NPD Project Engineer NEW

Job description

Position Summary

Working within ITW Construction Products, the NPD Project Engineerwill lead the management of our product innovation pipeline within our Concrete Business Unit, home to the SPIT brand. The role will require the management of progressing multiple projects through our innovation stage-gate process: from concept development to testing & validation, through to deployment to market. The NPD Project Engineerwill develop and deliver innovative and high-quality product solutions that continue to answer our end-user and customer needs in concrete fastener and fixings solutions.

The NPD Project Engineerwill work closely across our Concrete Business Unit functions (including sales, marketing, procurement, and supply chain), as well as build close partnerships with our ITW sister company in Central Europe, Global Tool Unit, and external manufacturers.  The NPD Project Manager will manage technical activities, develop detailed project plans, ensure timely delivery of milestones, and drive continuous improvement throughout the product development lifecycle.

The ideal candidate combines strong engineering expertise with project management skills, hands-on problem-solving ability, and a passion for innovation. This role will support both our Interior and Electrical markets within the UK.

Primary responsibilities:

• Manage multiple projects through the ITW Customer-Back Innovation (CBI) pipeline – Providing regular updates to stakeholders on key milestones, progress, barriers, and risk mitigation.
• Work closely with our Strategic Product Manager to understand, prioritise and utilise the right end-customer insights & opportunities that will drive our concrete fixings product development pipeline.
• Arrange and attend contractor site visits throughout the NPD process – building customer insight and design feedback.
• Build strong relationships internally with other ITW Divisions, such as Continental Europe and our Global Tool unit to leverage ITW Enterprise capabilities to deliver innovation to our market.
• Manage project revenue & capital budgets, building comprehensive business cases that support decision-making on pipeline suitability.
• Initiate and/or co-develop proof of concept designs based on end user feedback, collaborate directly with our suppliers and develop designs on CAD software when relevant.
• Manage the production of physical prototypes for market testing, develop test plans, and iterate designs with continuous end user feedback, ensuring the right solution for market pain points.
• Engage IP counsel where relevant to discuss competitive IP risk, agreements, and lodge patent applications.
• Provide technical support for our sales teams on new products, ensuring that we have the required knowledge to answer end-user and channel queries on our product range. Attending on-site customer meeting to support in technical product selection.
• Support the creation of new product marketing and training materials, ensuring accurate technical information on SPIT products and services are available to our customers.

Essential Experience & Skills:

• Exposure to different manufacturing processes across metals and polymers (ideally in the construction industry)
• Demonstrated design capability and problem-solving skills.
• Experienced in cross-functional collaboration and teamwork to industrialise new products.
• Strong project management and technical leadership
• Mechanical engineering – 3D modelling and product design
• Communication/presentation skills as appropriate
• Experience in IP, developing patents and working with legal departments.
• Relevant product design / engineering experience required – ideally in construction components.

Desirable Experience & Skills:

• CAD Design/Modelling tools
• Regulation knowledge across Construction Fixings for the UK market
• Project Management skillset e.g. Prince 2/Scrum