• Engineering Product Development Lab Manager

    Whirlpool Corporation (St. Joseph, MI)


    **Requisition ID:** 69416

     

    About Whirlpool Corporation

     

    Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is a leading home appliance company, in constant pursuit of improving life at home. As the only major U.S.-based manufacturer of kitchen and laundry appliances, the company is driving meaningful innovation to meet the evolving needs of consumers through its iconic brand portfolio, including _Whirlpool_ , _KitchenAid_ , _JennAir, Maytag_ , _Amana,_ _Brastemp_ , _Consul_ , and _InSinkErator_ . In 2024, the company reported approximately $17 billion in annual sales - close to 90% of which were in the Americas - 44,000 employees, and 40 manufacturing and technology research centers. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com .

     

    The team you will be a part of

     

    The Engineering team discovers, develops and evaluates new product ideas, enhancements, or strategic product extensions, and translates research discoveries into usable and marketable products. Leads, plans and tracks all phases of the product life cycle, from inception to introduction into the marketplace. Coordinates with various functions to ensure successful product development and implementation.

     

    This role in summary

     

    Whirlpool is looking for an Engineering Product Development Lab Manager in Saint Joseph, MI to manage the North American laboratories located in Benton Harbor Tech Center, Amana, Edgewater/Saint Joseph - MI, Cleveland - TN and Tulsa.

     

    This position will coordinate a team of more than 40 people, and work with internal project stakeholders of product development, collaborate with stakeholders to develop, leverage and share best practices.

    Your responsibilities will include

    + Bridge the gap between system modeling and empirical testing

    + Continuously improve lab infrastructure, efficiency, Lead time/Speed on key procedures, overall Lab Quality, and productivity.

    + Bring new test technologies, equipment measurement, fixtures, robots, etc which can solve existing gaps in providing the right insights and measurements, allowing engineering teams to better understand gaps and improve the design.

    + Work with design teams to anticipate workload and ensure capacity and capabilities.

    + Handle cadenced meetings with Project Teams to plan activities and track progress versus committed dates/expectations.

    + Maintain External Lab Certifications, while understanding the advantages of pursuing other certifications.

    + Correlate own labs with internal and external labs, minimizing the test to test variation between labs.

    + Consistently improve Maintenance Program, reducing downtime and rework caused by equipment failures.

    + Improve Lab facilities, driving 5S, visual and infrastructure improvements.

    + Ensure employees Safety by finding and removing Safety risks/vulnerabilities (monthly basis).

    + Manage budget (expenses) and Capital (Capex) Plan.

    + Improve Year Of Year Engagement Scores and Customer Satisfaction Scores.

    Minimum requirements

    + Bachelor’s Degree in an Engineering discipline

    + 5+ years’ experience in a Product Development or Laboratory Operations role

    Preferred skills and experiences

    + Sig Sigma back belt certification

    + Incose CSEP certification

    + ISO17025, UL858 and ANSI Z21 standards knowledge

     

    Connect with us and learn more about Whirlpool Corporation

     

    See what it's like to work at Whirlpool by visiting Whirlpool Careers (http://www.whirlpoolcareers.com/) . Additional information about the company can be found on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/WhirlpoolCorp/) , Twitter (http://twitter.com/whirlpoolcorp) , LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/company/whirlpool-corporation/life/) , Instagram (http://www.instagram.com/whirlpoolcorp/) and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/WhirlpoolCorporation) .

     

    Whirlpool Corporation is committed to equal employment opportunity and prohibits any discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity, religion, sex, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or any other category protected by applicable law.