Product Development Engineer - Middleton, WI

Division Information

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, creating today's new hair style and much more. We distinguish our product offerings from the competition by employing forward thinking, innovative technologies matched with a strong understanding of consumer needs to bring to market high quality, superior products that delight the end user.

Job Summary

Location: Middleton, WI (Hybrid - In Office Tuesday through Thursday)

Salary Range: $60,000 - $80,000

No current or future sponsorship available.

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
• Individuals with 3D modelling software experience (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or similar)
• Engineers with a passion for product design, innovation, and consumer products
• Strong communicators who enjoy collaborating across multiple teams and functions
• Candidates looking for a role that combines technical engineering work with exposure to the full product lifecycle, from concept through commercialization

Primary Duties & 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.

Education and Experience Profile

• 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.

Required 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 modelling software (Solidworks or Fusion preferred).

Work Environment

Working conditions are normal for an office environment.