Food Product Development Jobs in Connecticut (NOW HIRING)

About the Role

The Senior Project Engineer will help shape the next generation of Waring commercial culinary products, bringing together practical engineering judgment, hands-on product development, and a curiosity for what is possible. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys solving real-world technical challenges, working across disciplines, and turning early ideas into durable, high-performing products used by professional kitchens every day.

This position combines hands-on engineering, creative problem-solving, and technical leadership. The ideal candidate brings strong mechanical or electromechanical engineering experience, a collaborative mindset, and the motivation to explore new ideas, emerging technologies, and practical ways to improve product design.

The Senior Project Engineer serves as the technical owner for assigned products and collaborates with Industrial Design, Marketing, Product Validation, Product Certification, Global Engineering, suppliers, and manufacturing partners to bring successful products to market.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Product Development

• Own the technical development of assigned products from concept through production launch.

• Translate customer, business, and design requirements into clear product specifications and thoughtful engineering solutions.
• Explore new technologies, materials, and product concepts that improve performance, usability, customer value, and creative differentiation.

• Lead multiple development programs while balancing performance, quality, cost, schedule, and manufacturability.

Product Design

• Design mechanical and electromechanical products, components, and systems for demanding commercial environments.
• Create and maintain CAD models, drawings, Bills of Materials, and technical specifications.
• Build, evaluate, and refine prototypes through analysis, testing, and hands-on experimentation.
• Solve technical problems and make sound engineering tradeoffs throughout development.

Technical Leadership

• Serve as the technical lead for assigned products and engineering workstreams, bringing curiosity and practical creativity to technical problem-solving.

• Lead design reviews and communicate technical recommendations, risks, and decisions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, global engineering partners, suppliers, and manufacturers.
• Mentor less-experienced engineers and encourage curiosity, creativity, and strong engineering practices.

Validation and Certification

• Partner with Product Validation and Product Certification teams to define test requirements and verify product performance, safety, and compliance.
• Analyze test results, identify root causes, and implement effective design improvements.
• Apply validation and certification findings throughout iterative product development.

Manufacturing Readiness

• Partner with Global Engineering and suppliers during tooling, pilot builds, and production launch.
• Review designs and manufacturing processes for quality, cost, manufacturability, serviceability, and reliability.
• Resolve production issues and support engineering changes through successful implementation.

Innovation and Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve products, development methods, and engineering capability.
• Experiment with emerging technologies, materials, manufacturing methods, and digital tools.
• Incorporate customer, field, and service feedback into future product improvements.
• Share lessons learned and contribute to engineering standards, design guidelines, and best practices.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Advanced degree or additional training in product development, thermal systems, materials, manufacturing, or electromechanical design is a plus.

Experience

• 5 or more years of product development experience involving commercial culinary equipment, food service equipment, appliances, electromechanical products, or durable goods.
• Experience leading products through concept development, prototyping, validation, tooling, and production launch.
• Working knowledge of mechanical and electromechanical systems, including heating systems, motors, controls, sensors, sheet metal, plastics, castings, or fabricated components.
• Experience designing for demanding commercial environments, including durability, sanitation, continuous-duty operation, and serviceability.
• Experience collaborating with global suppliers, contract manufacturers, and cross-functional product development teams.
• Familiarity with applicable commercial product safety and sanitation standards, such as UL, NSF, and CSA.
• Demonstrated ability to solve complex problems, communicate technical decisions, and balance performance, quality, cost, and schedule.

Core Competencies

• Product Development and Innovation
• Mechanical and Electromechanical Design
• Commercial Culinary Equipment
• Thermal Systems and Electrical Controls
• Creative and Analytical Problem-Solving
• Prototype Development and Experimentation
• Design for Manufacturing and Assembly
• Product Validation and Root Cause Analysis
• Technical Leadership and Engineering Judgment
• Curiosity and Continuous Learning
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Clear Technical Communication

Success in this role is measured by:

• Launches innovative commercial culinary products that meet customer and business objectives.
• Delivers reliable, safe, manufacturable, and cost-effective engineering solutions.

• Resolves technical challenges with urgency, creativity, collaboration, and sound judgment.

• Builds productive relationships across internal, global, and supplier teams.

• Contributes new ideas, explores practical applications for emerging technologies, and strengthens the organization's engineering capability.

Compensation and Benefits:

Conair provides a reasonable estimate of the annual salary for this role. This range reflects the Company's good faith estimate and takes into account a variety of factors including but not limited to business needs, market conditions, candidate experience, skill set and internal equity. The anticipated base salary range for this position is $100,000 to $145,000/year.

In addition to base salary, this role is eligible for an annual bonus opportunity and a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage; short- and long-term disability; paid parental leave;11 paid holidays; paid vacation time; 2 volunteer days; employee discounts and a 401k plan with employer contribution.

Environmental Factors:

• Working conditions are normal for a home office environment.
• Must be able to sit for extended periods of time.
• Must be able to use a computer keyboard and view a monitor for extended periods of time.
• This role requires on-site presence in our Stamford or Torrington office Monday through Thursday with the option of work from home on Fridays.

What We Offer:

• Comprehensive Medical/Dental/Vision plans
• Generous Paid Time Off Programs
• Life & Disability Insurance
• FSA/HSA/Dependent Care FSA
• Paid Parental Leave
• 401k and company match
• EAP & Employee Wellness Programs
• Volunteer Days Paid Time Off
• Free Breakfast and Lunch at the Stamford Office

About Conair

Conair is a leading international designer, manufacturer, and marketer of branded personal care and small kitchen appliances, cookware, hairbrushes & accessories, cosmetic bags, and travel accessories.

Conair has always been driven by a passion for innovation; it's part of the Company's DNA. Trendsetting products have been invented by Conair since its inception in 1959, keeping the Company always a step ahead of the competition. The company's domestic and international divisions offer a diversified mix of consumer and professional products sold in over 120 countries. The Family of Conair brands includes CONAIR, Cuisinart, BabylissPRO, Scunci , TRAVELSMART by CONAIR, and Waring.

Conair's passion for innovation gets stronger with each decade, as evidenced by the over 1,000 patents the Company has obtained worldwide. Today, Conair and its brands are names known throughout the world. Conair continues to introduce its brands to new and emerging markets, year after year. By the 1990s, most households in America owned at least one Conair product. Today many have more than one, and the Company's goal is to ensure that every household in the world eventually owns one of our products.

At Conair, we inspire our customers with innovative high-quality products and

iconic brands that enhance their lives.

Are you passionate about this opportunity but worried that you don't have 100% of the experience we're looking for? We still want to hear from you! Apply online and let us know why you would make a great addition to Conair!