Sr Product Dev Engineer

Hutchinson Group; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Disability and life insurance

Generous PTO

Job summary

Hutchinson Group in Grand Rapids, MI is seeking a Senior PDE who will lead design and manufacturing optimization across products, ensuring robustness and cost targets are met. You will guide FEA workflows, establish prototypes and tests, and drive DFM from RFQ through production launch.

The role requires 5–10 years related experience with strong skills in FEA, DFM, APQP, DOE, and CAD design, plus collaboration with cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• Minimum BS in Engineering or equivalent and five to ten years of related experience.
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes for ductile iron castings, metal stampings, aluminum die castings, plastic injection, rubber molding and metal finishers.
• Proficient with engineering methods such as FEA, DFM, DOE, APQP, FMEA, DVP, 8D problem solving.
• Ability to develop detailed designs, establish prints, specs, prototypes, and tests for validation.

Responsibilities

• Lead Design for Manufacturing (DFM) across projects from RFQ to Production Launch.
• Direct FEA workflow to ensure robust designs meeting functional and reliability targets.
• Coach and develop engineering team members.
• Collaborate with Application Team Leader to set team objectives and manage progress.
• Participate in APQP activities reviewing timing, requirements, components, suppliers, costs, and processes.
• Benchmark industry trends and share knowledge across regions.
• Evaluate designs and processes to improve quality while reducing cost.
• Serve as main technical contact with customer and internal Hutchinson groups.

Skills

FEA

DFM

APQP

FMEA

DOE

DVP

8D

CAD

MS Office

Education

BS in Engineering or equivalent

Tools

SolidWorks

MS Office

Job description

Knowledge and practice of Hutchinson’s Health, Safety, and Environmental policies, procedures, and requirements.

Detailed development of a product or system to meet customer’s functional and cost requirements. Fully utilizing physical test and analytical methods to support design direction.

Responsible for detailed design, establishing prints and specifications, developing prototypes, and specifying tests

Direct FEA workflow to produce a robust design that meets the customer’s functional and reliability requirements.

Lead Design for Manufacturing (DFM) process on all projects from RFQ to Production Launch to insure design robustness meets production needs.

To encourage applied research and development with the engineering team and to foster product and process innovation.

To coach and develop the engineering skills of Engineers and Technicians within the team.

To cooperatively work with the Application Team Leader to develop team objectives and goals and to jointly manage the team to achieve these goals.

Participates in the Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) team including the review of issues related to: timing, customer requirements, components, suppliers, molds, production processes, product costs, etc.

Collaborate with colleagues in other regions to benchmark latest development and industry trends and share technical product knowledge.

Conduct competitive benchmarking on targeted market segments following market trends.

Continuously evaluates designs, manufacturing processes and applies value analysis to increase robustness, reduce material and labor costs while also improving product quality.

The Senior PDE is the main line of technical communication with the customer, Hutchinson sales and with other Hutchinson departments.

Responsible for completing tasks of all lower position levels and tasks assigned by Management.

Other duties as assigned.

Participates in, understands, supports, and adheres to all Safety and Quality policies and requirements.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Minimum BS in Engineering or equivalent and five to ten years of related experience.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Must have good interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate with Engineering, Production, Quality, Purchasing, Sales and other plant/office personnel.Attention to detail and accuracy.Must have good computer skills. Must have knowledge of processes used at Hutchinson to manufacture our products.Understand manufacturing and material requirements for ductile iron castings, metal stampings, aluminum die castings, plastic injection, rubber molding and metal finishers (coatings), etc. Must understand how to develop detailed designs, establishing prints and specifications, developing prototypes, and specifying tests for validation and a manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of engineering methods such as FEA, DFM, DOE, APQP, FMEA, DVP, 8D problem solving and DOE. Proficient Microsoft Office Software. CAD software such as SolidWorks a plus.

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and process several abstract and concrete variables.Must be able to assess the accuracy and usefullness of the analysis performed. Must be capable of managing product development programs with limited supervision. Must be a self-starter, organized and dedicated, with good record keeping skills. Must have the ability to accept and cope with restrictive time frames and unpredictable problems.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The employee will be in a shared office (cubicle) environment. There may be occasions where the employee will have tasks to perform in a Laboratory environment and a Manufacturing environment, where Personal Protective Equipment such as Hearing Protection, Safety Glasses and Safety Shoes are required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit for extended periods of time; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk and hear.The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, and crouch.The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.

Employee may be required to travel. Some amount of overnight and daily travel may be required.

WHAT WE OFFER:

Competitive Compensation

Enjoy an attractive salary that reflects your skills, experience, and contributions.

Choose from a range of medical, dental, and vision insurance options to fit your needs and those of your family.

Company-Paid Coverage

We provide company-sponsored Long-Term Disability, Short-Term Disability, Life Insurance, and AD&D Insurance, with the option to enhance your coverage through buy-up plans.

Generous Paid Time Off

Recharge with competitive PTO policies that support your personal time, holidays, and overall well-being.

Retirement Planning

Prepare for your future with our 401(k) retirement plan, featuring an employer match to help you grow your savings

Global Opportunities & Local Impact

Be part of a company that offers international collaboration and local empowerment, giving you the chance to make a real impact while building a global career.

Hutchinson is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Hutchinson believes that diversity and inclusion among our employees is critical to our success, and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. Employment at Hutchinson is based on merit, competence, and qualifications, and we are committed to providing equal opportunities for training and advancement for all employees. Hutchinson is also committed to making our application process accessible to individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations upon request.

Hutchinson is committed to protecting your personal data and adhering to data protection regulations, including the GDPR. We collect and process your data to provide our services and manage our operations, with measures in place to ensure its security. You have rights regarding your data, including access and erasure. Please refer to our full Privacy Policy for more details and contact information for data protection matters.

Job Info

• Job Identification 8614
• Posting Date 08/03/2026, 12:30 PM
• Job Schedule Full time