R&D Engineer – Louisville Slugger

Overview

At Wilson, we are here to empower every human to live like an athlete. Passion. Creativity. Integrity. Teamwork. Ambition. Innovation. These are the qualities that have made Wilson Sporting Goods Co. the number one sports equipment brand in the world. We come together to win, grow, and celebrate. We all play for Team Wilson. We all have a role to play within our organization and are working towards the same goal. One team, one dream.

We believe that being an athlete isn’t something you do, it’s who you are. It’s a universal code of conduct, a way of seeing the world and how you show up every day. We seek out diverse voices and welcome all perspectives. Our team is composed of individuals with unique backgrounds, points of view and experiences. These perspectives create a rich and diverse culture in which we learn from one another through empathy and inclusion.

Evolving the sports world and being the best partner for players, athletes, and our community is no small task. We are continually looking to add enthusiastic, ambitious, team-first individuals who desire to make a difference —and who love to help others win. Together, we will create a better world through sport. Join us.

What You'll Do

Louisville Slugger has a 138-year history of being the best in the game and every Composite and Aluminum bat produced for Louisville Slugger is designed right here in Roseville, CA.  You get to be a part of ensuring that Louisville Slugger remains the most respected name in baseball and softball bats in the world.  

As a member of Louisville Slugger’s Research & Development team, the R&D Engineer is involved in a variety of responsibilities including testing samples and components, analyzing data, prototyping and experimental design (DOE). Being successful in this job requires a team player who is detail-oriented, organized, and a self-starter. It is vital that you are comfortable both working independently, as well as with an R&D group with diverse backgrounds, skills, and areas of expertise. The work you do in the lab directly impacts bat development decisions and ultimately helps design the bats being built.  At Louisville Slugger, our dedication to performance drives our decisions every day, striving to produce the best bats for the best ball players in the world.

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Manage / perform all mechanical in-house product testing for evaluation of durability, performance and quality of both standard production and developmental products. This will include, but is not limited to, usage of the following current equipment:
• Ball shooting cannons for both Performance and Durability testing and all auxiliary equipment associated with those machines
• Tensile and Compression testing (MTS, ADC, hand-held, etc.)
• MOI measuring unit and associated measuring tools (calipers, scales, etc.)
• Ultrasonic / Sound / Vibration Testing
• Design and run experiments that are setup to monitor performance, consistency, durability and mechanical properties of our balls, bats, prototypes, and components.
• Coordinate and test bats per outlined test standards and timelines.
• Analyze results using critical thinking skills to provide insights to the R&D Team into what happened during testing to make improvements.
• Manage, create, and distribute lab reports based off test results and experiments.
• Develop new (sound, vibration, etc.) or improve existing test methods (Performance, durability, etc.) to better correlate with on-field performance / feedback from players. 
• Maintains operating condition of test equipment completing both simple and complex repairs. 
• Includes troubleshooting and repair of electro-mechanical technical problems on lab equipment including encoders, PLC’s, light gates, and pneumatic / hydraulic systems.
• Maintain strong working relationship with governing bodies that oversee each bat category along with becoming the internal expert on all certification testing requirements.
• Coordinate certification submittals and maintain documentation summarizing status to ensure all models are compliant with the various league requirements.
• Plan, conduct, and implement product research, development, prototyping, and testing to create superior bat designs of new and/or upgraded innovative products
• Act as an on-site technical liaison to educate and communicate with our sponsored college / athletic programs along with attending major tournaments to better understand the players’ needs. 
• Conduct play testing of R&D protypes / competitor models to evaluate specific product attributes and document / communicate the results along with product insights to the R&D team. 

What We're Looking For

This role requires a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related area and 0-3 years of related work experience. 

Other qualifications include:

• Labview, Matlab or other script-based programming knowledge required.
• PLC programming knowledge a plus.
• CAD or Solidworks program experience a plus.
• Softball or baseball playing experience a plus.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, etc.), Outlook, Teams, and Smartsheets.
• Familiarity with CAD software (Solidworks preferred)
• Familiarity with LabVIEW / Matlab desirable
• Strong mechanical / electrical aptitude, and confidence with general mechanical and electrical maintenance and assembly processes.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal
• Excellent planning and organizational skills, and a willingness to take on long term projects and goals (e.g. designing, building and troubleshooting a new piece of test equipment)
• Ability to multitask and switch between tasks without making mistakes.
• Ability to work independently and prioritize tasks to complete them in the most efficient manner.
• Team player, willing to help out wherever and whenever it’s necessary
• Confident and comfortable working with a wide variety of manufacturing processes and materials – this would include but not be limited to aluminum, composite and plastic parts
• Ability to read and produce blueprints for parts and fixtures.
• Ability to run most common shop equipment, such as:
  • Band / Chop saws
  • Sanders / Grinders
  • Drills
  • Power Tools
  • Ball shooting cannons
• Ability to set up and manually operate mills, lathes, drill presses, welders, etc. to close tolerances desirable.

What We’ll Provide

We offer an innovative, inclusive, and people-first environment with competitive benefits and perks, including:

• Paid time off for all team members
• Education reimbursement
• Medical, dental and vision insurance
• Pre-tax transit discounts
• 401(k) with company match
• Life insurance
• Paid parental leave
• Professional development opportunities
• Volunteering programs
• Team-building outings
• Discounts on Wilson and Amer Sports products

Wilson Sporting Goods Co. is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristics.