Opportunity
As a key technical contributor to New Product Development,
the Senior Project Engineer for the North America Shower Door
department is uniquely positioned to identify and drive new innovations and
user experiences.  If you are the type of
engineer who likes to get into the details of a design, but also craves the
understanding of how your work fits into the larger picture, this position is
for you.  Working in highly
cross-functional teams, you will design and validate parts, assemblies, and
systems that delight consumers.  Driving
speed and quality of product launches will directly contribute to Kohler’s
leadership in the Bath, Shower, and Styling Space industry.
Under the functional guidance of the department Manager, you
will provide technical direction for major new research and development, as
well as product design, product improvement, and cost reduction projects.  In this role you will plan, schedule, and
coordinate design and development projects. This position requires technical
innovation and skill in the areas of design, analysis, development, and testing
of new products and components, so come prepared to make your mark on the
industry!    
HOW YOU WILL
CONTRIBUTE
Show your skills: Apply engineering fundamentals and structured problem solving to enable top-notch engineering designs. Conduct technical feasibility analysis of new product concepts. Lever age yo engineering peers for insight, feedback, and review to make your technical work the best it can be.Collaborate to succeed: Partner with your cross-functional teammates in Marketing, Purchasing, Quality, Manufacturing, Program Management, and Industrial Design. Face the hard decisions head-on and use the variety of team perspectives to generate better solutions. Recommend next steps and drive alignment with business leadership to launch quality products with speed and consistency.Utilize Global Talent: Engage Centers of Excellence and Technical Centers around the globe to complete project deliverables and promote parts reuse.
Help make us better: Evaluate designs for environmental sustainability and recommend improvements. Visit customers or engage experts to understand installation needs and opportunities for quality improvements.Bring it all together: Maximize the attention to detail you’ve cultivated as an engineer. Structure and coordinate test requests, bills of materials, engineering timelines, technical communications, and other engineering activities in support of new product launches.
THE DETAILS
Inspire and invent creative solutions to the Shower Door product categories. Apply innovative practices and ideas to product design that lead our industry and delight our customers.
Determine the technical feasibility of new product concepts, as well as product redesigns for existing products. Prepare detailed project plans including technical objectives and approaches, design specifications, schedule plans, project cost estimates, and product cost analyses.
Carry out in-depth design and development work of a moderately complex nature. Particular attention is given to qualification test plans to create robust products. Prepare or oversee creation of drawings and documentation needed to define or update the product specification for retail and commercial shower doors.
Manage system level engineering of a product. Accountable for comprehensive test plans and risk analysis for full system, which can include mechanical, material, installation, and field tests.
Provide engineering analysis and implementation of design modifications for product changes, improved production efficiency, or cost efficiency across a multi plant, multi-plant vendor worldwide manufacturing base.
Prepare project, technical, cost, and other reports to show project progress as required. Monitor and take appropriate action to achieve project objectives.
Establish, update, and maintain product specifications, including all meaningful details pertinent to product manufacturability requirements, regulatory considerations, and marketing/sales considerations.
Conduct and attend Technical Design Reviews, Failure Mode and Effect Analyses, and brainstorming sessions and contribute sound professional opinion, creative ideas, concepts, and approaches to new product design and development projects.
Counsel and mentor less-senior engineers and technical support personnel as required.
Capture knowledge for re-use and sharing across the development organization as appropriate.
Maintain state-of-the-art awareness of relevant product technologies.
Use speaking, writing and listening skills to effectively share information, communicate results, express opinions and motivate others to act both internally and within Kohler’s customer base.
Successfully establish and maintain positive relationships with all contacts. Make appropriate decisions using support tools, accurate data, and critical thinking to justify risk under critical review.
Exhibit, and encourage others to exhibit, behaviors and actions that delight customers, inspire people, boldly innovate, and show an own-it mentality and ability to prioritize appropriately.