Lead Product Engineer

Overview

Kimball Midwest, a national distributor of maintenance, repair, and operation products, is searching for a Lead Product Engineer at our Columbus, Ohio location. As a Kimball Midwest associate, you will experience why we have been listed as one of the Top Workplaces in Columbus 13 years in a row! Our sales revenue growth is dynamic, increasing from $1 million in 1983 to more than $500 million today.

Throughout all our growth we have kept the family owned and operated culture alive. At Kimball Midwest, you are a name and not a number and we pride ourselves on our unique culture.

• Product Testing & Technical Validation:
  Lead the evaluation and validation of new products for introduction into the Kimball Midwest MRO catalog across a wide range of product categories, including abrasives, cutting tools, fasteners, chemicals, electrical, hydraulics, tools, shop supplies, storage, fleet, and body shop products.
• Design, execute, and document comprehensive product testing to verify performance, durability, safety, and supplier marketing claims.
• Develop custom test methods and procedures when industry standards do not exist, ensuring results are repeatable, defensible, and technically sound.
• Serve as the technical authority responsible for approving the functional capabilities and performance claims of new and existing products.

• Research & Development:
  Research competitive and alternative products to benchmark performance and identify opportunities for differentiation or improvement.
• Identify and procure testing equipment as required to support product development and validation.
• Support private-label and private-brand product development by collaborating with suppliers and internal teams to refine technical specifications and performance requirements.
• Evaluate domestic sourcing options for existing imported products and new product concepts.

• Documentation & Technical Standards:
  Create and maintain clear, detailed documentation of test procedures, results, and conclusions to support repeatable testing and long-term knowledge retention.
• Develop internal testing standards and best practices to improve consistency and efficiency across product categories.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration:
  
  Partner with Product Development, Marketing, Quality Assurance, and Category Management to provide technical guidance throughout the product lifecycle.
• Review and suggest edits to catalog pages, technical literature, and marketing materials to ensure accuracy and credibility of technical claims.
• Present testing results, product evaluations, and technical findings in internal meetings and sales forums.
• Support the development of technical product training materials and hands-on product demonstrations.
• Collaborate closely with the Quality Assurance Engineer to align testing methodologies and interpret results.
• Communicate technical expectations and feedback clearly to suppliers and internal stakeholders.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or 5+ years of equivalent hands-on product research, development, and testing experience.
• Experience thinking through potential product failure points and creating ways to test them.
• Strong attention to detail and organization regarding documentation of product testing, performance, and conclusions.
• Proven ability to design testing methods from first principles when formal standards do not exist.
• Strong technical judgment and the ability to make data-driven decisions regarding product approval and performance claims.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently on long-term technical projects while effectively collaborating within a cross-functional team.
• Extensive experience conducting mechanical, electrical, and chemical product testing, including hands-on testing such as grinding, cutting, drilling, and chemical evaluation is preferred.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and solving open-ended technical problems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly document test results and present technical information to non-engineers.
• Working knowledge of private-label product development and aftermarket product distribution within industrial, automotive, fleet, construction, or MRO environments.

Schedule – Onsite:
Monday through Friday in the office.

Benefits - We offer a benefits package that includes health, dental and vision insurance, company sponsored life, optional life and disability insurance, Paid Parental leave, Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts, a 401(k) plus company match, Tuition Assistance, Paid Time Off (PTO), a Dress For Your Day dress code and paid holidays.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/vet. We participate in E-Verify. Participamos en E-Verify.