Product Development Engineering Manager

Project Development Engineering Manager

The Project Development Engineering Manager will lead the design and delivery of innovative new products, technologies, and customer-facing solutions that drive company growth and deliver superior value to our customers. This strategic role is critical to differentiating from competitors and building a sustainable pipeline of innovative solutions in the foodservice space. The ideal candidate is highly creative, technically skilled, customer-focused, and process-drivenable to take concepts from ideation through to production launch with excellence and efficiency. There are potential growth opportunities to join the executive leadership team.

Responsibilities

• Lead new product development by driving the full lifecycle of product development from ideation and concept generation through prototyping, validation, production handoff, and market launch.
• Own timelines, resources, budgets, and stakeholder coordination across multiple NPD projects to deliver results that meet both customer and company expectations.
• Partner directly with customers to understand their needs, collect feedback, and deliver solutions tailored to real-world use cases.
• Monitor market trends, competitive technologies, and foodservice innovation to position the company as a leader in next-generation solutions.
• Use agile methods and quick iteration to validate ideas and reduce time-to-market.
• Establish and improve scalable development processes, design standards, and best practices for repeatable success.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external vendors to ensure product success.
• Evaluate development investments through ROI modeling and cost analysis, ensuring designs are aligned with business goals.
• Lead and support the technical integration of newly acquired technologies or product lines into systems and standards.

Essential Skills

Additional Skills & Qualifications

Work Environment

The role operates within an office environment that includes a lab. The company is a third-generation family-owned business, offering room for growth and advancement. There is a relocation package available for out-of-state candidates, and potential considerations for in-state candidates.

Job Type & Location

This is a permanent position based out of Hicksville, Ohio.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $100,000.00 - $130,000.00 / yr. Benefits : 401(k) with company match, Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, Employee Assistance Program, Employee Discounts, and more.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Fort Wayne, IN.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 20, 2025.