Product Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Product Engineer jobs in Illinois are in strong demand, with the state's industrial base, advanced manufacturing, and technology sectors driving consistent openings from entry-level through senior roles. Chicago, Peoria, and Rockford are the primary hiring hubs, anchored by established employers like Caterpillar, Motorola Solutions, and Abbott Laboratories. The most sought-after specialties in Illinois include hardware development, manufacturing process engineering, and embedded systems design. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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We are seeking individuals who are proactive, humble, eager to learn new skills, and demonstrate strong potential for growth. Our R&D/Product Development Engineering Teams generate original ideas for innovative products and guide their development from concept to mass production.
This position focuses on developing state-of-the-art liquid cooling systems and advanced sealing solutions, taking concepts from design to production. You will play a critical role in advancing thermal and mechanical designs, optimizing manufacturing processes, and ensuring product reliability and scalability. This role is ideal for engineers passionate about thermal systems, mechanical design, and innovative sealing technologies.
Our Team
Molex creates connections for life by enabling technologies that transform the future and improve lives. With a 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 team is helping the company establish a leading position in these areas while creating or providing mechanical and thermal solutions.
What You Will Do (Job Description)
Liquid Cooling System Design:
- Design and develop advanced liquid cooling solutions, including cold plates, tubing, and manifold systems for high speed IO solutions.
Mechanical Design:
- Design of cooling system components, including housings, quick-connect fittings, and structural interfaces, ensuring manufacturability and robustness.
- Develop detailed CAD models and engineering drawings for thermal and mechanical components, adhering to industry standards.
- Conduct structural and thermal stress analyses (e.g., FEA) to ensure the mechanical reliability of designs under thermal expansion, vibration, and pressure conditions.
End-to-End Development (Concept to Production):
- Lead product development from initial concept and prototyping to mass production.
- Define product requirements, create design specifications, and establish validation plans for thermal and mechanical systems.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams (thermal, mechanical, electrical, manufacturing) to ensure a seamless transition from design to production.
- Develop DFX (Design for Manufacturability, Reliability, and Testing) strategies to optimize production efficiency and product quality.
- Identify and mitigate risks throughout the product lifecycle, including design iterations, testing, and production ramp-up.
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
- Act as a technical lead, coordinating efforts among cross-functional teams, suppliers, and production facilities.
- Provide technical guidance to ensure manufacturability, reliability, and scalability of liquid cooling and mechanical system.
Innovation and Compliance:
- Stay updated on industry trends in liquid cooling, mechanical design, and sealing technologies, including advanced sealing materials and methods.
Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Engineering, or a related field.
- 5 + years of experience in thermal and mechanical design.
- Proficiency in CAD software (e.g., NX, Creo, SolidWorks).
- Familiarity with End-to-End Development (Concept to Production)
- Experience with manufacturing processes (e.g., CNC machining, stamping, plating, injection molding, LSR molding).
- Experience with developing test requirements for mechanical & thermal designs as well as reviewing thermal and reliability test reports.
- Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills, able to deeply analyze testing failure mode while focusing on manufacturability and quality control.
- Experience performing tolerance stack-up analysis for CAD.
- Experience working with international colleagues and suppliers, which may require meetings in the early morning or evening.
What Will Put You Ahead
- Hands-on experience with liquid cooling systems: cold plates, CDU , quick-connect fittings, tubing, and manifold assemblies.
- Expertise in sealing technologies, including material selection, sealing design (e.g., O-rings, gaskets), and leakage prevention.
- Strong understanding of fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and material compatibility for mechanical/thermal systems.
- Experience with high-volume manufacturing and DFM/DFT principles for mechanical and thermal systems.
- Understanding of material properties in the liquid cooling field, including aging, thermal resistance, chemical compatibility, etc.
- Experience with simulation or performance analysis of liquid cooling thermal solutions
- Understanding precision machining, seal welding, molding (plastic & metal), soldering, stamping/Assy, or sintering processes.
- Passionate about design work and innovation, creating or optimizing products to establish leadership or address industry gaps.
For this role, we anticipate paying $100,000 - $130,000 per year. This role is eligible for variable pay, issued as a monetary bonus or in another form.
At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location. If you have questions, please speak to your recruiter about the flexibility and detail of our compensation philosophy.
Hiring Philosophy
All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds. We are Military Ready and Second Chance employers. Learn more about our hiring philosophy here .
Who We Are
At Koch, employees are empowered to do what they do best to make life better. Learn how our business philosophy helps employees unleash their potential while creating value for themselves and the company.
Our Benefits
Our goal is for each employee, and their families, to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We provide essential resources and support to build and maintain physical, financial, and emotional strength - focusing on overall wellbeing so you can focus on what matters most. Our benefits plan includes - medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, ADD, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region. If you have questions on what benefits apply to you, please speak to your recruiter.
Additionally, everyone has individual work and personal needs. We seek to enable the best work environment that helps you and the business work together to produce superior results.
Equal Opportunities
Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Except where prohibited by state law, some offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E-Verify. Please click here for additional information. (For Illinois E-Verify information click here , aquí , or tu ).
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See All 73 Product Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Product Engineer JobsProduct Engineer Jobs by City in Illinois
Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Product Engineer Job Market in Illinois
A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Molex10

- Amphenol6

- Speechify3

- IHI Turbo America3

- Google2

Top Industries Hiring
- Manufacturing10
- Technology & Software6
- Automotive3
- Consulting & Professional Services3
- Chemicals & Materials2
What Illinois Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in product engineer jobs across Illinois.
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, or industrial engineering from an accredited program
- Professional Engineer licensure or eligibility through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
- Experience with product lifecycle management tools such as Windchill, Teamcenter, or similar platforms
- Proficiency in CAD software including SolidWorks, AutoCAD, or CATIA for design and documentation
- Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams through design, testing, and production phases
- Familiarity with ISO, ASME, or industry-specific quality and compliance standards in a manufacturing environment
Product Engineer Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a product engineer in Illinois?
Most Illinois employers require a bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, or industrial engineering from an ABET-accredited program. For roles requiring a Professional Engineer license, candidates register with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, pass the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, gain qualifying experience, and then sit for the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam. Many Illinois manufacturers also value internship experience with Midwest-based engineering firms before full-time hiring.
Which companies hire product engineers in Illinois?
Employers hiring product engineers in Illinois right now include Molex, Amphenol, and Speechify, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Illinois's concentration of large industrial manufacturers, medical device companies, and defense contractors makes it one of the more active states for product engineering roles across multiple industries.
Which Illinois cities have the most product engineer jobs?
Chicago, Lisle, and Schaumburg have the most product engineer openings in Illinois. Chicago's concentration of corporate headquarters and technology firms drives the largest share of postings, while Peoria's deep ties to Caterpillar's global manufacturing operations and Rockford's precision manufacturing base account for strong demand outside the metro area.
Are there remote product engineer jobs in Illinois?
Yes, but they're less common than in purely software-focused fields, since product engineering often requires hands-on lab work, prototype testing, and collaboration on the production floor. About 50% of product engineer openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, with remote work most available for specification writing, project coordination, and supply chain liaison responsibilities rather than design validation or manufacturing support.
How can I get hired as a product engineer in Illinois with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is landing a co-op or associate engineer role through a large Illinois manufacturer. Companies like Caterpillar, Abbott, and Zebra Technologies run structured new-graduate programs and rotational engineering tracks that welcome candidates without full-time experience. Adjacent roles in quality assurance, manufacturing technician work, or applications engineering at Illinois industrial suppliers can also transition directly into product engineering. Building a portfolio of senior capstone projects or pursuing Fundamentals of Engineering certification through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation gives candidates a measurable edge.
Where can I find and apply to product engineer jobs in Illinois?
You can find and apply to product engineer jobs in Illinois on Migrate Mate, which lists current Illinois openings across industries including manufacturing, medical devices, and technology. Find roles that fit your background and apply directly through the listings on this page.
See All 73 Product Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Product Engineer Jobs