Sr. Product Development Engineer

Job description

**Job Description:**

**ITW (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)** is a Fortune 200 company and is one of the world’s leading diversified manufacturers of specialized industrial equipment, automotive components, consumables, and related service businesses.

ITW businesses serve local customers and markets around the globe, with operations in 55 countries and an employee base of more than 46,000 women and men who adhere to the highest ethical standards.

These talented individuals, many of whom have specialized engineering or scientific expertise, contribute to our global leadership in innovation.

We are proud of our broad portfolio of more than 17,000 granted and pending patents.

**ITW Residential Mechanical Fastening** offers a broad range of professional grade tools and fasteners for numerous construction applications.

Our products include structural wood fasteners (GRK Fasteners™), concrete anchoring systems (Tapcon®, Red Head®, Ramset®), underlayment screws (Backer-On Rock-On ®), self-drilling screws (Teks®) and drywall anchoring systems (E-Z Ancor®).

ITW Residential Mechanical Fastening excels in meeting the growing demands from Pro end-users for high-quality home improvement and construction fastening products.

Our products are trusted by industry professionals and each brand is the market leader in its respective category in terms of quality, performance and ease of use.

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**POSITION SUMMARY:**
The ITW Mechanical Fastening Product Development team is responsible for creating new innovative products and maintaining existing fastening solutions for the professional construction contractors under industry leading brands like GRK, Tapcon, and Teks.

Reporting to the Engineering Director you will be responsible for Fastener technology development and managing NPD projects from Discovery to Deployment utilizing ITW’s Innovation Framework with oversight for research, mechanical design, timeline management, cross-functional communication, and resource management.

Position Location: Glenview and Lake Forest, IL

**KEY RESPONSIBILITIES**

+ Manage technology development projects to discover new features that deliver differentiated performance for our core fastener products by leveraging materials research, FEA simulations, rapid prototyping including swiss lathes, and customize laboratory testing.
+ Design and development of new and innovative mechanical anchors utilizing a combination of analytical tools, evaluation methods, and practical experience to achieve project objectives (product performance, manufacturability, cost, quality, timing).
+ Develop solutions and determine feasibility/risk assessments through practical and analytical methods (tolerance stack ups, design studies, FEA, DFMEA, root cause analysis, Design of Experiments, test plans, lessons learned, etc).
+ Work with Manufacturing Engineering to develop processes and tooling necessary to manufacture new products.
+ Work with cross functional team to understand customer’s needs and translate to engineering requirements
+ Understand and communicate industry trends through technology landscaping and product benchmarking in support of establishing an NPD/Innovation pipeline.
+ Support continuous improvement activities to enhance current products’ performance, quality, manufacturability, and cost.
+ Provide project leadership and communicate status to a broad range of constituents via written and verbal communication
+ Scope/define project and manage 3rd party resources with deep technical knowledge

**REQUIREMENTS:**

+ Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering with minimum 10 years industry experience, required; Master’s degree preferred.
+ History of developing mechanical anchors and screws with working knowledge of cold heading, thread rolling, heat treatment, plating and coating various grades of carbon and stainless steels
+ Advanced knowledge of Metallurgy and strength of materials with knowledge of the effects of metallurgical properties on product performance.
+ Demonstrated Solid Modeling experience – SolidWorks preferred
+ Excellent project management capabilities
+ Applied statistics
+ Entrepreneurial mindset

**DESIRED EXPERIENCE AND TRAITS:**

+ Demonstrated research experiences around material behavior
+ History of designing and building electromechanical test fixtures
+ Broad technical knowledge of Mechanical Design, FEA, and materials
+ Knowledge of mechanical connections in concrete and wood structures
+ Proven track record of technical project and team leadership
+ Intellectually curious with a driving interest in new technology
+ Familiarity with CAM software and/or rapid prototyping with Swiss Lathes.

**COMPETENCIES:**

+ Project Management
+ Technical Acumen
+ Analytical Skills
+ Decision Making
+ Communication
+ Creative Thinking/Innovation
+ Rapid Prototyping
+ Research

**Work Environment:**

_The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions_ .

Most time will be spent in an office environment.

Occasionally the employee may be required to spend time in manufacturing and construction sites.

Certain personal protective equipment is required when in the manufacturing areas and construction sites.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions

**Physical Demands:**

_The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions._

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, stand, talk, hear, reach with hands and arms and regularly required to walk.

Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

ITW is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

We do not accept unsolicited resumes.

To be considered an applicant, please apply online to a specific job posting.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access the online application system process due to your disability, please click here (hr@itwbrands.com) for information on how to contact us directly.

_ITW is an equal opportunity employer.

We value our colleagues’ unique perspectives, experiences and ideas and create workplaces where everyone can develop their careers and perform to their full potential._

_As an equal employment opportunity employer, ITW is committed to equal employment opportunity and fair treatment for employees, beginning with the hiring process and continuing through all aspects of the employment relationship._

_All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected Veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws._

**Compensation Information:**

We believe our people are our greatest asset.

That’s why we invest in creating an environment where you can thrive—both personally and professionally.

For more details, visit our Benefits page (https://myitwhr.com/) .

In addition, our benefits include paid vacation, sick, holiday, and parental leave.

Annual base salary range for this position is $110,000 - $125,000.

Please note that this salary information serves as a general guideline.

Company considers various factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education and training, key skills, as well as market and business considerations.

_ITW is an equal opportunity employer.

We value our colleagues’ unique perspectives, experiences and ideas and create workplaces where everyone can develop their careers and perform to their full potential._

_As an equal employment opportunity employer, ITW is committed to equal employment opportunity and fair treatment for employees, beginning with the hiring process and continuing through all aspects of the employment relationship._

_All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected Veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws._

Required Skill Profession

Other General