Product Development Systems Engineer

Are you someone who is passionate, motivated, and driven to make a difference? If so, MSA Safety is the perfect fit for your career.

At MSA, SAFETY is who we are AND it is what we do. We are a purpose-driven company committed to deploying innovation and technology to deliver on our Mission to help protect people and assets all around the world. We continue to be relentless in our pursuit of solving our customers greatest problems so they can go home safe each and every day.

Are you in? Read on for more details about this particular role.

We are seeking a highly skilled and collaborative Systems Engineer to lead the development of complex safety products that integrate electrical, mechanical, optical, and software components. This role is pivotal in driving system-level technical decisions, ensuring cross-functional alignment, and delivering high-quality, manufacturable solutions that meet customer and stakeholder needs. The ideal candidate will have a strong technical background, excellent leadership skills, and a passion for mentoring and guiding global cross-functional engineering teams.

Technical Leadership & Decision-Making

• Serve as the technical authority for the project, owning system-level decisions, balancing trade-offs across disciplines and ensuring overall product health.
  • Lead product-level design reviews and contribute to Project Gate Reviews.
  • Ensure compliance with MSA’s NPD Process.
  • Take initiative to address project problems related to technologies, team dynamics, project success, etc
• Collaborate closely with Product Marketing, Project Management and Legal to thoroughly understand project goals, resources, constraints, business opportunities and IP Strategy. Clearly communicate project vision to team.
• Collaborate with Solution Architects to ensure integration into the broader connected ecosystem and identification of dependencies to other NPD efforts of the same ecosystem.
• Establish project expectations, milestones, requirements, and deliverables in collaboration from cross-functional teams. Identify critical parameters, resource needs and areas of risk.
• Guide cross-functional teams (Mechanical, Electrical, Software, Optical, Industrial Design) through concept feasibility, refinement, and development.
• Apply DFSS, DFMEA, FMEDA and other problem-solving methodologies to assess and mitigate technical risks.

Product Architecture

• Oversee development of functional product architecture, detailed system and subsystem architecture documentation
• Complete technology assessment to determine maturity and availability of required technologies

Voice of the Customer & Requirements Development

• Lead the product requirements development process, having responsibility for end-to-end requirements development. You will be responsible for:
  • Contributing to the Voice of Customer solicitation activities including requirements from customer, business, code/standard, etc. at the concept phase
  • Lead the process of translating concepts into technical requirements and define system functions and architecture
  • Lead and coordinate activities across engineering disciplines in the development of subsystem functions and architectures ensuring alignment with product requirements and codes/standards

Design & Verification

• Coordinate the application of model-based systems engineering tools, including mechanical, electrical, and multi-physics simulations, to verify that design will meet required performance specifications.
• Coordinate documentation, traceability and validation in collaboration with stakeholders.
• Participate in discipline design process, weekly meetings, and issue resolution.
• Ensure design for manufacturability and test
• Guide product verification and validation planning and execution, ensuring robust and consistent approaches across teams.
• Ensure compliance with relevant standards, test methods, and regulatory requirements related to functional safety, e.g., IEC 61508.
• Support project gate reviews, design reviews, and decision logs to ensure transparency and traceability.

Mentorship & Continuous Improvement

• Mentor engineers across disciplines, fostering a culture of technical excellence and innovation.
• Promote best practices in design, documentation, and team communication.
• Stay current with emerging technologies and industry trends to inform strategic decisions.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Electrical Preferred
• 7+ years of experience in physical safety product development, with a focus on system-level design and integration.
• Recognized subject matter expertise in one or more related design disciplines (Mechanical, Electrical, Software)
• Experience with at least two related complex product development projects involving the integration of several engineering disciplines, from conception to post-production support
• Expertise in materials, manufacturing methods, and technologies (e.g., PCBAs, sensors, actuators, wireless, plastics).
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Experience with project coordination tools and risk management practices.
• Proven ability to lead design projects and review the work of others, across disciplines.
• Proven experience in a leadership or technical lead role.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Strong communication, motivational, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Engineering or a related field.
• Experience with gas and flame detection products
• Experience with V-Model development methodologies for hardware/software systems.
• Experience with Functional Safety (SIL 2/SIL 3) development and certification.
• Understanding of NFPA, Electrical Safety, IEC, ATEX, and other safety regulations for hazardous locations.

Education and experience required:

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering or relevant technical discipline from an ABET accredited institution.

This position is available at three different career levels based upon experience, education, etc.:

Principal I:

• 7+ years of experience in physical safety product development, with a focus on system-level design and integration.

• MS degree may be substituted for up to 2 years

  of experience. PhD may be substituted for up to

  4 years of equivalent experience.

Principal II:

• 9+ years of experience in physical safety product development, with a focus on system-level design and integration.

• Advanced technical degree from an accredited

  college or university.

• MS degree may be substituted for up to 2 years

  of experience. PhD may be substituted for up to

  4 years of equivalent experience.

Senior Principal:

• 12+ years of experience in physical safety product development, with a focus on system-level design and integration.

• Advanced technical degree from an accredited

  college or university.

• MS degree may be substituted for up to 2 years

  of experience. PhD may be substituted for up to

  4 years of equivalent experience.

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