System Design Engineer – CBRN Respiratory Protection

AirBoss Defense Group; Auburn Hills (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

AirBoss Defense Group in Auburn Hills, MI, seeks an experienced senior engineer to lead the design and development of advanced CBRN respiratory protection systems from concept through production.

You will translate military and regulatory requirements into product characteristics, create engineering documentation, and ensure manufacturability with DFx principles. Strong leadership and travel to international sites are expected.

Qualifications

• BS in Engineering with 15+ years hands-on design and development experience.
• Proven track record of taking products from concept to full production.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and defining required engineering expertise.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and development of CBRN respiratory protection systems from concept through production.
• Translate customer, military, and regulatory requirements into product characteristics.
• Create and maintain engineering documentation: 3D models, drawings, BOMs, specs, work instructions.
• Apply design for manufacturing principles and partner with manufacturing to qualify transitions to production.
• Plan and execute verification/validation testing, including 3rd party testing.
• Provide technical input to Sales, Marketing, Quality, Operations, and Business Development.

Skills

Product Development

Systems Engineering

Configuration Management

Problem Solving

Rapid Prototyping

Project Drive

Mobility & Communication

Education

BS in Engineering (Systems, Mechanical, Electrical) or related field

Tools

SolidWorks PDM

ERP systems (Epicor/IFS)

FEA/flow analysis

Job description

AirBoss Defense Group (ADG) is a global leader in survivability solutions, delivering critical respiratory protection systems to military forces, first responders, and healthcare professionals in more than 80 countries. Our products enable users to safely perform mission-critical operations in some of the world's most hazardous environments.

What You’ll do

As a key member of our engineering team, you will lead the design and development of advanced CBRN respiratory protection systems from concept through production. Your responsibilities will include:

Product Design & Development

• Design & develop products across the ADG portfolio, including new designs and product enhancements.
• Translate customer, military, and regulatory requirements into productcharacteristics.
• Support projects through the Product Development Process, balancing project requirements, cost, quality, and schedule.
• Create and maintain engineering documentation including 3D models, drawings, bills of materials, specifications, and work instructions.
• Apply design for manufacturing (DFM) principles and partner with manufacturing teams to qualify transition to production.

Testing, Validation & Production Qualification

• Create engineering specifications, validation plans, and test protocols.
• Plan and execute product verification and validation testing, including 3 rd party testing
• Ensure designs and changes meet quality, regulatory, and manufacturability requirements

Product Sustainment and Support to Sales

• Lead root cause investigations, corrective actions, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Investigate supplier nonconformances, supplier change requests, and mitigate obsolescence risks
• Support proposal and bid activities by providing technical input and engineering solutions.
• Provide technical expertise to internal stakeholders including Sales, Marketing, Quality, Operations, and Business Development.
• Contribute to technical publications, product documentation, and customer-facing materials.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Education & Experience: BS in Engineering (Systems, Mechanical, Electrical or a related field), with a minimum of 15 years of hands‑on design and development experience.
• Product Development: Proven track record of taking products from initial concept through to full production. Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and identifying the required engineering expertise required to execute projects

.

• Systems Engineering & Management: Experience with the translation of input requirements from Customers/Stakeholder into product requirements which can be verified. Experience designing complex products, define interfaces, lead system integration and manage multi-disciplinary engineering teams, both internal and external firms.
• Configuration Management: Familiarity with compliance with configuration management and product development processes. Experience working within an ISO 9001 quality system. Ability to define any testing required to validate changes and mitigate risks. Experience analyzing contracts and regulatory requirements to verify compliance of existing products or new designs.
• Problem Solving: Strong analytical skills with experience in troubleshooting and root cause analysis.
• Rapid Prototyping: Experience with rapid prototyping (3D printing and/or PCB design /build)
• Project Drive: A collaborative team player with a strong individual sense of urgency, capable of prioritizing tasks to meet tight project deadlines.
• Mobility & Communication: Fluent written and verbal English skills, with the ability to travel internationally (primarily to Canada) approximately 5-10% of the time. Ability to handle simple hand tools and light machinery as required.

Additional Assets:

• MS in Engineering (Systems, Mechanical, Electrical, or related field)
• Direct experience with respiratory products, filtration systems, or CBRN equipment
• Knowledge of NIOSH and/or CE requirements and certification process
• Knowledge of plastic/rubber injection molding, material selection, design for manufacturing (DFM), flow analysis
• Experience with finite element analysis FEA and airflow modeling
• Experience working with SolidWorks PDM and ERP systems (Epicor or IFS a strong plus)
• Experience in electrical design and PCBA manufacturing
• Bilingual proficiency in French and English