Senior Product Development Engineer: Lead NPD & Innovation

OMNI Human Resource Management; Kansas City (MO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Brunson Instrument Company seeks a Lead Product Development Engineer to own the full lifecycle of new products, from concept through launch, applying first-principles engineering and data-driven decisions.

You will lead design, analysis, prototyping, and documentation while mentoring the team and collaborating with Marketing, Sales, and Manufacturing to ensure performance, reliability, and manufacturability in demanding environments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field; Master’s preferred.
• 5+ years of hands-on NPD experience with mechanically focused products.
• Background in metrology, measurement systems, or optical-mechanical alignment preferred.
• Ability to apply engineering analytical methods (stress analysis, tolerance stack-up, GD&T, kinematics, FEA) to solve complex design problems.
• Proven experience leading products from concept through production; ergonomic and aesthetic considerations a plus.
• Strong communication skills for presenting technical content to non-technical audiences.
• Familiarity with CNC machining, DFM, and Lean product development is beneficial.
• Self-motivated with the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD, SolidWorks, and MS Office; experience with FEA tools a plus.
• Experience with PDM/PLM and ERP systems is ideal.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end development of new products, from concept generation through design release.
• Apply mechanical engineering principles and analytical methods, including stress, tolerance, kinematic, and FEA, to validate and optimize designs prior to prototyping.
• Drive assigned projects through Brunson's stage-gate New Product Development (NPD) process, owning key deliverables, decisions, and progress from concept through market launch.
• Develop and evaluate multiple design concepts, using data-driven decision-making to balance performance, cost, quality, and manufacturability.
• Plan, execute, and document prototype builds and testing programs; analyze results and implement design improvements based on findings.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to the engineering team, promoting best practices in product design, analysis, and development.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Sales, Customer Service, and other stakeholders to translate customer needs into clear engineering requirements and product specifications.
• Maintain comprehensive engineering documentation, including design records, test reports, BOMs, engineering drawings, and technical specifications.
• Stay current on industry trends, emerging technologies, materials, and manufacturing processes relevant to Brunson's product portfolio.

Skills

New product development

Metrology / measurement systems

GD&T

FEA (ANSYS/Abaqus/SW Simulation)

3D CAD (SolidWorks)

Project leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Master's degree preferred

Tools

SolidWorks

ANSYS

Abaqus

ERP systems

PDM/PLM

Job description

Brunson Instrument Company seeks a Lead Product Development Engineer to own the full lifecycle of new products, from concept through launch, applying first-principles engineering and data-driven decisions.

You will lead design, analysis, prototyping, and documentation while mentoring the team and collaborating with Marketing, Sales, and Manufacturing to ensure performance, reliability, and manufacturability in demanding environments.