Product Development Engineer - Upholstery

About the role

MillerKnoll is seeking a Product Development Engineer specialized in upholstery to drive innovation across new product development and insourcing initiatives. You will collaborate with brand, design, and manufacturing partners to engineer high‑quality seating frames, foam, components, and upholstery solutions.

Key responsibilities

• Design and create 3D models and technical drawings using Creo or SolidWorks with minimal direction.
• Develop and manage new product designs from concept through mass production.
• Build and validate prototypes with internal and external partners to support timely launches.
• Create Bills of Materials (BOMs) and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for manufacturing.
• Apply Design for Manufacturing (DFM) principles to ensure craftsmanship and product quality.
• Conduct product testing to verify compliance with quality and performance standards.
• Engineer and evaluate materials to optimize cost and performance.
• Modify existing CAD drawings to support manufacturing and purchasing updates.
• Coordinate with suppliers and customers on technical specifications and product requirements.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in applied arts, engineering, product design, or related field preferred, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 5 years of professional engineering experience, including leading product development projects.
• Experience designing upholstered seating, especially plywood, solid wood frames, and foam applications.
• Proven ability to lead development projects from concept through completion.
• Strong collaborative skills in cross‑functional environments.

Required skills

• Creo
• SolidWorks
• CAD modeling
• Design for Manufacturing (DFM)
• Bills of Materials (BOM) creation
• Prototype development
• Product testing
• Material evaluation