Sustaining Engineer

Chefman is one of North America's leading brands of small kitchen appliances, committed to building best-in-class products that make cooking accessible and enjoyable. In 2020, we launched CHEF iQ an ecosystem of connected smart kitchen appliances designed to transform how the world cooks through intuitive guided cooking experiences and IoT-enabled technology.

As Chefman grows its portfolio of connected and electromechanical kitchen appliances, we are looking for a highly analytical Sustaining Engineer to take ownership of products post-launch. This role bridges R&D, customer support, and global manufacturing partners ensuring long-term product health, driving down return rates, and building the post-launch support systems our business needs to scale. You will be the dedicated technical champion for Chefman products in the field, freeing our R&D and TPM teams to stay focused on what's next.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and analyze return data (RMA trends), customer support tickets, and refurbishment logs to proactively identify mechanical, electrical, and firmware failure patterns across the portfolio
• Perform hands-on root cause analysis on returned units to determine whether issues stem from component defects, assembly errors, design gaps, or user behavior
• Build and maintain dashboards that give leadership clear visibility into field performance over time
• Prioritize issues by frequency, severity, and cost impact to ensure the right problems receive engineering attention first

• Partner with R&D and TPMs late in the development cycle to build troubleshooting trees, FAQs, and technical training materials before each product launches
• Serve as the dedicated technical point of contact for customer support, fielding escalated queries and insulating the R&D team from daily support noise
• Maintain and update the internal technical knowledge base as ECNs or firmware updates are rolled out post-launch
• Translate complex electromechanical concepts into clear, step-by-step instructions that non-technical support agents can confidently use

• Drive technical communication with global manufacturing facilities when field data or component failures require factory-side intervention
• Issue and track formal corrective action requests using 8D problem-solving methodologies with suppliers and assembly lines to implement permanent quality gates
• Coordinate with R&D to push design tweaks, alternative component sourcing, or fixture updates back to the production line to resolve ongoing field issues
• Maintain accurate records of all open corrective actions, resolution timelines, and closure status across the supplier base

• Work closely with TPMs to ensure a clean handoff from active development to post-launch support
• Collaborate with quality, supply chain, and customer support teams to align on issue prioritization and resolution strategies
• Participate in product launch readiness reviews to ensure support infrastructure is in place before products reach consumers

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, or Quality Engineering or equivalent hands-on hardware experience
• 3–5 years of engineering experience in a hardware environment handling complex electromechanical assemblies including PCBs, wiring harnesses, sensors, enclosures, and moving mechanical parts
• Demonstrated experience performing root cause analysis and driving corrective actions using 8D, 5-Why, or similar structured methodologies
• Exceptional ability to translate technical engineering information into clear instructions for non-technical audiences
• Proficient in data analysis comfortable pulling trends from support ticketing systems, RMA databases, Excel, or BI tools
• Experience working with overseas manufacturing facilities with an understanding of quality control procedures, supplier management, and navigating time zone differences
• Familiarity with ECN processes, firmware update cycles, and post-launch change management in a consumer hardware environment
• Experience with connected or IoT consumer products is a strong plus
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities across multiple products simultaneously
• Willingness and ability to travel to China approximately 25% of the time to support factory visits, supplier audits, and corrective action reviews

 What We Offer

• A high-impact role at the intersection of engineering, operations, and customer experience at one of North America's fastest-growing kitchen appliance brands
• The opportunity to directly influence product quality, customer satisfaction, and return rate reduction across an innovative connected product portfolio
• A collaborative, entrepreneurial environment where your work is visible, valued, and drives measurable business outcomes
• Competitive compensation, benefits, and room to grow within a company redefining the kitchen experience