Product Development Engineer

About Vanguard ID Systems

Vanguard ID Systems is a leader in innovation, manufacturing custom-printed barcoded and RFID cards and key tags for industries like healthcare, retail, education, and access control. Our solutions help clients enhance branding, identification, and tracking. With 30+ years of experience, we are committed to leveraging technology for business growth and transformation.

Position Summary

The Product Development Engineer bridges technical sales support, cost engineering, and product development to help Vanguard bring new products and customer opportunities to market. Working with Sales, Operations, leadership, and external suppliers, you'll turn customer requirements into product specifications, custom constructions, prototypes, manufacturing plans, and cost estimates that support accurate quotes and competitive sales proposals.

This hands-on role combines commercial problem-solving with technical R&D. You'll research materials, work with suppliers, test new product designs, and determine how products can be manufactured using existing processes or new capabilities. You'll work closely with leadership and Operations on technical decisions, equipment evaluations, and manufacturing scale-up.

Success in this role means making Vanguard more agile in sourcing, developing, costing, and scaling manufactured products to market.

Why This Role Is Exciting

• Bring new products to market: Develop custom product constructions, test materials and prototypes, and see your solutions move into production and customer applications.
• Shape our future capabilities: Help introduce new materials, technologies, and manufacturing processes that expand what Vanguard can produce.
• Make a lasting impact: Join a collaborative team where your work directly supports new business opportunities and the development of products and manufacturing capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

Product development: Identify and develop new products, customer configurations, and constructions that support commercial opportunities.

• Work with Sales to understand customer applications, technical requirements, performance needs, order volumes, and target pricing.
• Develop product specifications covering dimensions, materials, printing, encoding, durability, and delivery format.
• Research and source adhesives, films, facestocks, liners, laminates, RFID inlays, and other materials.
• Compare product constructions and configurations for performance, environmental durability, cost, and manufacturability.
• Develop prototypes, coordinate testing and samples, and refine designs based on results and customer feedback.

Cost engineering & quoting: Establish the technical specifications and manufacturing costs needed to prepare custom sales proposals.

• Source materials, components, tooling, and outside services; compare supplier pricing, capabilities, and lead times.
• Build product specifications, bills of materials, and volume-based cost models covering materials, printing, encoding, labor, setup, waste, yields, throughput, and manufacturing costs.
• Compare product constructions and production methods to identify cost drivers and alternatives that meet customer price targets.
• Provide Sales and leadership with product specifications, manufacturing assumptions, and cost estimates to build custom quotes. Support quote reviews, technical questions, and pricing alternatives as customer requirements evolve.

Manufacturing & process development: Determine how new products and custom constructions can be produced using existing or expanded manufacturing capabilities.

• Assess material compatibility, equipment capabilities, production efficiency, and manufacturing constraints.
• Diagram how prototypes can be manufactured using existing equipment and processes, or define the changes, equipment, and new capabilities needed where current methods fall short.
• Research printing, converting, encoding, and other technologies needed to support new products and capabilities.
• Work with Operations and leadership to evaluate in-house production, outsourcing, and new equipment or process development. Support production tests, troubleshoot issues, and document validated processes, specifications, and quality requirements.

R&D roadmap & execution: Coordinate product development projects from customer requirements through quoting and production readiness.

• Pursue suppliers, coordinate resources, and resolve technical, sourcing, and manufacturing obstacles.
• Keep Sales, Operations, and leadership aligned on product specifications, feasibility, costs, and outstanding requirements. Document product constructions, test results, cost assumptions, and production requirements to support quoting and manufacturing handoff.

Qualifications

• Degree in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, Packaging Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field; equivalent experience considered.
• 3+ years of relevant experience in product development, manufacturing, materials, packaging, printing, converting, or technical engineering support.
• Working knowledge of materials, manufacturing processes, product specifications, or custom product development.
• Experience developing or testing prototypes, evaluating materials, or improving manufacturing processes.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills to evaluate technical problems, compare alternatives, and develop cost estimates.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, coordinate with suppliers and internal teams, and follow through on deliverables.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills to document findings, explain recommendations, and collaborate across functions.

What We Value

• Ownership & initiative: Self-motivated, takes responsibility for projects, and follows through without repeated direction.
• Analytical problem solving: Breaks down complex technical problems, tests assumptions, and makes decisions grounded in data.
• Technical curiosity: Enjoys hands-on experimentation, learning manufacturing processes, and applying new knowledge.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Builds productive relationships across Sales, Operations, suppliers, and leadership to implement improvements.
• Commercial judgment: Balances product performance, manufacturing feasibility, and cost when evaluating solutions.