New Product Development Industrial Engineer (Richmond, VA)

Dover Food Retail (DFR) is a leading manufacturer of Display Cases, Specialty Products, Refrigeration Systems, Power Systems and Comprehensive Services; and leading our industry by Innovating What’s Next in glass doors and intelligent merchandising technologies that keep food safe under brands such as HillPhoenix and Anthony.

DFR is part of the Refrigeration and Food Equipment segment of the Dover Corporation® (NYSE: DOV). Dover is a diversified global manufacturer with annual revenues in excess of $7 billion.

DFR is built on creativity and customer-centric innovation delivered by people invigorated by a strong sense of responsibility to help our customers win in their marketplaces. The relationships we build with our customers are as important to our success as the products we manufacture. This collaborative environment delivers FRESH THINKING, reassuring our customers that they choose the best when they choose to work with the people of Dover Food Retail.

Job Title: NPD (New Product Development) Industrial Engineer

Location:  South Chesterfield, VA

What we are looking for:

We are looking for a NPD (New Product Development) Industrialization Engineer responsible for industrialization, manufacturing readiness, and controlled implementation of new products and engineering changes. The role serves as the primary bridge between Product Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Sourcing, and Operations, translating released designs into safe, stable, scalable, and cost-effective manufacturing processes.

What you will be responsible for in this role:

• Lead industrialization activities for New Product Development, Design to Value, customer-requested changes, and product improvement initiatives from design development through production launch and stabilization.
• Own ECP (Engineering Change Plan) development and execution, including implementation sequence, timing, effective dates or serial breaks, inventory disposition, documentation updates, training, validation, supplier coordination, and manufacturing readiness.
• Serve as the primary liaison between Product Engineering and Operations to ensure designs are successfully translated into capable, repeatable, and scalable manufacturing processes.
• Lead manufacturing feasibility, DFM/DFA (Design for Manufacturing and Assembly), process risk, capacity, tooling, material-flow, labor, quality-control, and cost reviews throughout the Stage-Gate process.
• Develop industrialization and launch plans covering process flow, workstations, equipment, tooling, fixtures, routings, work instructions, labor requirements, test methods, inspection criteria, packaging, and line readiness.
• Coordinate engineering prototypes, manufacturing prototypes, pilot builds, pre-production builds, first-article inspections, PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) activities, and process validation.
• Lead cross-functional manufacturing-readiness reviews and establish measurable entrance and exit criteria for pilot, launch, ramp-up, and engineering-change implementation.
• Define and coordinate inventory disposition for raw material, WIP (work in Process), finished goods, service parts, and supplier inventory, including use-as-is, rework, return, deviation, or scrap decisions.
• Ensure BOMs (Bill of Material), routings, drawings, specifications, work instructions, inspection plans, service documentation, configuration records, and PLM/PDM/ERP (Product Lifecycle Management/Product Data Management/ Enterprise Resource Planning) updates are complete before production cut-in.
• Confirm material, supplier, tooling, equipment, test capability, quality controls, workforce training, maintenance support, and production documentation are ready before launch or change implementation.
• Drive structured problem solving and corrective action for product, process, supplier, quality, and manufacturing issues identified during pilots, launch, and ramp-up.
• Monitor industrialization performance using safety, FPY (First Pass Yield), throughput, productivity, scrap, labor, delivery, inventory exposure, and schedule-attainment metrics.Lead first-unit and first-lot controls, verify implementation effectiveness, manage deviations, and formally close ECP (Engineering Change Process) and launch actions. Lead the technical and operational handoff to Manufacturing, Product Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Service, and Operations with clearly defined ownership and open-risk closure.
• Capture lessons learned and continuously improve industrialization standards, launch playbooks, manufacturing-readiness criteria, and ECP(Engineering Change Process) practices.

What are the basic qualifications?

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related technical discipline.

• Minimum five years of experience in product industrialization, New Development, manufacturing engineering, product engineering, or engineering-change implementation within a manufacturing environment.

To be a great fit for the role:

• Proven experience developing and executing engineering change implementation plans, including inventory disposition, documentation control, training, supplier coordination, validation, and manufacturing readiness.

• Strong knowledge of design for manufacturing and assembly, PFMEA (Process Failure Mode and Effect Analysis), control plans, process capability, structured problem solving, Lean Manufacturing, and production-readiness methods.

• Hands-on experience with pilot builds, production launches, process validation, first-article or PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) activities, and manufacturing ramp-up.
• Working knowledge of engineering drawings, GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning and tolerancing), Bill of Material routings, work instructions, configuration control, and engineering-document release.
• Practical experience with CAD (Computer Aided Design), PLM/PDM, ERP (Product Lifecycle Management/Product Data Management/ Enterprise Resource Planning) and manufacturing or quality-management systems.
• Understanding of manufacturing processes, assembly methods, tooling, fixtures, test equipment, material flow, supplier capability, and production capacity.
• Ability to develop structured implementation plans, identify operational risks, define mitigation actions, and drive cross-functional closure.
• Strong project leadership, prioritization, organization, communication, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to influence stakeholders and maintain accountability across relevant functions without direct reporting authority.
• Strong ownership, urgency, attention to detail, and results orientation in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Ability to travel as required to support suppliers, pilot builds, manufacturing implementation, product launches, and field.

How We Define Our Values and Why You Should Join Our Team:

The backbone behind our collection of outstanding businesses is a team of dedicated employees who protect and enhance our valued reputation for quality and delivering what we promise. It’s our values that define Dover to all of our key audiences: our shareholders, customers, prospective employees and especially to ourselves.

These values must be expressed in our work and embody our actions, as they form the basis by which we do our jobs, make decisions and measure our performance. It’s our unwavering commitment to maintaining our values that defines who we are as a Company.

• Collaborative Entrepreneurial Spirit

• Winning Through Customers

• Respects and Values People

• Expectations for Results

• High Ethical Standards, Openness, and Trust

What’s in it for you?

• Medical, Dental, and Vision

• 401k Retirement Plan

• Flexible Spending

• Paid Holidays

#LI-MG2



Pay Range: USD 108000.00 - 127000.00 Annually

This position is eligible to earn a discretionary bonus based on performance metrics and other criteria outlined in our applicable bonus plan.

We consider several job-related, non-discriminatory factors when determining the pay rate for a position, including, but not limited to, the position’s responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, a candidate’s education/training, the position’s location, and the key skills needed for the position. Pay is one of the Total Rewards that we provide to compensate and recognize employees for their work.




The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the Company.

Dover Food Retail is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, age, genetic information, or any other factors prohibited by law.

Fraudulent Recruiting Disclaimer:  Dover Corporation and our affiliated operating companies want to alert applicants to internet job posting fraud, where parties posing as Dover employees, recruiters, or other agents, try to engage with online candidates in an attempt to steal personal and/or financial information.  We do not endorse or engage in any recruitment practices that involve payment or personal information outside of our official application and hiring process.  Please verify the authenticity of an invitation to apply for a job, or for a job offer by contacting us directly through our Dover and affiliated operating company websites at https://careers.dovercorporation.com/. To learn how you can protect yourself, review our Recruitment Fraud Notice on our careers site.

Attention Applicants: If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, please let us know. Likewise, if you are limited in the ability to access or use this online application process and need an alternative method for applying, we will determine an alternate way for you to apply. Please contact [email protected] for assistance with an accommodation. Kindly specify Job Requisition Number / Job Title and Location in response.