Product Designer

About the role

The Product Designer supports the mechanical design and manufacturing of custom products for consumer and commercial applications. Working closely with the Lead Mechanical Design Engineer, this role transforms building blueprints into detailed 2D and 3D designs using AutoCAD and Inventor or SolidWorks, ensuring that fabricators can manufacture precise products and customers can visualize the final product prior to production.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Lead Mechanical Design Engineer to develop mechanical designs for custom designs based on awarded bids and project specifications.
• Review and interpret building blueprints and measurements to create accurate, customized designs for consumer and commercial projects.
• Produce detailed 2D mechanical drawings in AutoCAD for fabrication, ensuring clarity and accuracy for shop personnel and fabricators.
• Create 3D models using Inventor or SolidWorks to simulate and present the final product design to customers prior to manufacturing.
• Translate design requirements into fabrication-ready drawings and details that are easy for the fabrication shop to read and interpret.
• Spend the initial period working in the fabrication shop to learn how products are built, and apply that knowledge to improve design and detailing for manufacturability.
• Support the transition to Inventor software by developing simulated 3D designs that accurately reflect product appearance and function.
• Design and update drawings for the current stock of product to become familiar with existing product lines and standards.
• Gradually take on more complex custom product design work, ensuring designs meet performance, safety, and aesthetic requirements.
• Ensure all designs comply with internal standards and project specifications, and coordinate with fabrication teams to resolve any design or detailing issues.

Essential Skills

• Hands-on experience with AutoCAD for 2D mechanical design, ideally in a product manufacturing environment.
• Proficiency in 3D mechanical design using Inventor or SolidWorks.
• Ability to read, interpret, and work from 2D blueprints and building plans.
• Experience creating detailed fabrication drawings and design details that support efficient manufacturing.
• Strong understanding of mechanical design principles as they apply to product or similar manufactured products.
• Ability to customize designs based on measurements and project specifications for consumer and commercial applications.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience in product manufacturing, particularly in environments involving custom or engineered-to-order products.
• Experience designing and detailing components for fabrication shops, with an emphasis on clarity and manufacturability.
• Familiarity with rolling and sliding grilles, coiling service products, or rolling shutters is beneficial but not required.
• Willingness to learn and adapt to new design software tools, including transitioning from AutoCAD to Inventor.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with engineering and fabrication teams in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

Work Environment

The role begins with approximately two months in the fabrication shop to gain a practical understanding of how products are manufactured, how components fit together, and how fabricators interpret drawings. This hands-on exposure informs better design and detailing practices. After this period, the engineer transitions into a design-focused environment, initially working on the current stock of products to become familiar with existing products, and then moving into more custom design work. The work involves regular use of AutoCAD for 2D drawings and Inventor or SolidWorks for 3D modeling and simulation. The environment is fast-paced and dynamic, with a strong focus on security and life safety closure products used across North America, and offers opportunities to contribute to a growing, innovative manufacturing organization.

Pay

The pay range for this position is $23.00 – $27.00/hr. Individual compensation offered within this range will depend on qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Benefits

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)