Product Development Engineer - Middleton, WI

Spectrum Brands' Home & Personal Care (HPC) Appliances business participates on a global basis in small electric appliances, shave/groom appliances, and beauty appliances. Our well-known brands include George Foreman®, Black+Decker®, Farberware®, Breadman®, Juiceman®, Russell Hobbs®, and Remington®. Our products appeal to consumer trends for healthy eating, stay-at-home cooking, and creating today's new hair styles. We distinguish our product offerings through forward-thinking, innovative technologies and a strong understanding of consumer needs to bring high-quality, superior products to market.

Location: Middleton, WI (Hybrid - In Office Tuesday through Thursday). No current or future sponsorship available.

About the Role

Spectrum Brands is seeking a Product Development Engineer to help bring innovative small appliances from concept to retail shelves. This is an excellent opportunity for an early-career mechanical engineer who enjoys solving technical challenges, working with cross-functional teams, and seeing products evolve from idea to production. This position is designed for candidates with approximately 0-5 years of experience, proficiency in 3D modeling software (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or similar), and a passion for product design, innovation, and consumer products.

Responsibilities

• Product Strategy & Planning
  • Supports development of product roadmaps and category initiatives.
  • Assists in gathering and organizing consumer insights, competitive benchmarking, and product data.
  • Contributes to product definition activities, including features, specifications, and supporting documentation.
• Product Development Execution
  • Leads projects through the Stage-Gate process, ensuring execution against defined scope, cost, schedule, and performance targets.
  • Supports development of product requirements, specifications, and validation plans.
  • Assists with prototype evaluation, product testing, and performance validation activities.
  • Supports cross-functional alignment and follows up on milestones and deliverables.
• Cross-Functional Coordination & Communication
  • Coordinates with R&D, Industrial Design, Sourcing, Quality, and Marketing to support project execution.
  • Supports preparation for gate reviews, presentations, and cross-functional meetings.
  • Communicates project status and escalates risks or issues as needed.
• Continuous Improvement & Execution
  • Supports improvements to NPD processes, tools, and documentation.
  • Maintains accurate documentation and project records.
  • Contributes to improving execution efficiency across projects.
  • Identifies and mitigates technical, supply, cost, and regulatory risks.
• Other
  • Travel 1-2 times per year internationally for project collaboration and product trend evaluation.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field required.
• 0-5 years of experience in product development, engineering, or related roles.
• Exposure to consumer products or retail-driven environments preferred.
• Familiarity with Stage-Gate or structured product development processes.

Skills

• Basic understanding of product development processes and cross-functional workflows.
• Ability to lead smaller scope projects and execute assigned tasks with accuracy and attention to detail.
• Strong technical aptitude and ability to support testing and product evaluation.
• Ability to gather, analyze, and summarize technical and business data.
• Structured problem-solving approach with ability to identify issues and escalate appropriately.
• Ability to work effectively within cross-functional teams.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.
• Willingness to learn, take direction, and incorporate feedback.
• Proficient with 3D modeling software (SolidWorks or Fusion preferred).

Pay

$60,000 - $80,000

Work Environment

Working conditions are normal for an office environment.