Legere Reeds - Product Development Engineer

Founded in 1998, Légère Reeds produces state of the art synthetic woodwind reeds for worldwide distribution from our growing ultra-modern manufacturing and distribution facility in Barrie! Our clarinet, saxophone, bassoon, and oboe reeds are used by players in the world's most prestigious orchestras, including the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras, as well as top session and pit pros in London, New York and Los Angeles.

At Légère, we offer:

• A competitive compensation and benefits package, including PTO days
• Comprehensive training programs
• Regular employee events and social get-togethers
• An unparalleled working environment and company culture

We’re currently seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic Product Development Engineer with strong mechanical and technical aptitude to join our team. Reporting directly to the Director of Operations, this role offers broad exposure across product design, CAD, programming, prototyping, testing, and production implementation. The ideal candidate is a self‑starter with a genuine passion for engineering excellence and a natural curiosity for how systems work. As an integral part of our team, the ideal candidate will thrive in technically challenging environments, take initiative, and enjoy the autonomy to drive projects forward while collaborating effectively with cross‑functional teams and industry partners. Candidates who perform exceptionally in this role are driven to grow, comfortable staying mobile across changing priorities, and motivated to take on broader responsibility without depending on a large management structure. If you bring energy, technical rigor, and a desire to build meaningful, high‑quality products, we want to meet you!

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and develop new single-reed and double-reed products and other woodwind accessories.
• Create robust mechanical designs using CAD, CAM, and other software.
• Help transition proprietary CAD workflows into a modern commercial CAD environment.
• Plan and execute prototype testing, engineering validation, and continuous product improvement.
• Research relevant technologies, componentry and standards to meet project requirements.
• Develop project scope conceptually towards a feasible product.
• Perform various engineering calculations to size componentry and validate design.
• Produce fabrication and assembly drawings, generating required BOMs and complying to relevant standards.
• Building, troubleshooting, and testing product in a hands-on factory environment.
• Generation of maintenance manuals and technical reports, as required for each project.
• Performs other duties, as assigned, for example SRED claims, Regulatory, Health and Safety technical projects.

The successful candidate will have:

• Ability to work Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. in an office environment.
• Passion and enthusiasm for engineering and product development.
• Strong work ethic and a “hands-on” approach to get the job done.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; ability to build and maintain lasting relationships.
• High degree of resourcefulness, flexibility, and adaptability.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Manufacturing Engineering, or a closely related discipline; a strong academic record is preferred.
• P. Eng Designation in Ontario, or actively working toward obtaining it, is preferred.
• Approximately 2-5 years of engineering experience in product development, mechanical design, or machine design, preferably related to smaller, high precision products. Exceptional candidates outside this range may also be considered.
• Significant experience with commercial 3D CAD; Autodesk Fusion is particularly relevant.
• Some experience with commercial CAM and CNC manufacturing, with enough practical understanding to discuss tooling, workholding, toolpaths, and G-code.
• Ability to work and learn autonomously with minimal supervision.
• Technical curiosity and an ability to design structured experiments.
• A willingness to work hands-on with shop floor personnel to run experiments and production trial runs.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively in a small, collaborative team.

Nice to have:

• Interest in music or the musical-instrument industry.
• Experience playing a woodwind instrument.
• Rapid prototyping or additive manufacturing experience.
• Knowledge of polymers, composites and experience in mechanical testing.

If you have the qualifications as outlined above and are interested in joining a dedicated team in a growing company, please forward your resume and cover letter to the email address provided.

Thank you for your interest in our position.

To confirm, this position represents a current vacancy within our organization. Only those applicants that are selected for interviews will be contacted. Please do not contact the company directly. We are committed to providing equal opportunities for persons with disabilities. Accommodation is available at all stages of the recruitment process, at the candidate’s request.

Please note that your application and any related materials you provide may be processed, stored, reviewed, or otherwise used by systems in our recruitment selection process that may interact with AI tools. This includes any AI integrated functions that may be utilized by the job board through which you applied to our position.