Principal Product Development Engineer

Principal Product Development Engineer

We are seeking a Principal Product Development Engineer to drive the technical vision architecture and execution of nextgeneration customerspecific sensor products. This role is a key technical leadership position responsible for translating complex customer requirements into robust manufacturable solutions while advancing our capabilities in finite element analysis advanced mechanical design and robotics-enabled applications.

This engineer will operate with a high degree of autonomy serve as a technical authority within the organization and mentor engineers while partnering directly with customers manufacturing and commercial teams. The position offers exposure to a diverse application portfolio spanning agriculture robotics medical and emerging automation markets with a strong emphasis on innovation analytical rigor and system-level thinking.

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership in the design and development of customized sensor solutions from concept through production release
• Serve as a subject matter expert in finite element analysis (FEA) leading structural thermal and fatigue analyses to validate designs and guide material and geometry decisions
• Develop and review advanced mechanical designs for performance reliability manufacturability and cost
• Partner directly with customers and the sales organization to translate application requirements into technically sound costeffective product solutions
• Lead technical trade studies risk assessments and design reviews
• Drive innovation in robotics and automation-related sensor applications including dynamic loading precision motion environments and integration considerations
• Collaborate with manufacturing teams to develop scalable production processes validation methods and test protocols
• Identify evaluate and validate materials for demanding environmental structural and regulatory requirements
• Generate and review system-level concepts detailed designs cost models and performance specifications
• Support and influence compliance with ISO 9000 quality systems and design control processes
• Mentor and technically guide junior and mid-level engineers through design reviews analysis methods and best practices
• Actively contribute to cross-functional and customer-facing meetings as a technical representative of the organization
• Travel to customer sites and manufacturing locations as required to support development validation and issue resolution

Professional Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering required; Masters or PhD strongly preferred
• 10 years of experience in mechanical product development with demonstrated ownership of complex electromechanical systems
• Deep expertise in stress analysis and finite element modeling including nonlinear dynamic and fatigue analyses
• Extensive hands-on experience with FEA tools (Creo Simulate preferred; ANSYS Abaqus or similar acceptable)
• Proven track record of leading technically complex programs from concept through production
• Experience designing for robotics automation or dynamically loaded systems strongly preferred
• Strong understanding of materials manufacturing processes and design for reliability
• Experience influencing technical direction and mentoring engineers without formal authority
• Solid grasp of the business implications of technical decisions including cost risk and customer value
• Excellent written verbal and presentation skills including direct customer interaction

Personal Skills & Competencies

• Advanced problem-solving skills with the ability to address ambiguous open-ended technical challenges
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple complex projects simultaneously
• Strong collaborative mindset with the confidence to challenge assumptions and drive technical rigor
• Excellent interpersonal skills capable of working effectively across engineering manufacturing sales and leadership teams
• Proficiency with standard PC tools (MS Word Excel Windows) and enterprise systems such as SAP