Product development engineer

Product Development Engineer

Molex creates connections for life by enabling technologies that transform the future and improve lives. With presence in more than 40 countries, Molex offers a complete range of connectivity products, services and solutions for the data communications, medical, industrial, automotive and consumer electronics industries.

Our plant in Naperville focuses on flexible circuit technology that serves a diverse customer base across consumer electronics, datacom/telecom applications, medical solutions and automotive applications. Our technical experts possess unique Printed Electronics (PE) and Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC) industry experience, and we apply that knowledge to create value for our customers by supporting their needs and pushing PE devices beyond the limits of conventional circuitry solutions.

Molex is seeking a motivated and self-driven Product Development Engineer (PDE) to develop/design the product serving clients in the medical and/or automotive industry.

PDE owns the entire NPI product lifecycle—from RFQ through mass production launch—ensuring technical excellence and compliance with industry standards.

Included Product Development Plan, Preliminary Design Completion, Final Design Completion, Production Process Development, Product and Process Qualification, Issue Tracking in NPI stage.

Complex Architecture Design: Lead the development and design of Multi-layer FPC (4-10+ layers) and Rigid-Flex circuits, focusing on stack-up/Panel optimization and Process flow definition.

Industry-Specific Engineering: Develop products that meet Medical (ISO 13485/IPC Class 3) and Automotive (IATF 16949) standards for high-reliability applications.

Technical Lead for RFQs: Act as the technical authority during the Request for Quote (RFQ) phase, evaluating feasibility and providing optimized design proposals to global clients.

Advanced DFM/DFA: Execute rigorous Design for Manufacturing (DFM) reviews to ensure high yields for fine-line/fine-space designs and complex rigid-to-flex bonding processes.

Signal & Power Integrity: Perform simulation and validation for impedance control in high speed FPC structures.

Lifecycle Management: Own the product lifecycle from initial concept and DFMEA through to PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) and mass production launch.

Root Cause Analysis: Lead technical troubleshooting for complex failures (e.g., delamination, micro-via cracking, or signal loss etc.) using 8D/Fish bone or similar methodologies.

Education: B.S. or M.S. Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related technical field.

FPC Expertise: Minimum 5 years of experience in PCB/FPC R&D, with at least 3 years focused specifically on Multi-layer FPC and Rigid-Flex technologies.

Software Proficiency: Expert command of 2D/3D design tools (AutoCAD, ProE/NX) and professional EDA/Layout software (e.g., Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro, Layout viewer etc.).

Industry Knowledge: Deep understanding of the full FPC manufacturing process (Lamination, Drilling, Plating, Surface Finishes) and IPC standards (IPC-6013/610, IPC-2223).