Product Development Engineer - AI-Enabled Innovation

About the role

Working at Freudenberg: "We will wow your world!" This is our promise. As a global technology group, we not only make the world cleaner, healthier and more comfortable, but also offer our 52,000 employees a networked and diverse environment where everyone can thrive individually. Be surprised and experience your own wow moments. We at Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies run the business operations of Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) in the Americas. Being part of the global Freudenberg Group, our company is a leading producer of advanced sealing technologies for automotive and general industries. Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies is a joint venture between Freudenberg and NOK Corp. in Japan, is headquartered in Plymouth, MI, operates more than 20 facilities and employs about 4,700 people across the Americas.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of new products from concept through prototype validation, applying structured engineering and innovation methodologies.
• Translate customer needs and market opportunities into technical requirements, product concepts, and differentiated engineering solutions.
• Design, model, prototype, test, and refine products and systems using sound engineering principles and data-driven decision making.
• Define and execute validation plans, collaborating with laboratory and technical teams to verify product performance and reliability.
• Partner with materials, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and commercial teams to ensure designs are robust, manufacturable, and cost-effective.
• Leverage digital engineering tools, coding, automation, and AI-assisted workflows to improve productivity, accelerate design iterations, and enhance engineering outcomes.
• Manage technical projects, risks, and deliverables while effectively communicating recommendations and results to customers, leadership, and cross-functional stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Robotics Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in product development, new product engineering, mechanical design, or a related engineering function.
• Demonstrated success leading products from concept through design, prototyping, testing, and validation.
• Strong proficiency with 3D CAD, engineering analysis, technical documentation, and product development processes.
• Solid understanding of engineering fundamentals, problem solving, design trade-offs, tolerance analysis, root cause investigation, and data-driven decision making.
• Experience working in a manufacturing environment and collaborating with cross-functional teams to develop innovative products.
• Exposure to coding, engineering automation, Python, AI-enabled engineering tools, or digital engineering workflows, with a passion for leveraging emerging technologies to improve engineering effectiveness.

Benefits

• 401K Match: Save for retirement with the company's help.
• Health Insurance: Rely on comprehensive services whenever you need it.
• Vacation: We offer time off to refresh and recharge.
• Paid Holidays: With paid-time off, local holidays are all the way more relaxing.
• Personal Development: We offer a variety of trainings to ensure you can develop in your career.

Schedule

Plymouth, MI Hybrid Work