Product Development Engineer- Hardware

AFL manufactures industry-leading fiber optic cable, connectivity and accessories and provides engineering and installation services for some of the largest telecom customers in the world. Our company was founded in 1984 with a single fiber optic cable and today, we manufacture thousands of products, generate an excess of $3B in revenue, and employ approximately 12,000 associates worldwide. At AFL, we recognize that our employees are our greatest asset. We hire and train each individual, investing in them to ensure success in their careers. With a commitment to professional development and growth, let us connect you to your next career opportunity.

The Hardware Product Development Engineer will be part of a high-performing team responsible for the design and development of hardware products and technologies for the utility and telecom industries. This person will be responsible for leading projects that launch the products and technologies that enable AFL to continue its strong growth in new and existing markets.

Responsibilities

• Lead new product development projects from Concept through Design, Development, Testing, and Industrialization while following a formal stage-gate process
• Design and develop new products utilizing advanced modeling tools and engineering principles.
• Interface with Product Line Managers, Applications Engineers, Market Managers, Manufacturing Engineers, Designer, Test Lab Engineers, Engineering Technicians during all phases of product development and to support existing products
• Collaborate with international team on development projects.
• Apply engineering analysis to make data-driven design decisions
• Lead and/or contribute to major testing, process, materials, capital, and quality improvement projects
• Gain and apply comprehensive understanding of hardware product installation, test, and application methods to all new product development projects
• Hands on development including running and analyzing experiments for new and existing products, processes, and materials
• Coordinate and build engineering prototypes for design verification testing
• Write test plans and oversee development and qualification testing
• Conduct post design verification testing analysis, as needed, to identify potential design improvement opportunities
• Apply DFM/DFA principles (Design for Manufacturing and Assembly)
• Provide internal and external customers with product, applications, and hardware expertise as needed
• Adhere to and promote the environmental, health & safety policies of AFL
• Perform other development related duties as requested, directed or assigned

• Self-starter with integrity and confidence who strives to achieve in even the most challenging environments with limited supervision.
• Team Player with well-developed interpersonal skills who is comfortable in a cross functional, multi-cultural environment.
• Solid communication and interpersonal skills; able to communicate effectively at all levels of the business (shop floor to upper management)
• Strong Organization skills; ability to manage multiple projects and organize inputs through stage gate process.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; research and data minded on the front end of analyses.

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering or Materials Science. 
• 5+ years of technical experience conducting Product Development
• 5+ years of Project Management experience
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• Strong interpersonal, influencing, and teamwork skills
• Effective time management and organizational skills

• Electrical Utility industry experience, especially design, development, and/or applications
• Fiber Optic industry experience, especially design, development, and/or applications
• Demonstrated ability to create innovative solutions/designs (Patents, Intellectual Property)
• Process experience in castings, extrusion, stranding, metal forming/welding
• Experience in tooling design with Solidworks
• Initiative-taker with a drive to research and investigate industry trends, standards, and manufacturing methods
• Experience with statistical process control and statistical analysis
• Professional certifications such as Professional Engineer (PE), Project Management Professional (PMP), and/or Six Sigma Black Belt preferred

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