Flexibility – 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.

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.