Technology Development Engineer - Laundry Care

Midea America; Louisville (KY); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Midea America Corp. is seeking an Innovation & Technology Development Engineer to create practical, innovative laundry technologies through a systems-engineering approach. The role spans idea generation, prototyping, and concept transfer to R&D, working closely with CMI, suppliers, and institutions.

The position is full-time and on-site with potential domestic and international travel; a bachelor’s in engineering and hands-on experience are required to drive end-to-end innovation efforts.

Qualifications

• Multidisciplinary engineering capability spanning mechanical and electrical domains.
• Hands-on prototyping skills; able to build, wire, and test prototypes.
• Experience with embedded programming in C/C++/Python or similar.
• Strong communication and collaboration across technical and business teams.
• Experience in consumer product development is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Identify unmet consumer needs with CMI and translate them into technically feasible innovation opportunities.
• Own innovation and technology development initiatives end-to-end from idea generation through concept design, prototyping, and POC.
• Apply a systems-engineering approach integrating mechanical, electrical, and electronic design.
• Design, build, and test functional prototypes and POC demonstrators.
• Collaborate with CMI to support consumer validation studies and refine concepts.
• Lead ideation sessions and manage projects using Bright Idea and other tools.
• Coordinate with Product Planning, Marketing, and R&D leadership on roadmap alignment.
• Collaborate with external suppliers, universities, and research centers on new technologies.
• Prepare detailed technology transfer packages for handoff to R&D.

Skills

Multidisciplinary engineering

Prototyping

Embedded controls

Embedded programming

Project ownership

Cross-functional collaboration

Strong communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Mechatronics

Systems Engineering

Tools

Bright Idea portfolio

Job description

The Innovation & Technology Development Engineer is responsible for developing practical, innovative solutions that address unmet consumer needs identified in partnership with the LAD Consumer & Market Insights (CMI) team. Laundry product technology solutions typically require a combination of mechanical, electrical, and electronic design, so this role requires a systems-engineering mindset and demonstrated multidisciplinary capability, rather than deep specialization in a single discipline. The engineer owns innovation initiatives from idea generation through proof-of-concept, and prepares detailed technical packages to transfer validated concepts to the R&D team for implementation.

This position is full-time and fully on-site, Monday through Friday. Some domestic and international travel may be required.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Partner closely with CMI researchers to identify unmet consumer needs and translate them into technically feasible innovation opportunities.
• Own innovation and technology development initiatives end-to-end, from idea generation through concept design, prototyping, and proof-of-concept (POC).
• Apply a systems-engineering approach that integrates mechanical, electrical, and electronic design disciplines to develop practical, multidisciplinary laundry technology solutions.
• Design, build, and test functional prototypes and POC demonstrators combining mechanical hardware, electrical/electronic circuits, sensors, actuators, and embedded control logic.
• Collaborate with CMI to design and support consumer validation studies confirming that developed concepts are understood and valued by consumers.
• Lead and/or actively contribute to ideation sessions and innovation workshops, using structured methodologies to generate and evaluate new concepts.
• Manage innovation and technology development projects within the Bright Idea portfolio tool, keeping project records, stage-gate status, and reporting current.
• Align innovation roadmap and project priorities with business stakeholders, including Product Planning, Marketing, and R&D leadership.
• Cooperate with the Laundry PD Advanced Tech Development team, external suppliers, and research institutions (universities, colleges, research centers) to source and mature new technologies.
• Prepare detailed technology transfer packages — requirements, POC data, design intent, and risk assessment — to hand off validated concepts to R&D for implementation.
• Provide ongoing technical support to R&D during the implementation phase as needed.
• Stay current with emerging technologies, materials, and methods relevant to laundry appliances and adjacent industries.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Systems Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 2-7 years of engineering experience, with demonstrated exposure across mechanical and electrical/electronic domains rather than a single-discipline specialist track.
• Experience in consumer product development preferred; laundry or home appliance experience is a plus but not required.

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated multidisciplinary engineering capability spanning mechanical design, electrical/electronic circuit design, and embedded controls — a systems-engineering mindset rather than single-discipline specialization.
• Hands-on prototyping skills; able to build, wire, and test functional mechanical/electrical/electronic prototypes.
• Working knowledge of embedded programming and control logic (e.g., C, C++, Python, or similar) sufficient to support proof-of-concept development.
• Strong conceptual and analytical problem-solving skills, comfortable working from an ambiguous consumer insight toward a defined technical solution.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills; able to clearly articulate technical concepts to both technical and business audiences.
• Comfortable leading and/or actively contributing to ideation and cross-functional collaboration sessions.
• Strong project ownership and organizational skills to carry initiatives from idea generation through proof-of-concept.
• Collaborative and self-motivated, with comfort operating amid the ambiguity typical of early-stage innovation work.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with innovation management/portfolio tools (e.g., Bright Idea or similar).
• Prior experience collaborating directly with consumer insights or market research teams.
• Experience engaging external suppliers, universities, or research institutions on technology development.

Midea America Corp. is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.