Product Development Engineer

The Product Development Engineer works with a small but highly-focused and extremely bright engineering team to oversee the design, development, testing, and production of all product development efforts at Falcon.  From early-stage idea generation and proof-of-concept development to production by our overseas manufacturers, this position helps manage the entire product development life cycle.  The successful candidate interfaces with many other departments, including Regulatory, Sales, Customer Service, Marketing, and Operations, and performs a wide-variety of tasks concurrently to drive product development.

 

Specific Tasks:Invent novel solutions to a host of mechanical/electrical/biological/chemical challenges. Design and run experiments to validate concepts. Source and recruit expert consultants where necessary to assist in development efforts, and negotiate contracts. Develop prototypes of products using in-house 3D printing capabilities. Design and specify products following Good Engineering Practices methodology. Identify manufacturers, and collaborate with Operations Department to obtain competitive quotes. Procure equipment and supplies as necessary. Oversee testing of all products in lab as well as manage a large network of field test locations (100+ urinals internationally). Manage the development of all chemical/formulations products (surface cleaners, drain cleaning products, etc.). Design and coordinate large field product testing efforts. Develop Manufacturing and Quality Specifications. Research literature to stay up-to-date with current developments. Manage the time of two part-time technicians (one in California, one in the Philippines). Occasionally travel domestically or internationally to support development or research endeavors. Assist in patent documentation and filings.

 

RequirementsHighly-responsible self-starter, who enjoys a fair amount of autonomy, takes ownership of projects, is able to manage several projects concurrently and multi-task with minimal supervision, and operates successfully in a fast-paced environment with incomplete or imperfect information. Willingness to “get your hands dirty” in the development of products, which includes a fair amount of field work. Ability to learn new fields/skills, or identify sources with required skills, and apply that knowledge/resource to product development efforts. Excellent analytical, technical writing and communication skills. 7-10 years of product development experience, with at least 2-3 years direct design experience with complex injection molded components. Bachelors degree in Mechanical or Biomedical Engineering Expert at MS Excel, and proficient at remainder of MS Office (Word, Powerpoint, etc). Proficient with a 3D CAD program, ideally Solidworks. Good physical condition.

 

General Preferences

Interest in water or energy conservation issues. Experience working in a start-up environment. Experience working with manufacturers in Asia. Familiarity with US and international plumbing codes, standards, and institutions: UPC, IPC, IAPMO, LGA, etc. Experience working as a Quality Engineer Familiarity and experience with Design of Experiments (DOE) and SPC Fluency in Spanish or Chinese