Job Description:Mechanical Design Engineer - Advanced EngineeringRyobi Outdoor ProductsApplicants must currently hold a U.S. work-authorized status that supports long-term employment and a pathway to permanent residency. Candidates in visitor, student, exchange, treaty investor/trader, or other temporary statuses that do not readily support employment-based permanent residency will not be considered.SummaryTechtronic Industries, the world leader in cordless technology across Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Tools, Floor Care Appliances, and Accessories, is seeking a Mechanical Design Engineer for the Ryobi Outdoor Products Advanced Engineering team at our Innovation Center in Anderson, SC.
The Mechanical Design Engineer will develop new mechanical technologies and product concepts for Ryobi Outdoor Products. This hands-on role combines first-principles engineering, detailed design, prototype development, and testing to demonstrate feasibility and reduce technical risk. Working with a cross-functional team, the engineer will mature promising concepts into validated solutions ready for transfer to product development.
Key Responsibilities- Develop innovative solutions for new and next-generation products within outdoor power equipment.
- Design and develop mechanical systems, mechanisms, components, and assemblies from initial concepts and engineering calculations through detailed CAD and functional prototypes.
- Apply engineering fundamentals to evaluate loads, motion, materials, tolerances, and failure modes; use calculations and testing to guide design decisions.
- Define performance objectives and validation strategies; develop and execute test plans for functional, durability, and environmental requirements.
- Build, assemble, troubleshoot, and refine functional prototypes using rapid prototyping, purchased components, and fabricated parts; progress from initial feasibility through production-representative builds and capture lessons learned for downstream development.
- Document technical decisions, assumptions, and test outcomes in clear reports; present findings and recommendations to cross-functional stakeholders.
- Use advanced testing and data analysis techniques, such as high-speed video and Python tools, to translate test results into actionable design improvements.
- Evaluate trade-offs in performance, reliability, cost, manufacturability, packaging, and user experience to select practical design solutions.
- Collaborate with simulation engineers to apply appropriate FEA, CFD, or thermal models to assigned concepts; correlate predictions with lab and field data to guide design improvements, root-cause analysis, and reliability growth.
- Explore AI-enabled tools, generative design, and intelligent automation through focused proofs of concept to improve mechanical design, analysis, prototyping, and testing.
- Share technical knowledge, lessons learned, and effective design and test practices across the team.
Typical Advanced Engineering WorkflowDiscovery: Clarify user and business needs; benchmark performance; define success metrics and initial risk hypotheses.
Definition: Translate needs into engineering targets; select validation methods; outline modeling/analysis and prototype plans.
Exploration & Prototyping: Develop concepts, build prototypes, and execute tests and simulations; iterate designs; quantify trade-offs; down-select solution paths.
Validation: Confirm performance, reliability, and manufacturability against targets; refine design and process risks.
Transfer to Product Development: Transfer validated concepts, design documentation, test results and methods, critical features and tolerances, and remaining risks to product development; provide technical support as designs progress toward production.
Required Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Product, or Materials Engineering (or a related field).
- 3+ years of product development experience in automotive, industrial, consumer/durable goods, or adjacent industries.
- Proficiency in 3D CAD; experience with DFMA, prototyping methods, and supplier collaboration.
- Experience in test planning/execution and data analysis.
- Hands-on experience with instrumentation, data acquisition (DAQ), and statistical tools.
- Excellent communication skills-able to translate complex data and engineering concepts into clear design recommendations; strong cross-functional collaboration.
- Interest in applying AI-enabled tools and automation to improve mechanical design, analysis, prototyping, and testing.
- Self-starter comfortable learning beyond core discipline; able to manage ambiguous design tasks.
- Willingness to travel ~10% (domestic/international).
- Experience with FEA, CFD, or thermal simulation a plus.
- Experience using Python, AI-enabled engineering tools, or workflow automation to improve engineering productivity or decision-making a plus
