Product Engineer

Summary of Position : Thirty-Five Capital's mission is to help start-up, early stage, and family businesses grow through the strategic infusion of capital and hands-on leadership. The firm's focus is on sports and technology, with brands such as Paddletek Pickleball, ProXR Pickleball, Boundless Pickleball, Veloz, Homewood Bat, JAW Bats, and ProXR being part of the ever-growing portfolio. 35 Services offers Sales, Marketing, Product Development, Distribution, and back-office support to Thirty-Five Capital's operating companies. We are seeking a Product Engineer to design and develop innovative products across both our racquet sports (pickleball, padel, and related) and baseball divisions. This role will work closely with Sales, Marketing, and Operations to deliver best-in-class equipment—from high-performance pickleball paddles and padel racquets to wood and composite baseball bats—helping set industry standards for quality and innovation. The position is located in our headquarters in Chicago, IL, and will report to the Senior Product Line Manager. Essential Duties and Responsibilities : As the firm continues to grow quickly, the ideal candidate will possess a tremendous amount of flexibility and resourcefulness in regard to traditional duties and responsibilities. The work will continue to change; however, the following functions will form the foundation of the position.

• Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, and Operations to develop innovative pickleball paddles, padel racquets, baseball bats and ancillary products.
• Build a deep understanding of both racquet sports and baseball equipment, customer needs, and athlete feedback
• Analyzes market and industry product trends to come up with unique product ideas
• Partners with Project Managers on product ideas and to establish project priorities
• Lead the development and testing of new materials suitable for racquet and baseball products
• Creates rough product designs using sketches and computer software
• Selects product materials and designs the product manufacturing process
• Determines product feasibility costs and return on investment
• Tests product prototypes to adjust design flaws
• Consult with operations team to determine cost-effective manufacturing procedures
• Oversee the start of the manufacturing process to ensure productivity and safety
• Works with team to bring new concepts to market
• Actively implements continuous process improvement
• Helps drive innovation and participates in evolving design language for products that inspire passion
• Other duties as assigned Qualifications :
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Materials Engineering or related field
• Minimum 5 years' experience inventing and developing products
• Experience in sports equipment (racquet sports and / or baseball) strongly preferred
• Keen creative and innovative skillset and eye for detail
• Good project management skills
• Documented success in launching new products and maintaining products
• Strong 2D Skills : Strong hand sketching (digital) and rendering skills with ability to create designs quickly, working in and out of software tools
• Experienced in producing design spec packs and technical drawings
• Expertise in Key Shot or similar rendering software
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office and other necessary product development software
• Ability to travel domestically What We'll Provide :
• Competitive compensation of $115,000 with a 5% bonus
• Benefits
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan with company match
• Professional development opportunities
• Smart casual dress Employment Type : Full Time Years Experience : 3 - 5 years Bonus / Commission : Yes