Product Development Specialist – Outdoor & Recreation & Baby

About the role

The Product Development Specialist will own the technical design and development of consumer products across Outdoor & Recreation and Baby (Learning & Development) segments. Working within New Product Creation, you will translate concepts into safe, manufacturable solutions that meet performance, cost and quality targets.

Key responsibilities

• Lead end‑to‑end technical development of outdoor gear (coolers, drinkware, camping equipment) and baby items (bottles, pacifiers, feeding products) from concept through contract gate.
• Balance priorities across two product segments, ensuring timelines and business commitments are met.
• Translate consumer, marketing and business requirements into detailed designs, architectures and specifications.
• Own design trade‑offs across performance, cost, quality, safety, aesthetics and manufacturability (DFM/DFA).
• Drive design reviews and obtain technical sign‑offs with cross‑functional and regional stakeholders.
• Lead VAVE (Value Analysis/Value Engineering) initiatives to achieve target cost reductions.
• Design mechanical and structural systems, select appropriate materials and processes (injection‑molded, blow‑molded, etc.).
• Produce 3D CAD models, engineering drawings, specifications, prototypes and compliance documentation.

Required profile

• Strong mechanical and product‑design engineering background with experience in consumer product development.
• Demonstrated expertise in materials selection and manufacturing processes for plastic and metal components.
• Solid understanding of safety and regulatory compliance, especially for juvenile products.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with R&D, industrial design, marketing, sourcing, quality, regulatory and plant NPI teams.

Required skills

• 3D CAD modeling and drawing creation.
• Mechanical design and structural analysis.
• Materials engineering and process selection (injection molding, blow molding).
• Design for Manufacturing/Assembly (DFM/DFA).
• Value Analysis/Value Engineering (VAVE) techniques.