Engineering Lab Manager - ITW

ITW (Illinois Tool Works Inc.) is a Fortune 200 company and is one of the world’s leading diversified manufacturers of specialized industrial equipment, automotive components, consumables, and related service businesses. ITW businesses serve local customers and markets around the globe, with operations in 55 countries and an employee base of more than 46,000 women and men who adhere to the highest ethical standards. These talented individuals, many of whom have specialized engineering or scientific expertise, contribute to our global leadership in innovation. We are proud of our broad portfolio of more than 17,000 granted and pending patents.

ITW Residential and Renovation Construction provides Industry leading, premium branded, cordless nailing systems and fastening solutions, that deliver superior productivity and reliability to meet the needs of professional remodelers and residential framers, with a widely available product portfolio at their preferred retail or dealer outlets The 80 focus for the division is aggressive market growth while sustaining profitability. ​ 

ITW offers its employees a path for advancement, a competitive salary, and a comprehensive benefits package designed to help employees care for themselves, their families, and their futures.

The ITW Residential & Renovation Product Development team is responsible for creating new innovative products and maintaining existing fastening solutions for the professional construction contractors under industry leading brands like GRK, Tapcon, Paslode, and Teks. Reporting to the Product Development Manager you will be responsible for managing the Engineering Lab in support of the Division’s product development and sustaining efforts through the development and execution of engineering experiments with oversight for the lab team, test request prioritization, cross functional communication, and resource management. This is a high visibility role that provides the opportunity to have a direct impact on the development and qualification of new and existing products. This position requires an individual who can effectively combine a strong commitment to hands-on work with the leadership skills necessary to develop the lab to align with the organization’s aggressive innovation goals.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop, repair, and troubleshoot new and established test systems and equipment
• Develop test plans in collaboration with product development and manufacturing teams
• Conduct engineering experiments, material evaluations, and production quality testing
• Report findings to the larger team using quantitative data analysis
• Ensure data gathered and documentation produced by the lab team is accurate and repeatable
• Develop SOPs for lab equipment and standardized tests, ensure the accurate retention of records, and maintain overall documentation for the department
• Support continuous improvement activities to enhance current product performance, quality, manufacturability, and cost
• Interpret quantifiable data and observations from experiments to provide product insight to the development teams
• Provide project leadership and communicate status to a broad range of constituents via written and verbal communication
• Collaborate with 3rd party labs to direct testing efforts and retain data and reports

MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage lab technicians ensuring priorities are communicated clearly, projects are completed on time, and compliance with protocols and overall Organization objectives
• Lead the creation, review, approval, and execution of lab policies and procedures
• Manage qualification and maintenance of lab equipment
• Ensure a safe working environment through the development of appropriate safety protocols, trainings, and Job Safety Audits in coordination with site safety leaders
• Develop team member’s capabilities
• Day to day operations of lab team
• Hiring staff, performance reviews, training and development of staff, and assigning work

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or similar field with minimum of 5-7 years in a lab/test engineering role, with an emphasis on product development, validation, and quality
• Hands on experience conducting tests in a laboratory environment
• Familiarity with and experience operating laboratory equipment for tensile, shear, corrosion, and metallurgy
• Experience developing test programs to facilitate product design and validation
• Proven track record of technical project and team leadership
• Demonstrated data analysis experience – R or Minitab preferred
• Demonstrated ability to stay organized and prioritize multiple projects/tasks at once
• Digital data collection and processing experience
• Database and record management
• Applied statistics
• Entrepreneurial mindset

ADVANTAGEOUS SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

• Programming experience to support the automation of lab equipment
• 1 – 3 years people leadership experience
• Experience with testing for and obtaining construction industry code approvals (ICC-ES, UL, FM, etc)
• Knowledge of metallurgy, strength of materials, and the effects of metallurgical properties on product performance
• Understanding of product development processes and methodologies
• Experience in an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory
• Experience designing and commissioning test fixtures
• Intellectually curious with a driving interest in new technology

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Most time will be spent in a lab environment. Occasionally the employee may be required to spend time in manufacturing and construction sites. Certain personal protective equipment is required when in the manufacturing areas and construction sites. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions 

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, stand, talk, hear, reach with hands and arms and regularly required to walk.  Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision and the ability to adjust focus. 

ITW is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

We do not accept unsolicited resumes. To be considered an applicant, please apply online to a specific job posting.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access the online application system process due to your disability, please click here for information on how to contact us directly.

ITW is an equal opportunity employer. We value our colleagues’ unique perspectives, experiences and ideas and create workplaces where everyone can develop their careers and perform to their full potential. 

As an equal employment opportunity employer, ITW is committed to equal employment opportunity and fair treatment for employees, beginning with the hiring process and continuing through all aspects of the employment relationship. 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected Veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.