Kimball Midwest · 11 hours ago
Lead Product Engineer
Columbus, OH, US
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level
5+ years expKimball Midwest is a national distributor of maintenance, repair, and operation products, and they are searching for a Lead Product Engineer at their Columbus, Ohio location. The role involves leading product testing and technical validation, conducting research and development, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure product quality and performance.
AutomotiveChemicalE-CommerceSupply Chain Management
Responsibilities
Lead the evaluation and validation of new products for introduction into the Kimball Midwest MRO catalog across a wide range of product categories, including abrasives, cutting tools, fasteners, chemicals, electrical, hydraulics, tools, shop supplies, storage, fleet, and body shop products
Design, execute, and document comprehensive product testing to verify performance, durability, safety, and supplier marketing claims
Develop custom test methods and procedures when industry standards do not exist, ensuring results are repeatable, defensible, and technically sound
Serve as the technical authority responsible for approving the functional capabilities and performance claims of new and existing products
Research competitive and alternative products to benchmark performance and identify opportunities for differentiation or improvement
Identify and procure testing equipment as required to support product development and validation
Support private-label and private-brand product development by collaborating with suppliers and internal teams to refine technical specifications and performance requirements
Evaluate domestic sourcing options for existing imported products and new product concepts
Create and maintain clear, detailed documentation of test procedures, results, and conclusions to support repeatable testing and long-term knowledge retention
Develop internal testing standards and best practices to improve consistency and efficiency across product categories
Partner with Product Development, Marketing, Quality Assurance, and Category Management to provide technical guidance throughout the product lifecycle
Review and suggest edits to catalog pages, technical literature, and marketing materials to ensure accuracy and credibility of technical claims
Present testing results, product evaluations, and technical findings in internal meetings and sales forums
Support the development of technical product training materials and hands-on product demonstrations
Collaborate closely with the Quality Assurance Engineer to align testing methodologies and interpret results
Communicate technical expectations and feedback clearly to suppliers and internal stakeholders
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Engineering or 5+ years of equivalent hands-on product research, development, and testing experience
Experience thinking through potential product failure points and creating way to test them
Strong attention to detail and organization regarding documentation of product testing, performance, and conclusions
Proven ability to design testing methods from first principles when formal standards do not exist
Strong technical judgment and the ability to make data-driven decisions regarding product approval and performance claims
Demonstrated ability to work independently on long-term technical projects while effectively collaborating within a cross-functional team
Comfortable operating in ambiguity and solving open-ended technical problems
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly document test results and present technical information to non-engineers
Working knowledge of private-label product development and aftermarket product distribution within industrial, automotive, fleet, construction, or MRO environments
Preferred
Extensive experience conducting mechanical, electrical, and chemical product testing, including hands-on testing such as grinding, cutting, drilling, and chemical evaluation
Benefits
Health, dental and vision insurance
Company sponsored life
Optional life and disability insurance
Paid Parental leave
Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts
A 401(k) plus company match
Tuition Assistance
A Dress For Your Day dress code
Paid holidays
Company
Kimball Midwest
Kimball Midwest is an e-commerce store that offers an array of abrasive, automotive, electrical, paint, and cleaning products.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Kimball Midwest has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2021 (1)
2020 (1)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Julio Ramirez
Chief Financial Officer
Colleen Lowe
Executive Assistant to Chief Financial Officer
Recent News
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