Principal Engineer, Carseats

Job ID: 5719 

Alternate Locations:  

Newell Brands is a leading consumer products company with a portfolio of iconic brands like Graco®, Coleman®, Oster®, Rubbermaid®, Sharpie® and Yankee Candle® - and 24,000 talented teammates around the world. Our culture is built on values in action: Integrity, Teamwork, Passion for Winning, Ownership, and Leadership. We work together to win, grow, and make a real impact—supported by a high-performing, inclusive, and collaborative environment where you can be your best, every day.

Job Description:

Principal Engineer, Product Safety & Regulatory Compliance will be responsible for leading efforts directed towards the product safety and regulatory compliance of child restraint systems (car seats), primarily those sold in the United States, ASEAN, and LATAM. Some travel to test labs will be required (10-15 days per year).

This position will:

• Lead the conformity of production (COP) testing for car seats certified to the United States regulation, at the system and component level. This position will work with the third-party manufacturer, the test labs, and the Newell distribution center to arrange for sampling, shipping, and test scheduling.
• Support the FMVSS 213b transition from the current FMVSS 213 standard for full car seat fleet expected to be in market in 2027.
• Create and manage the master list of COP testing to include FMVSS 213a and 213b, including identifying which frontal standard (213 v 213b) each model is compliant to for annual government surveillance testing.
• Summarize and report findings from COP testing to stakeholders and leadership. Investigate any nonconformities or deviations discovered during COP testing to ensure on-going compliance.
• Support international and export sales with all documentation needed to sell car seats internationally, meeting the needs of each requesting country, including not limited to: dynamic test reports, material testing, instruction manuals, seat inspection, and traceability letters.
• Support conformity of production documentation and testing for the U.S. car seats sold internationally.
• Review NHTSA annual compliance testing program reports. Adjust initial and COP compliance test programs to ensure coverage of NHTSA’s test modes. Log the results in the test database and store copies of the NHTSA reports on the shared drive.
• Manage and update car seat testing manual to reflect changes to FMVSS 213a/213b or any updates to internal best practices.
• Train all new car seat engineers on car seat fundamentals, compliance requirements, and testing procedures.
• Work with other PSRC team members to assist when needed on car seats for other regions not subject to FMVSS rules, including Canada and Japan.
• Support new product development (NPD) and existing product improvement/value added engineering (VAVE) projects by
  • Developing test plans with the R&D team
  • Reviewing test result data and making recommendations to the R&D team
  • Reviewing project proposals and draft designs early to provide guidance to the R&D team to enable them to avoid design changes required for compliance.
• Participate in Safety Reviews, Quality Reviews, and other ad hoc assessments of car seat field performance as part of the Company’s risk management program.
• Support responses to global regulatory rulemaking changes and inquiries from regulatory bodies.
• Require the ability to work effectively with other disciplines including Design Engineering, Quality, Product Testing, Brand, International Sales, Sourcing, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or mechanical engineering technology
• 5-7+ years experience in mechanical design, product development and testing
• Strong critical thinking and timeline management capabilities
• Problem solving, organizational, planning and prioritization skills
• Ability to manage relationships with test laboratories and suppliers domestically and internationally
• Able to work with cross-functional international teams to service export markets
• Demonstrates strong interpersonal and willingness to educate others
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with child restraint systems (car seats)
• Knowledge of regulatory standards, especially Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

Newell Brands (NASDAQ: NWL) is a leading global consumer goods company with a strong portfolio of well-known brands, including Rubbermaid, Sharpie, Graco, Coleman, Rubbermaid Commercial Products, Yankee Candle, Paper Mate, FoodSaver, Dymo, EXPO, Elmer’s, Oster, NUK, Spontex and Campingaz. We are focused on delighting consumers by lighting up everyday moments. Newell Brands and its subsidiaries are Equal Opportunity Employers and comply with applicable employment laws. EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled are encouraged to apply.