Project Engineer II - PACKOUT

Job title: Project Engineer II - PACKOUT

About the Role As a Project Engineer II in the PACKOUT Engineering group, you will help develop and launch modular storage solutions within a broader system. This role blends strong mechanical engineering fundamentals with project ownership, cross-functional collaboration, and system-level thinking. You will lead portions of new product development from concept to launch, ensuring alignment to cost, schedule, and performance while supporting the overall PACKOUT platform strategy.

What You'll Do

• Lead multiple low- to medium-complexity New Product Development (NPD) projects simultaneously, driving execution from concept through launch.
• Collaborate cross-functionally and globally with Design Engineering, Quality & Reliability, Purchasing, Finance, Service & Support, Marketing, Manufacturing, and other key stakeholders to ensure alignment and successful project delivery.
• Evaluate product designs and facilitate trade-off decisions across system level design, cost, schedule, and risk, ensuring we meet our core user needs for PACKOUT and the product.
• Develop and manage comprehensive project plans, driving execution to meet defined cost, schedule, and performance targets.
• Lead regular cross-functional team meetings to align on priorities, assign clear ownership, and drive timely execution of project deliverables.
• Track and communicate project progress, providing clear, concise updates to senior leadership and core team members.
• Engage directly with manufacturing sites to maintain strong communication, proactively identify issues, and provide hands-on troubleshooting support as needed.
• Leverage data to inform project strategy, decisions, and execution, including: evaluating supplier options, performing cost-benefit analyses, make vs. buy assessments, identifying schedule dependencies, assessing risks, determining resourcing needs, and communicating downstream impacts.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical preferred) or equivalent.
• Minimum 3+ years of relevant professional experience in product development, engineering, or project execution.
• Demonstrated project leadership or project management experience, including driving cross-functional teams and delivering against scope, cost, and schedule targets.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally (~10%) to support supplier engagement, manufacturing, and project needs.
• Strong mechanical aptitude with working knowledge of engineering materials used in durable goods or hand tools (plastics experience preferred).
• Working knowledge of CAD tools (NX or SolidWorks) with ability to review models and guide timelines and modeling quality.
• Understanding of product development processes (design, validation/testing, manufacturing; injection molding preferred; additional processes a plus).
• Proactive, self-driven problem solver who can independently identify issues and maintain momentum in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to anticipate workload and identify resource constraints, providing visibility into upcoming needs.
• Basic understanding of product cost drivers (materials, labor, overhead) and how to apply them in decision-making.

Nice to Have

• Injection molding experience and plastics knowledge are preferred.
• Additional manufacturing processes beyond injection molding are a plus.

Compensation & Benefits

• Robust health, dental and vision insurance plans.
• Generous 401(k) savings plan.
• Education assistance.
• On-site wellness, fitness center, food, and coffee service.
• Milwaukee Tool is an equal opportunity employer.