Mechanical Engineer

Job description

With a career at The Home Depot, you can be yourself and also be part of something bigger. Position Summary The Mechanical Engineer is responsible for the design, documentation, sourcing, manufacturing readiness, testing, and continuous improvement of the company’s automation products. This role serves as a primary technical owner of the physical product portfolio and works closely with contract engineering resources, contract manufacturers, suppliers, internal teams, and customers to ensure products are well-designed, properly documented, manufacturable, reliable, cost-effective, and ready for deployment at scale . The ideal candidate combines strong mechanical and product engineering fundamentals with practical experience in manufacturing, supplier management, testing, and new product introduction. Key Responsibilities Product Development & Design — 30% Own the technical design and ongoing development of the company’s automation products. Utilize and coordinate contract engineering resources to support immediate and specialized product design requirements. Maintain ownership of all product drawings, specifications, bills of material, engineering documentation, and revision control. Ensure product documentation remains accurate and reflects the current production configuration. Analyze existing products and recommend improvements related to reliability, manufacturability, cost, serviceability, performance, and installation. Lead engineering changes and ensure updates are properly communicated to suppliers, manufacturing partners, and internal stakeholders. Lead new product introduction initiatives from initial concept through production readiness. Manufacturing & Sourcing — 30% Prepare and maintain the documentation required to successfully manufacture company products. Ensure smooth handoff of new products and engineering changes into production. Develop manufacturing requirements, assembly instructions, inspection criteria, and supporting technical documentation. Manage external product sourcing and supplier relationships. Identify, evaluate, and qualify suppliers based on technical capability, quality, cost, lead time, capacity, and supply-chain risk. Coordinate with contract manufacturers and external partners to ensure production activities align with company requirements and objectives. Support supplier negotiations, cost-reduction initiatives, and ongoing vendor performance management. Lead the transition and onshoring of selected components and subassemblies. Evaluate onshoring opportunities based on total landed cost, quality, capacity, supply-chain resilience, and operational risk. Support production ramp activities and resolve manufacturing issues as they arise. Testing & Quality Assurance — 20% Own product testing and validation activities, including testing and burn-in procedures performed at the Waltham facility. Develop and maintain test procedures, acceptance criteria, and product validation documentation. Ensure products meet defined requirements for performance, reliability, quality, safety, and regulatory compliance. Analyze product failures and lead root-cause investigations and corrective actions. Work with suppliers and manufacturing partners to resolve recurring quality issues. Use testing and field-performance data to identify opportunities for continuous product improvement. Establish appropriate quality controls for incoming components, manufacturing, final assembly, and product release. Client & Partner Engagement — 10% Participate in customer and partner discussions when technical product expertise is required. Provide technical guidance regarding product capabilities, limitations, configuration, and implementation requirements. Support internal teams during solution development and project planning. Collaborate with engineering, realization, sales, operations, and project teams to ensure proposed solutions can be successfully delivered. Work directly with suppliers, contract manufacturers, integrators, and other external stakeholders to resolve technical issues. Product Lifecycle & Continuous Improvement — 10% Maintain technical ownership of products throughout their lifecycle. Support engineering change control, documentation management, configuration management, and product revision tracking. Monitor product performance in production and in the field. Identify opportunities for cost reduction, component standardization, design simplification, and reliability improvement. Evaluate component obsolescence and supply-chain risks and develop appropriate replacement strategies. Support long-term product roadmap and product lifecycle planning. Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical field. 5+ years of experience in mechanical engineering, product engineering, manufacturing engineering, robotics, industrial automation, material handling, or a related industry. Experience taking products from design through manufacturing and production release. Strong understanding of engineering drawings, bills of material, tolerances, specifications, and revision control. Experience working with contract manufacturers, suppliers, and outsourced engineering resources. Demonstrated experience with new product introduction and manufacturing readiness. Experience with product testing, validation, failure analysis, and root-cause investigation. Strong understanding of design for manufacturing and assembly principles. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Strong written and verbal communication skills. Preferred Characteristics The successful candidate will be someone who: Takes ownership of the product rather than simply completing individual engineering tasks. Is comfortable working directly with suppliers, manufacturers, engineers, and customers. Can move easily between detailed engineering work and broader product-level decision-making. Has a strong bias toward practical, manufacturable solutions. Understands the relationship between engineering decisions, product cost, quality, and operational performance. Is highly organized and disciplined regarding engineering documentation and change management. Is willing to investigate failures and technical problems until the root cause is understood. Can effectively coordinate outsourced engineering resources while maintaining internal ownership of product knowledge. Looks continuously for opportunities to simplify products, reduce cost, improve reliability, and strengthen the supply chain. Travel & Work Schedule Periodic travel to suppliers, contract manufacturers, customer locations, and partner facilities will be required. The position may require occasional non-standard working hours to support testing, manufacturing activities, production issues, or project requirements. Regular presence at the Waltham facility will be required to support product testing, validation, and burn-in activities. For California, Colorado, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Nevada, New York City, Ithaca (NY), Westchester County (NY), and Washington residents: The pay range for this position is between $100,000.00 - $150,000.00