Hardgoods Engineer Manager

JOB OVERVIEW

The Hardgoods Engineering Manager plays a crucial role in leading and overseeing the development and manufacturing of high-performance hardgoods products for motocross and mountain biking enthusiasts. This position requires a strong technical background, exceptional leadership skills, and the ability to drive innovation in the design and production of hardgoods.

As a Hardgoods Engineering Manager, you'll use your exceptional skills and knowledge of products and processes to bring innovative designs to completion through your team. Your focus will be to develop quality, on-time, cost efficient MX and MTB products that are an accurate reflection of Fox Racing's position as an industry leader, by building and managing a team of designers and developers while reaching out to cross-functional team members that are critical to process. You will be responsible for managing and improving the development process and resources, in order to develop products on time under budget, that meet the brief targets.

This position reports to the Sr. Director of Hardgoods, is based out of our Irvine, CA office, and is on a hybrid work schedule.

As the Hardgoods Engineering Manager, you will have an opportunity to:

• Product Development: Lead and manage a team of engineers and designers in the development of hardgoods products, ensuring they meet the highest standards of quality, performance, and safety. Review and prioritize performance and style to properly incorporate them into products. Visualize performance and styling goals and create solutions to achieve them. Manage the CAD Design process to optimize internal and factory CAD resources for productivity and efficiency. Manage documentation processes to maintain project documentation such as 3D CAD files, engineering drawings, spec sheets, bill of materials, project schedules, certification documents, etc.
• Innovation: Foster a culture of innovation, continuously seeking ways to improve product designs, materials, and manufacturing processes to maintain the brands positions as a leader in the industry. Products will be evaluated for success using the following criteria: Innovation, function, fit, comfort, relevance to brand identity, technology utilization, quality, aesthetics, timely completion, manufacturability and realized margins

• Project Management: Create and manage project schedules, budgets, and resources to ensure timely delivery of hardgoods products. Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Design, Marketing, and Quality Control.

• Technical Expertise: Stay up-to-date with industry trends and technologies related to hardgoods product development and implement best practices in engineering and manufacturing processes. Manage and improve the graphics development processes to improve sample delivery timing to have fully built samples for FLA.

• Quality Assurance: Implement and oversee rigorous quality control processes to ensure products meet or exceed industry standards, customer expectations, and regulatory requirements.

• Cost Management: Work on cost-effectiveness solutions without compromising product quality, ensuring that products are competitive in the market. Manage costing for the hardgoods team, build quote packages for product and tooling costs, conduct vendor quotations, track project costs, to meet product design goals. Manage the PLM costin process . Work cross-functionally to manage CAPEX tooling budget and run NPVs for all hardgoods project. Aides in creating annual budget, where needed, and works within the budget.

• Vendor and Supplier Management: Collaborate with external suppliers and manufacturers to source materials and components, negotiate contracts, and maintain strong vendor relationships. Visit vendors manufacturing facilities to sample and commercialize intended product design. Study vendors development techniques, production processes and technological capabilities to enhance professional knowledge, further vendor relationship and assist in the innovation of product design/development. Build and manage strategic partnerships with key technology partners as it pertains to mainline development.

• Prototype and Testing: Oversee the creation of prototypes and conduct testing to validate product performance and safety.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Closely work with Marketing and Design to brainstorm innovative market leading ideas and concepts. Work with cross functional partners to build and maintain the 5 year plan for hardgoods. Present weekly product development updates. Present quarterly updates to the executive team.
• Compliance: Ensure products comply with relevant safety standards, certifications, and regulations in various markets.

• Team Development: Mentor and develop the engineering team, providing guidance and training to foster skill growth and career progression. Manage outside design and external development resources when necessary.

• Travel: Travel to Asia to support project development/launch as needed. Travel to strategic technology development partners as needed.

You have:

• Education: 4-year degree in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) or equivalent work experience
• Experience: 10 years minimum consumer product development/engineering experience.
• An enthusiastic and positive attitude with a passion towards MX, MTB and Action Sports. Must be very creative, forward thinking, an energy giver - not a taker.
• CAD experience, preferably proficient in Solidworks.
• Experience engineering injection molds, working with plastic parts and 3D modeling
• Knowledge of plastics, textiles, and embellishment techniques.
• Proven leader able to guide and manage a team.
• Previous development/engineering experience in helmets or molded plastic protective sport products
• Prior experience working with overseas factories and vendors
• Experience engineering compression molds and parts