Lead Mechanical Engineer, Product Engineering

Vitamix is unquestionably the premium brand of high-performance “blenders,” and known for its top-notch company culture and climate. It is an important component of what makes Vitamix unique and successful, and the reason why Vitamix is recognized as a Top Workplace, NorthCoast99 Winner, and Smart Culture Award recipient.

Throughout its 100+ year history, Vitamix has encouraged and promoted healthy lifestyles for both its customers and employees. Employees enjoy multiple wellness programs and perks, a free Vitamix machine, and an onsite fitness center. Vitamix also offers a flexible work environment, great work culture, healthy living initiatives like fitness reimbursements, and opportunities for advancement.

For consumers, Vitamix can be found domestically in places like William Sonoma, Sur la Table, Crate & Barrel, Target, Amazon, and at Vitamix.com, and is in over 130 countries around the world.

Ultimately, Vitamix is the Global-leader in high-performance blending solutions for home and commercial use, is preferred by chefs and is found in many of top restaurants around the world. It is relied upon by culinary schools in the U.S. and has been used to train thousands of students and master chefs worldwide. If it is not a Vitamix, it’s just a blender.

Vitamix is seeking a Lead Mechanical Engineer, Product Engineering who will execute the development and implementation of any engineered change whether it is for New Product Development or Sustaining Engineering. This includes, but isn’t limited to, defining internal/external customer needs, developing concepts that meet the needs, vetting concepts through analytical and/or empirical means to propose final solutions to the business, and integrating the solution into manufacturing for launch readiness. As subject matter expert, they will use their knowledge and experience to coach and mentor other team members and improve the overall design and functionality of Vitamix products. They will also be responsible for leading broader team/department initiatives aimed at improving design practices and processes.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Deliver on technical aspects of project designs that satisfy functional, performance, reliability, regulatory and other internal company requirements.
• Collaborates with cross-functional departments to facilitate the successful execution of projects.
• Collaborate with both domestic and international suppliers/partners/contract manufacturers to deliver products that are internally developed, co-developed, or sourced.
• Utilize stage-gate product development framework for New Product Development.
• Utilize Technical Review processes and tools for engineered changes.
• Assess and address project technical risks in compliance with appropriate standards and corporate policies.
• Lead requirement generation activities, derived from internal/external customers’ needs.
• Lead derivation of required analytical activities, and testing for Verification and Validation of component/sub-system/system requirements through Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA).
• Lead root cause analysis for problem solving and implement corrective action strategies based on findings.
• Demonstrate technical leadership by coaching and mentoring others
• Seek and lead continuous improvement activities around product development processes and methodologies
• Build technical competencies within the team

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

Experience:

7+ years related experience

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree at an ABET accredited university in Engineering

Master’s Degree in Engineering or related field is preferred

Technical Skills:

• Expert in MS Office, especially Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel
• Practitioner of 3D CAD tools (CREO preferred) and PLM systems (Windchill preferred)
• Practitioner in applying Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Solid Mechanics, and Vibration First Principles
• Practitioner in applying self-made mathematical models or leveraging CAE tools (FEA, CFD, etc.) to solve engineering problems
• Practitioner in Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA)
• Design application experience across different manufacturing methods including, but not limited to, injection molding, casting, machining, and sheet metal
• Practitioner in Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T)
• Practitioner in Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
• Practitioner in Statistical tools and methods such as Tolerance Analysis, Regression Modeling, ANOVA, Weibull, Casual and Predictive Analysis, Optimization, etc.
• Practitioner with Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Creation and Management
• Practitioner in predicting and managing budget for technical activities (OPEX and CAPEX) related to project execution
• Practitioner in Design for Reliability (DFR) is preferred
• Design for Six Sigman (DFSS) Green Belt is preferred

Other Requirements:

• Critical Thinking - Ability to break down complex information, identify key elements, and assess their validity and relevance.
• Relationship Building - Ability to establish, maintain, and cultivate positive relationships with individuals, teams, and external stakeholders to foster a collaborative environment
• Flexibility - Ability to adjust quickly to changing priorities, new information, and diverse situations, while remaining focused on achieving goals.
• Organizational Skills - Effectively manages time, prioritizes tasks, meets deadlines, and maintains systems for achieving goals.
• Attention to Detail - Consistently maintains high standards of quality and accuracy across different tasks and projects.
• Communication - Ability to express ideas clearly, confidently, and succinctly in both formal and informal settings.
• Emotional Intelligence - Demonstrates the ability to effectively manage one’s own emotions and understand, empathize with, and influence the emotions of others, fostering positive relationships and collaboration.
• Reliability/Dependability - Highly reliable, proactive self-starter; can be counted on to complete assignments on time
• Initiative - Proactive problem solver, takes calculated risks, and seeks opportunities for improvement.
• Resourcefulness - Leverages available resources and contacts to overcome obstacles and achieve project goals efficiently.
• Influence - Ability to persuade and guide others towards a desired outcome.
• Process Improvement - Demonstrated ability to analyze workflows, identify inefficiencies, and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency and reduce costs.
• Team Motivation/Engagement - Effectively addresses morale challenges and utilizes a variety of approaches to energize and engage team members.
• Change Leadership - Champion a culture of continuous improvement and adaptation, encouraging employees to embrace change to align with organizations vision and goals.
• Delegation/Empowerment - Delegates tasks and responsibilities, ensuring clear expectations, providing necessary support, and holding individuals accountable for outcomes, while fostering a culture of trust and empowerment.

Physical Demands:

• Ability to sit up to 8 hours per day, with walking and standing required frequently
• Visual acuity is required to perform activities such as: preparing and analyzing data, viewing a computer terminal, reading documents, reports, and emails
• Repetitive hand movements for tasks like typing or assembly

Amount of Travel Required: Up to 10% travel required

# of Direct Reports: 0

Work Schedule/Shift: Monday-Friday 8:00AM-5:00PM

Work Arrangement: Hybrid

Work Environment: Office

The Company has reviewed this job description to ensure that essential functions and basic duties have been included. It is intended to provide guidelines for job expectations and the employee's ability to perform the position described. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate. This document does not represent a contract of employment, and the Company reserves the right to change this job description and/or assign tasks for the employee to perform, as the Company may deem appropriate.

Reasonable Accommodations Statement

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.