Director, Engineering Full Time NEW

Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is a leading home appliance company, in constant pursuit of improving life at home. As the only major U.S.-based manufacturer of kitchen and laundry appliances, the company is driving meaningful innovation to meet the evolving needs of consumers through its iconic brand portfolio, including Whirlpool, KitchenAid, JennAir, Maytag, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, and InSinkErator. In 2024, the company reported approximately $17 billion in annual sales – close to 90% of which were in the Americas – 44,000 employees, and 40 manufacturing and technology research centers. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com.

About GTEC

Transforming Vision into Reality: The Global Technology & Engineering Center where India’s world-class talent architects the next generation of home innovation.

The team you will be a part of

The Engineering team discovers, develops and evaluates new product ideas, enhancements, or strategic product extensions, and translates research discoveries into usable and marketable products. Leads, plans and tracks all phases of the product life cycle, from inception to introduction into the marketplace. Coordinates with various functions to ensure successful product development and implementation.

This Role In Summary

We are seeking a highly skilled and innovative Senior Manager to lead the technical execution, integration, and continuous improvement of Virtual Product Development (VPD). This individual will lead the Simulation Based Design (SBD) and Computer Aided Design (CAD) teams within the NAR refrigeration business unit to deliver solutions that consistently meet and exceed full system targets for cost, quality, and performance.

The VPD Leader will play a pivotal role in optimizing and setting prioritization for SBD and CAD requests. They will deploy SBD and CAD to deliver maximum value and predictability while reducing product development time, advancing SBD and CAD capabilities within the team. And they will partner with the NAR refrigeration team to solve complex technical challenges that take into account design robustness and process variation, and guide cross-functional teams to ensure robust, scalable solutions across multiple architectures. This individual will play a critical role in delivering product leadership, influencing our future product pipeline, building knowledge, and developing our talent pipeline.

Your Responsibilities Will Include

• Develop and maintain VPD and CAD execution management system that aligns with the NAR refrigeration portfolio.
• Ensure proper prioritization of resources and escalate risks appropriately to avoid issues in project delivery and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure win-win solutions.
• Drive robustness, predictability and believability in technical solutions and trade-off options to drive decisions and value stream optimization early in the product development lifecycle of active projects.
• Apply simulation models and predictive analyses at the subsystem level that include expected design and process variation.
• Collaborate with design engineers to ensure rigor in design definition and completeness in drawings and 3D models.
• Drive capabilities development within the team to embed test-to-learn, failure modes and effects, global dimensions and tolerancing, six sigma methodology and value mindset.
• Act as coach and mentor for engineers and designers, fostering technical depth and knowledge sharing across the enterprise.
• Collaborate closely with Product Development Team Leaders, Subsystem Leaders, System Integrators, Project Leaders, Verification and Validation Team, Model Shops and Test Laboratories to ensure alignment and project success.
• Support process simplification and standardization to enable design efficiency and improve time to market.

Minimum Requirements

Education: B.E. Mechanical

Experience: 15+ years

• 15+ years of progressive engineering experience in new product development with 5+ years of leading a technical team.
• Strong technical knowledge of refrigeration systems, mechanical systems, CAD and 3D modeling, and simulation.
• Ability to translate strategic goals into operational short and long term goals for a distributed team.
• Proven track record of guiding teams to solve complex technical challenges.
• Ability to use the sciences to practically solve problems in product development and project execution.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills in global, cross-functional environments, with the ability to influence others in a matrix organization.
• Experience influencing major business decisions at executive levels.
• Applied experience with Lean Product Development, OPEX, and Design for Safety/Reliability principles.
• Ability to work from Pune, India office.

Preferred Skills And Experiences

• Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• Knowledge and experience in the consumer products and refrigeration industry.
• Ability to develop and execute training and mentoring programs.
• Experience leading distributed teams across different countries, cultures and timezones.
• Lean Six Sigma or equivalent certification.

Connect with us and learn more about Whirlpool Corporation

See what it’s like to work at Whirlpool by visiting Whirlpool Careers. Additional information about the company can be found on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

Whirlpool Corporation is committed to equal employment opportunity and prohibits any discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity, religion, sex, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or any other category protected by applicable law.

Join the Powerhouse of Home Innovation.

GTEC is more than an engineering center; it is where the future of the home is being designed, tested, and perfected. We invite you to be part of a team that is not just witnessing the digital revolution but leading it—creating a lasting impact on everyday lives, one innovation at a time.