Innovation Engineer II

Our Core Values

ELEVATE EVERYTHING - We each bring a specific set of skills to the table, offering up our expertise and resources to enhance the work of others. We challenge each other to be the best in order to achieve enduring value in the eyes of our customers.

BETTER IS BETTER - There is no finish line; we strive for continuous improvement in everything we do. We obsess over every detail to find ways to improve both our products and our process.

UNAPOLOGETICALLY ACCOUNTABLE - We're open and honest in how we speak and listen. We celebrate each other's successes, and collectively rally to solve every challenge. We own it!

COURAGEOUS INNOVATION - There are elegant ideas awaiting discovery in everything we do. We push everyone around us to pursue those ideas openly so we can continue to dominate the category.

COMMUNITY DRIVEN - As a family business, we understand the importance of enriching the communities we call home. As a company, and as individuals, we work to make our expertise available to do the most good for those around us.

Job Summary

The Innovation Engineer II develops and validates new product technologies through hands-on experimentation, rapid prototyping, disciplined testing, structured idea generation, and direct project ownership. This role is a core contributor to the company's early technology pipeline, turning insights, brainstormed concepts, and unmet needs into tangible, testable solutions that can be incorporated into future products.

Working closely with the Test Lab and Prototyping group, the Innovation Engineer II owns assigned innovation projects end-to-end. This includes concept framing, product design as required to support testing, execution of experiments and validation, and preparing technologies for handoff to New Product Introduction (NPI) and Operations.

This is not a sustaining or production support role. Success is measured by learning velocity, ownership, and the clarity and quality of technical handoff.

Responsibilities

Project Management & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Own and manage assigned innovation projects, including scope definition, task planning, prioritization, risk tracking, and schedule visibility.
• Partner with Design Engineering, Manufacturing/Development Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Marketing to align constraints and expectations early.
• Maintain accurate task tracking with clear owners, priorities, risks, and status.
• Facilitate technical reviews and decision checkpoints using data and clear trade-offs.

Experiment Design & Execution

• Translate ideas and problem statements into clear hypotheses, test plans, success criteria, and measurable outputs.
• Select appropriate test approaches (screening tests, benchmarks, DOE, characterization) and ensure repeatability.
• Analyze results, document conclusions, and recommend next steps (iterate, pivot, stop, or hand off).

Prototyping, Product Design, & Iteration

• Perform hands-on product design as required to support experiments, testing, and technology handoff; scope and depth of design work may vary based on individual strengths and project needs.
• Design and work with internal teams and outside partners to build prototypes, fixtures, and test articles.
• Work closely with Prototyping and Test Lab teams to plan builds and tests safely and efficiently.
• Apply design-for-test and design-for-manufacture thinking early, without over-optimizing prematurely.

Ideation, Brainstorming & Concept Generation

• Actively participate in and help facilitate structured brainstorming, concept reviews, and technology exploration sessions.
• Translate broad problem spaces, user needs, or strategic focus areas into concrete technical concepts worth testing.
• Rapidly frame ideas into first-pass concepts, assumptions, and experiment plans to quickly separate signal from noise.

Validation & Test Method Development

• Work with our Test Lab to develop and refine test methods where none exist; define measurement approaches and acceptance criteria.
• Execute validation plans with strong traceability: what changed, why, and what the data shows.
• Produce clear, defensible test reports that enable downstream teams to trust and reuse results.

Documentation & Handoff Discipline

• Maintain complete and accurate records: experiment logs, CAD/drawings, BOMs, test procedures, data, and learnings.
• Create handoff-ready technical packages including design intent, assumptions, test evidence, risks, and recommended next steps for Core NPI / Operations.

Safety & Lab Practices

• Follow lab and shop safety requirements and PPE expectations.
• Support risk assessments and promote safe, repeatable methods.

Qualifications

Required Qualification

• S. in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• 3-5 years of hands-on experience in product development, R&D, innovation, advanced manufacturing, or test engineering.
• Experience designing experiments, building prototypes, executing tests, and translating results into clear technical decisions.
• Working proficiency with CAD (Creo or similar) and the ability to communicate designs through models or drawings.
• Ability to document work clearly (test plans, procedures, reports) for use by downstream teams.
• Demonstrated ownership of projects or workstreams, including planning, prioritization, and status communication.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with DOE or applied statistics beyond basics.
• Hands-on exposure to machining, CNC/CAM, additive manufacturing, or metrology.
• Familiarity with DFMA principles and early manufacturing risk identification.
• Lean or continuous improvement experience.
• Background in consumer products, tools, outdoor/EDC, or other mechanically intensive products.

Working Conditions

• Working Environment: Office Position
• Physical Demands:
  
  
  
  • Lifting to 25 lbs.
  • Sitting and talking on the phone for long periods of time.
  • Data entry for long periods of time.
  
  
  
  
• Travel Requirements: As needed, less than 5% of the time.