What You'll Do: Traeger is seeking a Category Director to join our team. In this role, you will report to our VP of Product and will be accountable for owning the in-line, cross-channel product mix plan and partnering with Program Management to deliver products that drive exceptional business results. As our Category Director, you will create long-term product roadmaps, set product quality and cost goals, and drive profitable growth. You will also work with cross-functional marketing and sales teams to create and deliver exceptional products to market.
What You'll Do: As a Senior Electrical Engineer on Traeger's Advanced Product R&D (APRD) team, you will act as our electrical subject matter expert, proposing new components, architectures, and creative solutions as we develop the next generation of grills. You will partner closely with both the APRD team and our core Electrical Engineering team to lead the prototyping of new controller concepts and their supporting subsystems - including igniters, motors, sensors, and other peripherals - assist in BOM definition for new platforms, and apply a working understanding of firmware to prototype complete products with the support of a mechanical engineer. You will bring deep schematic capture and PCB layout expertise in OrCAD X while helping set the technical direction for early-stage development. Travel to Asia is expected as needed to support supplier visits and new product introduction.
How You'll Help Us Win: - Act as the electrical subject matter expert for APRD, proposing new components, architectures, and creative solutions for next-generation grill concepts.
- Lead the development of new controller concepts and the ignitors, motors, sensors, and other peripherals that support them, from early architecture exploration through proof of concept.
- Partner closely with both the APRD team and the core Electrical Engineering team to translate advanced concepts into producible designs.
- Drive BOM definition for new platforms, balancing cost, performance, supply availability, and manufacturability.
- Apply working knowledge of embedded firmware to prototype complete controller concepts with the support of a mechanical engineer, validating architecture decisions ahead of formal program kickoff.
- Design, modify, and analyze electrical hardware including analog and digital circuits, wiring harnesses, and test fixtures for early-stage concepts.
- Use OrCAD X for schematic capture and PCB layout, and contribute to library maintenance.
- Build, debug, and bring up prototype hardware at the bench using oscilloscopes and standard lab equipment.
- Evaluate emerging components and connectivity technologies and recommend their application to future grill platforms.
- Contribute to new product development from concept through production, collaborating across mechanical, firmware, and industrial design.
- Support DFA and DFM activities early in concept development to set new platforms up for manufacturability.
- Work with external PCB layout suppliers and component vendors to deliver prototypes on time and on budget.
- Mentor and provide technical guidance to engineers across the Electrical Engineering team.
- Participate in 8D problem solving and corrective action activities as needed to support field-driven design improvements.
Bonus Points if you have this: - Familiarity with EMI and EMC compliance testing for consumer electronics.
- Exposure to embedded firmware architectures (RTOS, state machines) for connected consumer products.
- Experience with rapid prototyping techniques and rapid iteration in early-stage concept development.
- Experience with reliability testing, test fixture design, or production test development.
- Experience leveraging AI for improved efficiency.
- Prior experience in consumer electronics or outdoor cooking products.
- Patents held or a demonstrated track record of innovative hardware solutions.
What You'll Need To Succeed: - Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
- 6+ years of experience in electrical hardware engineering, with demonstrated ownership of new product architectures.
- Proven ability to act as a subject matter expert, proposing new components and architectures for novel product concepts.
- Strong foundation in analog and digital circuit design fundamentals and circuit analysis.
- Deep understanding of microcontroller architecture and peripheral interfaces such as UART, SPI, I2C, and CAN.
- Practical experience designing or integrating ignitors, motor drive circuits, and sensor interfaces for electromechanical systems.
- Working knowledge of embedded firmware sufficient to prototype and validate complete controller concepts, in partnership with a mechanical engineer.
- Hands on experience with bench level debugging and hardware bring up using oscilloscopes and standard lab equipment.
- Experience defining and negotiating BOMs for new platforms, balancing cost, performance, and supply chain considerations.
- Strong PCB layout skills and experience with OrCAD X or similar ECAD tools.
- Confident communicator, able to champion new ideas and influence technical direction across the APRD and core Electrical Engineering teams.
- Disciplined, data driven approach to problem solving, comfortable operating in the ambiguity typical of early-stage R&D.
- Ability to travel domestically and overseas, including to Asia, to support supplier and NPI activities.
- Self-motivated and able to work effectively in a cross functional team environment.
Why You Will Love Working Here:
- Be part of the most disruptive force in outdoor cooking
- Join a true team working towards a common goal
- Culture of risk-taking, innovation, & quality
- Have an outdoor lover's paradise in your backyard
- Full medical/dental/vision package to fit your needs
- 401k to help you plan for the future
- Individual professional development programs & initiatives to help you grow professionally
- Great discounts on all things Traeger
- Did we mention all the food?
