Product Engineer

Company Overview

A. O. Smith is a global leader applying innovative technologies and energy‑efficient solutions to products manufactured and marketed worldwide. The company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of residential and commercial water heating equipment and boilers, as well as a manufacturer of water‑treatment products for residential and light‑commercial applications. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, A. O. Smith employs approximately 12,000 people across operations in the United States, Canada, China, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Primary Function

The Product Engineer is responsible for new product development, sustaining and improving existing product lines while also supporting manufacturing operations. This role focuses on innovative product design, continuous improvement, cost optimization, product quality, and maintaining accurate engineering documentation using SolidWorks.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and development activities for new products, including concept evaluation, CAD modeling, prototyping, testing, and validation.
• Provide design‑for‑manufacturing (DFM) and design‑for‑assembly (DFA) input and assist in transitioning new products from development to production.
• Provide engineering support for currently manufactured products to ensure performance, reliability, and compliance; investigate and resolve field issues, customer complaints, and internal quality concerns.
• Maintain product design integrity through controlled engineering change processes (ECR/ECO).
• Identify and implement design improvements to enhance product performance, reliability, and manufacturability; drive initiatives to reduce defects, improve durability, and simplify designs.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with Quality, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain to execute improvement projects.
• Analyze product cost structures and identify opportunities for material and component cost reductions; lead value‑engineering efforts, including alternative materials, supplier changes, and design simplification.
• Support sourcing initiatives by working with suppliers to optimize cost and performance.
• Participate in and lead product quality reviews, employing tools such as FMEA, 8D, and statistical analysis; partner with Quality Engineering to ensure compliance with internal standards and regulatory requirements.
• Provide engineering support to manufacturing teams to resolve production issues and improve throughput; develop and refine work instructions, assembly processes, and production documentation; troubleshoot and optimize processes on the production floor.
• Create, modify, and maintain 3D models, assemblies, and detailed drawings using SolidWorks; ensure engineering documentation is accurate, complete, and compliant with company standards; manage BOMs, drawing revisions, and data within the PDM/PLM system.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field (required).
• Minimum of 5 years of product engineering or design engineering experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience with sustaining engineering and product lifecycle management (strongly preferred).
• Knowledge of plastic part design and injection‑molding processes.
• Knowledge of water‑treatment and regulatory compliance (preferred, not required).
• Proficiency in SolidWorks (3D modeling, assemblies, drawing creation).
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes such as injection molding, machining, and assembly.
• Experience with cost reduction and value engineering.
• Familiarity with quality tools (FMEA, root‑cause analysis, Six Sigma methodologies).
• Knowledge of PLM/PDM systems (preferred).
• Experience with modeling tools including CFD and FEA (beneficial).
• Strong problem‑solving and analytical skills.
• Excellent communication and cross‑functional collaboration abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and drive projects to completion.
• Detail‑oriented with a focus on quality and continuous improvement.

Work Environment

Combination of office‑based engineering work and hands‑on support in a manufacturing environment. Occasional travel to suppliers or manufacturing sites may be required. Working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, etc.) and excellent written and oral communication skills.

Benefits

Competitive compensation package and comprehensive benefits plans which include medical and dental insurance, company‑sponsored life insurance, retirement security savings plan, short‑ and long‑term disability programs, and tuition assistance.