Product Development Engineering Manager

Salary range:$100-110k + annually

About the opportunity
Our client, an established manufacturer of loading dock and material handling equipment, is seeking a Product Development Engineering Manager to lead a multi-disciplinary engineering team. The team is responsible for the design, development, validation, and continuous improvement of products including dock levelers, dock lifts, vehicle restraints, and related systems. This role partners closely with Sales, Production, Procurement, Quality, Finance, and senior leadership to deliver safe, reliable, manufacturable, and cost-effective product solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop the product development engineering team through workload planning, coaching, performance feedback, and technical guidance


• Plan, prioritize, and oversee product development projects to meet timelines, budgets, quality objectives, and business requirements


• Track and report project status, resource allocation, risks, and progress using project management software and regular cross-functional communication


• Establish, maintain, and improve engineering standards, design practices, release processes, and documentation controls


• Review and approve engineering drawings, specifications, Bills of Material (BOMs), part numbers, technical calculations, and manufacturing release packages


• Oversee the creation and maintenance of product data in SolidWorks, MRP systems, and related engineering documentation systems


• Drive product rationalization, BOM accuracy, cost reduction, standardization, and manufacturability improvements across assigned product lines


• Collaborate with Production, Quality, Procurement, and Sales to resolve technical issues, improve product reliability, and support customer and market requirements


• Lead prototype, pre-production, testing, validation, and design verification activities to meet performance, safety, quality, and manufacturability requirements


• Ensure lessons learned from development, manufacturing, field feedback, and quality concerns are built into final products and future design practices


• Support the development of manufacturing lines, fixtures, tooling, work instructions, and process documentation using Lean principles


• Champion continuous improvement initiatives that raise engineering efficiency, reduce errors, shorten time-to-market, and support core business functions


• Provide technical review and support for approval drawings, cost estimates, design calculations, FEA, customer requests, and production concerns


• Prepare and present engineering reports, recommendations, project updates, and technical findings to senior management


• Participate in the design of new products and prototypes as required


• Follow all health and safety requirements, including PPE use, hazard reporting, and required safety training

Required skills

• Demonstrated leadership experience, with the ability to coach, develop, motivate, and hold engineering team members accountable


• Strong product development, project management, and cross-functional coordination skills


• Ability to manage competing priorities, urgent requests, resources, and deadlines in a fast-paced manufacturing environment


• Strong technical judgment in reviewing designs, analyzing data, evaluating risk, and making sound engineering recommendations


• Advanced knowledge of SolidWorks, engineering documentation systems, MS Office, and MRP/ERP systems


• Experience leading multi-disciplinary engineering projects and supporting manufacturing, quality, procurement, and sales functions


• Strong knowledge of quality control, design verification, manufacturing processes, and production qualification requirements


• Working knowledge of Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, root cause analysis, and structured problem solving


• Excellent English verbal and written communication, with the ability to work effectively with employees, customers, suppliers, and senior leadership


• Professional, logical, and safety-focused approach to problem solving and decision making

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related technical discipline (required)

Assets

• 4+ years of engineering experience, preferably in material handling equipment, loading dock systems, heavy manufacturing, or related industrial products


• 3+ years leading, supervising, or mentoring engineers, designers, technologists, or technical project teams


• Advanced experience with SolidWorks CAD, engineering release processes, and product data management


• Experience implementing CADM, engineering change control, and configuration management in heavy manufacturing


• Full knowledge of configuration and data management within an ISO 9001 certified quality system


• Technical background in hydraulic, mechanical, electrical, structural, and welded components


• Previous exposure to scissor lifts, dock levelers, vehicle restraints, and material handling equipment


• P.Eng. designation


• Training in engineering management, project management, Lean/Six Sigma, or leadership