Product Development Engineer

Product Development Engineer Are you an engineer who loves turning ideas into real products? Do you enjoy taking a problem or opportunity, developing a solution, building prototypes, testing what works, and ultimately seeing your product make it into production? At The Pond Guy, our Product Development Engineer owns products throughout the development lifecycle, from concept development and mechanical design through prototyping, testing, validation, manufacturing, and production launch. This is an opportunity for someone who wants more than a traditional CAD or design role. You'll solve practical engineering problems, build and test ideas, collaborate directly with cross-functional teams and suppliers, and see the products you develop being built and used by customers. If this sounds like you, we'd love to talk. Apply to join our team as a Product Development Engineer! See the details of the position below. The Pond Guy / Airmax, Inc. is the leading manufacturer of pond, lake, and water garden products, including aeration systems, fountains, and water treatments. The Pond Guy sells nationwide to both end-users and a network of Airmax distributors. As a Product Development Engineer, you will lead new products from concept through production launch while identifying opportunities to improve existing products. You'll turn customer needs, product opportunities, and engineering challenges into practical solutions that can be built, tested, manufactured, and scaled. This is a hands-on role where you'll work across mechanical design, prototyping, testing, validation, supplier collaboration, DFMA, and production readiness. You'll collaborate with cross-functional teams to balance performance, quality, manufacturability, reliability, cost, and customer needs. Here's what that looks like day-to-day: Own multiple product development projects, leading products from concept through prototype, testing, validation, and production launch Work directly with suppliers, contract manufacturers, and external engineering partners to support product development, validation, manufacturability, and production launch Serve as technical lead for assigned projects, ensuring strong design execution, manufacturability (DFMA), and production readiness Design mechanical components and assemblies in SolidWorks, ensuring performance, quality, manufacturability, and cost targets are met Lead and facilitate design reviews, ensuring design alignment with performance, quality, and product requirements Build and iterate prototypes using in-house equipment, including a full machine shop and multiple 3D printing machines, performing testing and validation through structured plans and real-world evaluation Improve existing products by using structured problem-solving, root cause analysis, testing, and competitive benchmarking to improve performance, reliability, manufacturability, and cost Provide engineering and technical support across multiple business entities and intercompany operations as needed Demonstrate ownership, curiosity, and persistence while identifying opportunities for product and process innovation

Experience with various manufacturing processes such as machining, casting, metal forming, injection molding, welding/joining, extrusion, etc. Proficiency in SolidWorks and/or similar 3D-modeling software Solid understanding of GD&TBecause this position involves a variety of tasks, the physical requirements for both in-office and in-the-field environments are necessary. This position requires manual dexterity for typing, sitting at a desk, and looking at a computer screen for long periods. This position also requires the ability to swim, perform repetitive motions for extended periods; demonstrate manual dexterity when working with small components; frequently bend, stoop, and stand for long durations; lift, lower, and carry packages typically weighing 25–50 lbs; and handle packages up to 150 lbs with assistance. In the field, expect adverse weather conditions including heat, cold, rain, etc. for portions of the position that may be completed in these circumstances. Our Product Development Engineer will require extensive use of a computer system. This position involves a high degree of interaction with engineers, technicians, managers, leads, and other departments (Purchasing, Production, Customer Service, etc.). Organization, follow-up, and communication skills are essential factors in the daily administration of this position. We're looking for a Product Development Engineer who approaches challenges with curiosity, resourcefulness, and a solutions-focused mindset. When something doesn't work, you're willing to dig in, understand why, and find a better solution.