Entrylevel Research And Development Engineer Jobs in Illinois

Product Development Engineer

The Radio Flyer Company is known for our iconic little red wagon, and we are always dreaming up FUNomenal new ways to deliver joy to families by introducing new products every year. A recognized leader in the toy industry and headquartered in Chicago, we design everything from wagons and tricycles to battery-powered FLYER™ eBikes, scooters, Go-Karts, and ride-ons—innovating in every category we enter. For over a century, Radio Flyer has served as the first set of wheels for generations of kids, inspiring imaginative play as wagons transformed into rocket ships, race cars, and airplanes. Today, with over a billion Radio Flyer wheels on the road, we continue to create experiences that align with our mission to bring smiles to kids of all ages by bringing the world out to play.

Radio Flyer has consistently been recognized as a top workplace nationally and locally, in addition to being recognized for strong social and environmental performance with a B Corp Certification. Our team has received numerous awards over the years including Fortune’s Best Small & Medium Workplaces, Chicago Innovation Awards, People Magazine’s Companies that Care, the Daily Herald’s Best Places to Work in Illinois, and WayUp’s Top Internship Programs nationwide. Robert Pasin, Chief Wagon Officer and grandson of company founder Antonio Pasin, who was recognized as a Top CEO on Glassdoor. Radio Flyer is also proud to have been named a top workplace for women, minorities, and LGBTQIA+ community members over the years by Crain’s, Daily Herald and Vault.

At Radio Flyer, our goal is to continue to build a great diverse team. We welcome and appreciate all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives — encouraging everyone to bring their authentic selves to work. We are committed to a culture that embraces feedback, collaboration, and innovation to achieve great results and drive business growth. At Radio Flyer we live by the Little Red Rule, “Every time we touch people’s lives, they will feel FUNomenal!”

Opportunity:

The Product Development Engineer position will play a key role in the continued growth and success of the company. Working with the Product Development team, you will create engineering solutions for new product concepts and develop those solutions in SolidWorks. The Product Development Engineer will participate in new concept generation across all product categories, collaborate with vendors and Procurement team to hit target costs and more.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Design parts/assemblies using SolidWorks for a variety of manufacturing processes including injection molding, blow molding, stamping, and tube bending. 
• Finalize CAD models, select appropriate materials, and create Bill of Materials for new concepts. Work with procurement and vendors to estimate costs and meet cost targets. 
• Communicate with other engineers both in the U.S. and overseas through emails and conference calls
• Manage multiple products at once from concept to production. Responsible for CAD, engineering requirements, prototypes, schedules and other launch responsibilities. 
• Participate in brainstorming sessions with Industrial designers to create new product concepts and provide solutions to technical problems
• Create innovative and patentable mechanisms to meet functional requirements. 
• Work with Brand Communications and Product Development teams to determine product features and function including product size, mechanism design, material selection and construction method. 
• Contribute to building a 'rapid prototyping' culture to test and prove-out ideas by creating prototype parts by using rapid prototyping and traditional model making technologies.
• Participate in child product testing and consumer research to identify key insights that lead to product innovation and help support the design process. 

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
• At least 2 years of professional experience designing consumer products.
• Strong project management skills and experience working with overseas vendors. 
• Advanced SolidWorks Skills. 
• Experience designing injection molded plastic parts. 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of materials and manufacturing processes to recommend innovative product design ideas.
• Effective problem solver who is committed to producing products of exceptional quality and beautiful design. 

Above all, the individual must commit to our values: 

FUNatical Customer Service 

Live with Integrity 

Yes I Can 

Excellence in Everything 

Responsible for Success

We are looking for people who live our values and support our vision and mission!

Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or disability.

The salary for this exempt position is $70,000 – $90,000. Pay is based on responsibilities, skills/experience level, education, along with the Chicagoland area market, the consumer product industry, and company size. Radio Flyer’s paid time off policies comply with the City of Chicago Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance. Eligible team members may have the opportunity to earn a bonus, profit sharing, and enroll in benefit programs, generally including health insurance, health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, 401(K), life and disability insurance, employee assistance programs, and more.