Lead Engineer - New Pet Products

Description

Whisker is the maker of Litter-Robot, Feeder-Robot, and Litterbox.com. At Whisker, we believe pet parenthood can always get better.

As leading innovators in pet tech and refined pet accessories, we work tirelessly to solve problems and deliver smarter insights for pet parents while enriching the lives of pets. Whether it’s a self-cleaning litter box that automates scooping, an automatic feeder that helps pets develop healthier eating habits, or a modern cat tree that delights both humans and felines, we strive to deliver better solutions for consumers while transforming pet care along the way. To us, having a pet is the best thing ever. At Whisker, life together just keeps getting better.

Whisker is based in Auburn Hills, Michigan and Juneau, Wisconsin with 700 passionate team members.

What You’ll Do:

The Lead Engineer will lead a cross-functional hardware project team to design, develop, validate and launch next generation robotic pet care devices. Leads the hardware engineering activities, resources, and ensures cross company communication to facilitate product completion on schedule within budget. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

This list of duties and responsibilities is not all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties and responsibilities as deemed necessary.

• Leads a connected pet robot program involving multiple functions and project teams to drive the hardware engineering development and implementation.
• Acts as the technical lead for all aspects of the specific device.
• Guides other engineering team members to ensure we meet the needs of the product and the customers.
• Acts as the single point of contact to provide updates, insight, and recommendations concerning the engineering details of a specific program.
• Represents the Engineering team for key hardware deliverables. 
• Leads Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and collaborates with members of various teams in the division to deliver the product.
• Develops and directs the development of device schedules, critical deliverables, and budgets, advising on resource allocation plans and other support requirements for the assigned program.
• Is a leadership partner to other aspects of the business, including but not limited to the software development team, operations, marketing, and our other program management functions.
• Influences and manages the activities of Whisker’s suppliers to meet the right combination of form factor, weight, features, and performance to align with product requirements and deliver a high quality, high volume design – on time.
• Works closely with Supply Chain to ensure that the product design and materials are ready for each prototype build. 
• Ensures the product is ready for release to a high volume manufacturing environment with suitable quality, yields and cycle times.
• Manages activities of supporting project teams and development partners; ensures progress against established plan and makes determinations based on analysis of business information to alter or update schedule, product risks and resource allocation to meet product requirements and development schedule.
• Communicates program progress, escalations, and issue analysis to the leadership team and product stakeholders; collaborates with management, operations and development partners to recommend and implement changes to products, processes, or other aspects to resolve escalated issues, produce solutions, and ensure adherence to product requirement, budgets and established product roadmaps and schedules. 
• Drives innovation and integration of new technologies and quality initiatives into projects and activities in engineering and manufacturing organizations.
• Leads and provides guidance and mentoring to engineering staff across multiple skill levels
• Will perform additional responsibilities when required 

Requirements

What You’ll Bring:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent
• 6 years of technical experience
• Proven leader of product hardware development in the consumer electronics and/or small appliance space
• Extensive experience with using project and program planning tools and software packages to create, manage, and track project results
• Experience with device product development, electronic design, mechanical design/tooling, high volume manufacturing
• Excellent analytical and problem solving skills
• Demonstrated business acumen and successful experience managing all aspects of programs, including communicating with stakeholders and directing cross-functional teams and resources
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to effectively communicate program plans, proposals, and results, and negotiate options at senior management levels
• May require travel support or manage development activities
• Maintains confidentiality of proprietary information
• Ability to maintain a professional atmosphere in a fast-paced environment with numerous interactions and interruptions
• A high degree of initiative, self-motivation, and ability to motivate others
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with Team Members and colleagues
• Comfortable with office pets (cats, dogs) 

Not Required but Nice to Have!

• Software design understanding and integration

Benefits & Purrks: 

Join a tenacious, inventive company that empowers team members to chart their own path, lead by grounding decisions in the “why”, and has a strong sense of empathy and openness to new perspectives. Be a part of exciting growth, work with incredible people, and create tomorrow’s pet products—plus a whole lot of extras. You will also be provided with:

• Premium Medical/Dental/Vision insurance
• Paid parental leave
• Whisker Parents Program
• 1 day "pawternity" leave for new pet adoption
• Pet Insurance Discount
• 401K match
• Flexible spending accounts
• Company-paid short-term disability and life insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Generous paid time off
• 14 Paid Holidays
• Top of the line equipment
• Pet-friendly office
• Whisker products and swag
• Continuing education Support
• On-site gym with Peloton
• Referral program

Statement of Inclusivity:

We believe different perspectives make Whisker better and strive to create a place where everyone has equal opportunities to thrive.

Please ensure to regularly check your email spam folder for any communication from Whisker to avoid missing important updates regarding your application status.

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