Manager of Product Design Compliance

Illinois Tool Works · Appleton

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Job Description:

The Manager of Product Design Compliance ensures ITW Welding’s products meet all applicable safety, certification, and regulatory requirements. This role serves as the company’s technical lead in product safety, certification assurance, and product liability management. The position is highly collaborative, working closely with engineering, operations, marketing, sales, and legal teams, as well as external associations and certification bodies, to uphold the highest standards of product safety and compliance across global markets.

Key Responsibilities

1. Product Incident Response

• Lead prompt response efforts for field incidents involving possible injury or property damage.
• Partner closely with ITW Legal, outside counsel, and expert consultants to manage all aspects of incident response.
• Serve as corporate technical representative during incident reporting, field inspections, and claims management.
• Manage document searches, production, and case discovery processes.
• Participate in depositions, mediations, and trials as needed.
• Ensure thorough and timely communication and documentation of all incident-related activities.

2. Industry Advocacy and Representation

• Serve as an advocate for ITW Welding and the broader welding industry.
• Actively participate in key industry associations and technical committees; pursue leadership roles (e.g., expert member, delegate, vice-chair and chair) where strategic.
• Communicate key industry trends, safety initiatives, regulatory changes, and technical changes in standards that affect ITW Welding products to internal stakeholders.
• Engage with organizations including:
  • Associations: NEMA, AWS, EWA, IIW, IEC
  • Committees: IEC TC 26, AWS SHC, NEMA Arc Welding TC, IIW C-VIII (Health, Safety & Environment), EWA TC

3. Product Safety, Liability, and Training

• Lead product safety design reviews and risk assessments across the product lifecycle.
• Review and approve product precautionary labeling for accuracy and compliance.
• Evaluate marketing collateral for adherence to product safety and liability standards.
• Deliver organization-wide training on product safety and liability correspondence, with a focus on customer-facing employees.
• Develop and issue Important Product Safety Notices and facilitate product field retrievals when necessary.

4. Product Certification Assurance

• Oversee product certification processes to ensure compliance with global standards, with emphasis on North America (CSA) and Europe (CE).
• Review product technical files and documentation required for certification.
• Serve as the authorized signatory on CE Declarations of Conformity.
• Partner with engineering and regulatory agencies to ensure ongoing compliance and certification integrity.

Qualifications

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Product Safety, or a related technical discipline required.
• Minimum 8+ years of experience in engineering, product compliance, product safety, or regulatory affairs within a manufacturing or engineering environment.
• Experience working with certification bodies (CSA, CE, UL) and familiarity with global product compliance standards.
• Prior experience in litigation support, claims management, or product liability preferred.

Skills & Competencies:

• Strong understanding of product design safety principles, standards, and regulatory frameworks.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including technical documentation and legal correspondence.
• Ability to influence and collaborate across cross-functional teams and with external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities with a high degree of accountability and confidentiality.

Additional Information

• Occasional travel required for committee meetings and field inspections (approximately 10–20%).
• This position plays a key role in protecting ITW Welding’s brand reputation through proactive risk mitigation and global compliance leadership.

ITW is an equal opportunity employer. We value our colleagues’ unique perspectives, experiences and ideas and create workplaces where everyone can develop their careers and perform to their full potential. 

As an equal employment opportunity employer, ITW is committed to equal employment opportunity and fair treatment for employees, beginning with the hiring process and continuing through all aspects of the employment relationship. 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected Veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.  

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