Niles Audio Employment

Product Engineer

POSITION SUMMARY:Niles provides high-quality products that integrate home control/automation functions and distribute home entertainment for the residential and light commercial markets. The Product Engineer ensures that products transition smoothly from design to manufacturing. The Product Engineer must have expertise in Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Design for Test (DFT), and delivery of complete documentation packages suitable for contract manufacturers (CMs) primarily located in China.

This is a critical role in the company, providing the bridge between design engineering and manufacturing operations so that new products enter production successfully while enabling the operations team to support production products with minimal engineering assistance. The Product Engineer must be an excellent communicator with the ability to work with a diverse group of stakeholders including engineers, technicians, functional and program managers, service/support staff, and suppliers based in the U.S., China and other international locations.

FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB

Essential Functions

Works closely with design team to ensure DFM. Must understand electronic design details and must have expertise developing robust automated test procedures. Defines test procedures, fixtures, jigs and other equipment needs for functional and performance testing.
Recommends design changes early in the design cycle to enhance product performance and functionality; to improve quality and manufacturability; to eliminate variation; and to reduce cost.
Assists with product validation to ensure that the final product meets all requirements before production release.
Participates in evaluation/selection of CMs and factory audits.
Trains CM personnel to build and test new products before release.
Assists CMs in creating detailed work instructions. Negotiates work sharing with CMs.
Continuously pursues/finds opportunities to reduce manufacturing cost and variation.
Determines root cause of escalated manufacturing issues and initiates corrective action.
Oversees prototype, pilot, and early production runs to ensure that engineering deliverables are complete/accurate and that CMs deliver units that meet all of the requirements. Tracks BOM, assembly drawing and schematic revisions to ensure CMs are building to the correct revision level and that CM documentation matches Niles’ released documentation.
Identifies resource needs in order to fulfill Product Engineering requirements.
Assists in compliance efforts required to obtain safety agency approvals (UL, CE, CSA, FCC, etc.).
Plans, develops and executes environmental tests and accelerated life/stress tests.
Participates in product design reviews as an authority regarding manufacturability.
Helps to establish achievable, aggressive manufacturing cost targets for new products.

POSITION QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Education:

BS and/or MS in Electronics Engineering or a similar, relevant discipline.

Experience:

Minimum 3 years experience in electronics design engineering with reponsibility to get new designs fully into production.
Minimum 3 years experience developing board and system-level manufacturing tests involving analog, digital and RF circuitry.
Experience analyzing tradeoffs between manual testing and automation that impact cost and product performance/reliability. Has expert knowledge of the latest automation methods and tools appropriate for Asian CM environments.
Experience transitioning products to contract manufacturers in China.
Experience with agency compliance, environmental, and reliability testing.

Short Term Initiatives:

Work with Product Engineering team to learn Niles’ products, systems and processes.
Develop strong understanding of Niles’ deliverables to CMs.
Build relationships with key personnel at contract manufacturing facilities.
Develop test procedures, fixtures and jigs for new products.
Improve DFM guidelines.
Improve manufacturing test automation.

Skills & Requirements:

Expert at developing board and system-level manufactuing tests involving analog, digital and RF circuitry.
Excellent problem solving and critical thinking skills.
Strong communication skills (verbal and written) in English.
Chinese language skills a plus.
Must be able to communicate and negotiate with team members and outside vendors.
Must be proficient with computers, Microsoft Office applications, ERP systems, and Lotus Notes.
Good presentation and organizational skills.
Excellent work ethic, business ethics, and high quality standards are required.
Applied understanding and experience with lean manufacturing principles.

Physical/Visual Activities or Demands: Physical/visual activities or demands that are commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, talk, and hear. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms.
The employee must exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.
Clarity of vision at 20 feet or more as well as 20 inches or less.
Must be able to stand for long periods of time in a trade show environment.
Must be able to work with deadlines and under pressure.

Working Conditions: Working conditions commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job.

Office, laboratory and various factory settings.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees may be required to follow other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties as requested, subject to all applicable state and federal laws. Certain job functions described herein may not be subject to possible modification in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.

"Commonly associated" is not inteneded to mean always or only. There are different experiences that suggest other ways or circumstance where reasonable changes or accommodations are appropriate.

All activies, Demands, Conditions and Requirements are linked to Essential Job Functions unless marked with an asterisk which denotes linkage only to marginal function(s). which denotes linkage only to marginal function(s).