R&D Lead Engineer

Littelfuse is one of America’s Best Mid-Sized Companies (Forbes) and has been named one of the Best Places to Work in Illinois (Best Companies Group) for 11 consecutive years. With its global headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, USA, Littelfuse is a leading, global manufacturer of electronic components serving more than 100,000 end customers across industrial, transportation, and electronics end markets. We have more than 17,000 employees with operations in 15 countries. From semiconductors to sensors… switches to fuses and more… we produce billions of electronic components that help our customers empower a sustainable, connected, and safer world. In 2021, Littelfuse had net sales of $2.1 billion.

As an R&D Lead Engineer, you will be responsible for driving end-to-end product development—from concept and feasibility through design, validation, certification, and launch. Your role will focus on leading a small team of engineers, setting technical direction, and collaborating cross-functionally to deliver safe, reliable, and cost-effective products that meet customer and regulatory requirements.

About The Job

• Own the product development lifecycle (requirements, architecture, design, verification/validation, readiness for manufacturing) using Stage-Gate or similar methodologies.
• Lead & coach a team of design/validation engineers; assign work, clear blockers, review designs, and develop talent.
• Define product architecture & standards (materials, components, design rules, test plans) to improve reliability, manufacturability, and cost.
• Execute risk management (DFMEA/PFMEA), tolerance analysis, and design reviews; ensure robust DVP&R coverage.
• Guide prototype & validation builds; analyze test data, iterate designs, and document learnings.
• Coordinate certifications/compliance (e.g., UL, IEC, RoHS/REACH) and support reliability & safety assessments.
• Partner with Operations & Quality to enable seamless NPI transfer, DFM/DFA improvements, PPAP inputs, and change control.
• Collaborate with Suppliers & Sourcing on component selection, cost/lead-time tradeoffs, and qualification.
• Engage with Customers/Applications Engineering to clarify requirements, translate voice of customer (VoC) into specs, and support key pilots.
• Own documentation (BOMs, drawings, models, test reports, ECOs) with strong configuration control and data integrity.
• Continuously improve tools, processes, and standards to reduce cycle time and elevate design quality.

About You

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, or related Engineering (Master’s preferred).
• 7+ years in product design/R&D; 2+ years leading projects or people in a manufacturing or high-reliability environment.
• Proven delivery of NPI from concept to launch with measurable outcomes (quality, cost, time-to-market).
• Strong with DFMEA, DVP&R, tolerance/stack-up analysis, and failure analysis (8D, DMAIC, DOE).
• Proficiency in CAD (e.g., SolidWorks/CREO) and familiarity with PLM (Windchill/Teamcenter) and PDM controls.
• Experience with compliance & certification (e.g., UL/IEC) and materials selection for reliability and safety.
• Comfortable with DFM/DFA and partnering closely with Manufacturing, Quality, and Supply Chain.
• Excellent communication in English (Spanish a plus), stakeholder management, and executive-ready status reporting.
• Growth mindset: coaches others, elevates standards, and drives continuous improvement.

Littelfuse strives to empower associate growth and development in a culture of ongoing collaboration and respect for diverse global perspectives and expertise. Our Core Values — Customer Focus, Teamwork, Results-Driven, Integrity, and Innovation — support us on our mission to improve the safety, reliability, efficiency, and performance of our customers' products and systems. We are an equal opportunity employer that takes pride in giving every associate the means and courage to make a difference — everywhere, every day.

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