Sr. Product Engineer-1

Nidec Corporation; Troy (MI); On-site; USD 95,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Nidec Corporation is seeking a Product Engineer III to own complex product designs end‑to‑end, driving significant improvements across the lifecycle. The role requires deep product knowledge, strong engineering judgment, and advanced problem‑solving to ensure performance, quality, cost, manufacturability, and compliance.

The position involves architectural decisions, advanced validation, and leadership of product changes with business impact, reporting to an Engineering Manager or Senior

Qualifications

• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, Systems, or related field) required.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Typically 5–8+ years of product engineering or related experience.

Responsibilities

• Own complex product designs, components, or subsystems end‑to‑end
• Lead development of robust, cost‑effective, and manufacturable product solutions
• Make sound engineering trade‑offs balancing performance, reliability, cost, and schedule
• Lead investigation and resolution of complex product, quality, or field issues
• Apply advanced root‑cause analysis and engineering methods
• Develop and implement corrective and preventive design actions
• Lead or oversee advanced validation and verification activities; analyze test data and ensure product requirements are met

Skills

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Systems thinking

Communication

Engineering discipline

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

CAD

Analysis tools

PLM systems

Job description

We begin with dreams. Dreams drive our motivation. Dreams are our future. The world's dreams, people's dreams, our dreams. Our passion creates ideas that make dreams come alive. Technology and products that were only dreams become reality. All for dreams. Dreams challenge and the Nidec-Group will continue to meet the challenge. For the world's and people's tomorrows; the world's first, the world's best technologies and products; we will continue our part in creating a better society.

Job Summary

The Product Engineer III is a senior engineering role responsible for owning complex product designs, leading significant product improvements, and resolving high‑impact technical issues across the product lifecycle. This role applies deep product knowledge, strong engineering judgment, and advanced problem‑solving to ensure products meet performance, quality, cost, manufacturability, and compliance requirements.

Job Description

Role Overview

The Product Engineer III independently owns one or more products, subsystems, or major design elements end‑to‑end—from concept through production and field support. The role goes beyond routine design work to include architectural decisions, advanced validation, and leadership of product changes with business impact. This position does not include formal people‑management responsibility but regularly provides informal mentorship and technical leadership to Product Engineer I and II roles. The role typically reports to an Engineering Manager, Senior Engineering Manager, or Product Development Leader.

Key Responsibilities

• Own complex product designs, components, or subsystems end‑to‑end
• Lead development of robust, cost‑effective, and manufacturable product solutions
• Make sound engineering trade‑offs balancing performance, reliability, cost, and schedule
• Lead investigation and resolution of complex product, quality, or field issues
• Apply advanced root‑cause analysis and engineering methods
• Develop and implement corrective and preventive design actions
• Lead or oversee advanced validation and verification activities Analyze test data and ensure product requirements are fully met
• Support reliability, durability, and lifecycle testing strategies
• Lead complex engineering changes affecting performance, cost, or manufacturability
• Ensure changes are properly validated, documented, and released
• Manage product lifecycle activities including refreshes, cost‑reduction initiatives, and obsolescence mitigation
• Partner with Manufacturing, Quality, and Supply Chain to optimize producibility and cost
• Support new product introductions, pilots, and production launch readiness
• Resolve advanced manufacturing or supplier‑related technical issues
• Ensure designs comply with engineering standards, regulatory requirements, and internal controls
• Maintain high‑quality technical documentation, specifications, and design records
• Support audits and regulatory reviews as needed
• Partner with Product Management, Marketing, Quality, Procurement, and Operations teams
• Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to varied audiences
• Influence product and business decisions through technical expertise
• Identify opportunities to improve product performance, cost, reliability, or sustainability
• Support design‑for‑manufacture, design‑for‑cost, and design‑for‑quality initiatives
• Incorporate lessons learned and best practices into future designs
• Provide guidance and mentoring to Product Engineer I and II roles
• Review technical work and reinforce engineering rigor
• Share technical knowledge and best practices across teams

Qualifications

• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, Systems, or related field) required
• Master’s degree preferred
• Typically 5–8+ years of product engineering or related experience

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Advanced knowledge of product engineering principles and design methodologies Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and systems‑thinking skills Ability to independently lead complex engineering initiatives Proficiency with CAD, analysis tools, and PLM systems Strong understanding of manufacturing and supply chain interfaces Effective communication and stakeholder‑influence skills High standards for engineering discipline, quality, and accountability

Additional Job Details

Technical – T3 Organizational Impact

• Works to achieve operational, functional, and/or business targets within team with direct and indirect impact on departmental or job family results, using practical technical principles
• Intermediate-level technical contributor; generally works independently under moderate supervision and may seek advice of more senior employees in the same area
• Failure to achieve results requires allocation of additional resources to meet goals and impacts project completion with the potential for additional financial expense.
• Works on smaller, less complex projects/assignments

Communication & Influence

Communicates with employees typically within the department and/or job family, explaining and interpreting matters related to the department; may communicate with external clients or partners depending upon the job area. May influence employees within own job area at an operational level.

Innovation & Complexity

Responsible for making minor improvements to technical/business processes, procedures, or systems to contribute to the performance of the team. Problems faced may be difficult but are not complex, requiring application of technical skills/analysis drawing from prior experiences, and typically involve consideration of multiple issues and impact job family and/or multiple teams.

Leadership & Talent Management

May provide guidance, help with training and review work of entry‑level employees. May lead parts of less complex projects or processes. Knowledge & Experience Requires understanding of basic context and practical knowledge of technical and business environment as well as potential and upcoming technical advances within area of specialization, typically obtained through advanced education and relevant experience. Requires a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience and minimum 5 years of prior relevant experience.

Equal Employment Opportunity and Affiliation at Nidec

Nidec is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action employer encouraging diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to their age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, genetic information, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. For more information regarding your (EEO) rights as an applicant, please visit the following website: http://www1.eeoc.gov/employers/upload/eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf

Work Shift Schedule

No Soliciting Nidec will not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third party recruiting agencies in response to Nidec job postings. No fee will be paid to third parties who submit unsolicited candidates directly to our hiring managers. Pre-approval from the Nidec Talent Acquisition team is required before any external candidate can be submitted and such candidate must be submitted to the Nidec Talent Acquisition team.

Nidec has worked its way up to become the world's No.1 manufacturer of small precision motors. In the process, Nidec has gradually expanded its product lineup to include a variety of small to large motors, application products for machinery, and electronic and optical components. At present, its products are used in a wide range of fields and devices including information and telecommunications equipment, office equipment, home appliances, automobiles, industrial equipment, and environmental energy. "For Everything that Spins and Moves", the Group is creating next-generation drive technologies to meet the needs of the society.