What are the responsibilities and job description for the Product Development Engineer position at SGW Designworks?
About SGW Designworks
SGW Designworks is a product design and engineering firm that helps businesses create hardware products that endure. Our team has delivered more than one hundred commercialized products across consumer, industrial, medical device, defense, and enterprise markets. Clients rely on us when they need a full team that can turn ideas into manufacturable products with speed and clarity.
We often begin at concept development and carry projects through iterative design, prototyping, testing, and manufacturing startup. Our work lives where technical depth meets creativity.
About the Role
We are seeking a Product Development Engineer to lead and execute mechanical design & machine design work across a wide range of client projects. This person will drive mechanical design, build and test prototypes, perform detailed design work, and support cross-functional integration. The role blends hands-on engineering with planning, technical decision support, and direct client interaction.
You will contribute mechanical expertise while staying aware of adjacent domains such as electronics, firmware, and industrial design. You will collaborate closely with SGW engineers, designers, and outside partners to keep projects aligned with user needs, technical constraints, and client goals.
Responsibilities
Mechanical Design, Engineering, and Planning
- Lead mechanical product design and machine design for systems that include plastics, metals, sealing schemes, moving mechanisms, or machine-level assemblies.
- Translate business and user requirements into structured mechanical development plans.
- Identify risks early using design reviews, prototype strategies, and clear technical decision frameworks.
- Scope and estimate mechanical work.
- Define mechanical direction while coordinating with electrical, firmware, and ID counterparts.
Engineering Execution
- Perform mechanical design and engineering in CAD with strong DFM instincts.
- Develop parts and assemblies, build prototypes, execute test plans, and iterate based on data.
- Support cross-functional integration including fit, thermal, environmental, and durability considerations.
- Create engineering documentation, build instructions, validation reports, and other project outputs.
Project Support
- Guide day-to-day mechanical progress to meet performance, cost, and reliability targets.
- Collaborate with project managers and engineers to manage priorities and keep work on track.
- Communicate clearly with clients on scope, progress, risks, and tradeoffs. Strong emotional intelligence is essential.
- Provide mentorship to teammates and reinforce SGW's development methodology and collaborative culture.
Manufacturing and Launch
- Work with suppliers and manufacturers to ensure mechanical designs are manufacturable and aligned with cost and yield requirements.
- Support regulatory considerations relevant to mechanical decisions, including sealing, materials, safety, and durability.
- Assist with early production ramp-up and resolve mechanical issues that appear during transition to manufacturing.
QualificationsMinimum Requirements
- Degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field.
- At least 4 years of experience designing machines, equipment, products, or industrial hardware.
- Proficiency with plastics, machined parts, sheet metal, welded assemblies, and enclosure design - with successful launches to show.
- Strong hands-on prototyping experience.
- High proficiency in SolidWorks and PDM, or similar.
- Self-motivated, organized, and comfortable working across multiple projects.
- Experience interacting with contract manufacturers and suppliers.
- Comfort using AI tools to accelerate engineering, analysis, or workflow tasks.
- Expert communicator.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in an adjacent field such as controls, robotics, or embedded systems.
- Strong test and validation capability including fixture design, environmental testing, and data-driven iteration.
- Experience in consulting or agency environments.
- Familiarity with regulatory paths such as UL, CE, FCC, or similar standards as they relate to mechanical architecture.
- Project management experience or certification.
Why SGW Designworks
You will join a tight-knit team solving complex product challenges across consumer, industrial, and defense sectors. Every project is different, and your mechanical expertise will have immediate impact on how products are conceived, engineered, and moved toward production.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $70, $116,225.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
Salary : $116,225