Product Development Engineer – Contractor

Job not on LinkedIn

🕒 January 28

🦀 Maryland – Remote

🦀 Maryland – Remote

⏳ Contract/Temporary

🟡 Mid-level

🟠 Senior

👷🏻‍♀️ Engineer

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RentACoop

WebsiteLinkedInAll Job Openings

11 - 50 employees

Founded 2011

🛍️ eCommerce

🛒 Retail

📚 Education

eCommerce • Retail • Education

RentACoop is an e-commerce retailer specializing in products and kits for backyard chicken owners and small poultry keepers. The company sells chick hatching kits, poultry feeders and waterers, electric-ready fencing, hypoallergenic bedding, spare parts and related supplies, and provides educational resources, instructions, and customer support. RentACoop emphasizes product innovation, friendly service, and community outreach—partnering with schools, 4‑H, and charities to promote hands-on hatching and chicken-raising experiences.

📋 Description

• Translate approved product concepts and requirements into detailed CAD models and technical specifications. • Develop and iterate physical prototypes using 3D printing and other rapid prototyping methods. • Design for manufacturability (DFM), ensuring parts are optimized for tooling, durability, and assembly, as we designed for cost effectiveness. • Lead functional, durability, and usability testing in real-world environments (including testing with chickens and small animals). • Own tooling feedback and revision cycles with mold makers and manufacturers. • Serve as RentACoop’s technical representative in communications with overseas factories, working closely with the Product and Supply Chain team. • Review and approve pre-production samples and Golden Samples against functional and quality standards. • Participate in early product concept and review meetings to understand customer needs, use cases, and performance goals. • Document test results, design revisions, and lessons learned for future product generations. • Support timeline management by flagging technical risks and ensuring development milestones are met.

🎯 Requirements

• Proven experience as a Product Development Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, or similar role focused on consumer physical products. • Strong proficiency in 3D CAD. (e.g., SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Creo, or similar). • Hands-on experience with prototyping (3D printing, sample fabrication, materials testing). • Working knowledge of injection molding and basic metal fabrication processes, sufficient to lead technical discussions with mold makers and manufacturers and guide tooling revisions. • Practical understanding of tooling, tolerances, and factory production processes. • Experience communicating directly with manufacturers and mold makers. • Ability to evaluate and test third-party components (e.g., electrical, heating, materials) against performance requirements. • Highly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable managing multiple development timelines simultaneously. • Clear, professional communicator able to work cross-functionally with Product and Supply Chain teams. • Passion for building products that are not only functional, but also intuitive and well-designed for end users. • Access to backyard chickens (or willingness to establish a small flock with company support) for real-world product testing.

🏖️ Benefits

• Engage in a mission-driven company that values thoughtful engineering, real-world testing, and customer trust. • Play a direct role in building and improving products used by animal owners worldwide. • Enjoy the satisfaction of seeing your designs move from concept to prototype to production. • Collaborate with a small, highly engaged team that values craftsmanship, practicality, and continuous improvement. • Build a long-term relationship with a growing brand where your technical leadership will shape the next generation of products.