Product Design Engineering Manager

Location: Waterloo, Iowa

Salary: $80-90K plus 15% bonus

Job Summary:

The Product Design Engineering Manager is responsible for overseeing a team that handles a specific portion of standard product offerings to meet production deadlines. This role emphasizes taking ownership, standardizing processes, continuous improvement, and providing lifecycle support for existing product platforms. The successful candidate must ensure that designs are not only manufacturable, cost-effective, and compliant, but also scalable. Collaboration with other Senior Engineering Managers is essential to ensure alignment, consistency, and effective execution across the product portfolio. This position requires managing and developing staff while maintaining a hands-on approach and frequent on-site engagement. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills, technical expertise, and work closely with manufacturing, sales, quality, and supply chain teams.

Job Duties & Responsibilities:

• Lead, develop, and manage a team of product design engineers supporting production and in-market products
• Own product architectures, standards, and design intent across heavy haul trailer platforms
• Prioritize and assign engineering work based on production needs, product improvements, cost-reduction initiatives, and field feedback
• Serve as engineering owner for sustaining engineering, product changes, and platform evolution (non-NPD)
• Ensure engineering support for production, including rapid resolution of design, quality, and manufacturability issues
• Partner with Manufacturing Engineering and Production to:
  • Improve weldment, fabrication, and assembly methods
  • Improve BOM accuracy, drawings, and release quality
• Lead and participate in structured design reviews and approve engineering changes
• Oversee ECN/ECO execution to ensure timely, accurate, and well-documented product changes
• Ensure compliance with FMVSS, DOT, and internal engineering and quality standards
• Apply DFMEA, lessons learned, warranty data, and field feedback to improve durability, safety, and product reliability
• Drive design-for-manufacturing, design-to-cost, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Support sales, service, and operations by providing clear engineering guidance and technical explanations
• Maintain and improve engineering documentation, databases, and design tools
• Assist with development and implementation of standard, pre-engineered product offerings to reduce custom engineering resource demands and improve schedule execution

Education & Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline
• Experience in heavy haul trailers, heavy equipment, or fabricated mobile equipment
• Strong background in mechanical systems, structures, hydraulics, and manufacturing processes
• Proven experience supporting products in production environments
• Practical, hands-on engineering judgment
• Strong problem-solving and root-cause analysis skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to balance cost, performance, manufacturability, and reliability
• Proficiency with CAD tools, Excel, and engineering data systems