Location: Hybrid - Kohler, Wisconsin (with regular on-site collaboration)
Kohler is building the next generation of home infrastructure products: water flow systems that reclaim, filter, and recirculate; fixtures that report condition and service needs without becoming surveillance devices; and modular resilience components that help a household or neighborhood operate with more comfort, security, and control during municipal interruptions.
This role leads the group responsible for innovating, scaling, and sustaining the Kohler Reclaim line. You will oversee R&D translation into manufacturable systems, production readiness, service technician enablement, and the cross-functional operating rhythm that keeps exploration and production aligned.
What is Kohler Reclaim
Kohler Reclaim is a product family designed around circularity and maintainability:
- Reclaim Loop Toilet and Reclaim Valve Stack: closed-loop flush and greywater routing with inspectable filtration stages.
- ReclaimTap and Reclaim Sink Modules: fixture-level flow shaping and cartridge-based filtration designed for tool-less service.
- Reclaim Vault: compact water storage, filtration, and backflow management sized for single-home and small multi-home clusters.
- Reclaim BMS: battery and power conditioning integration for resilient operation of pumps, sensors, and controls.
These systems integrate with EDGAR Micronet (Kohler home automation) and the open neighborhood operating surface built with IKEA: an interoperable nOS that supports shared storage, maintenance coordination, and mutual aid between households when desired by the neighborhood.
In this role you will
- Lead a multi-site organization spanning product development, manufacturing engineering, quality, supplier readiness, and service enablement.
- Set the development operating model for Reclaim: exploration KPIs, prototype throughput, stage gates, quality metrics, and field learnings loops.
- Translate early concepts into durable manufacturing reality: DFM/DFA, test plans, reliability targets, and production work instructions.
- Build training and certification programs for service technicians and partner installers, including tooling, documentation, and escalation paths.
- Partner closely with IKEA teams on interoperability surfaces (nOS integration patterns, reference implementations, documentation, and rollout playbooks).
- Coordinate across legacy org boundaries and suppliers; resolve distributed problem flows without defaulting to hierarchy or blame.
- Own the “field truth” loop: how product behavior and maintenance practice evolve post-installation, and how learnings are absorbed into design and production.
You might thrive if you
- Have led teams shipping physical products with meaningful installation and maintenance reality.
- Can hold the whole system: engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, service operations, and customer experience.
- Have worked across multiple organizational types, including independent practice or entrepreneurial work and more traditional commercial institutions.
- Can write clearly, teach effectively, and build cross-functional alignment with practical artifacts (docs, prototypes, workcells, service scripts).
- Bring a multi/poly-disciplinary background. Engineering experience is useful, but not required if you can demonstrate systems judgment and delivery.
- Value humanities and STS sensibilities as an R&D advantage: you notice rituals, incentives, and “why people do it this way,” and you design for that.
Travel & work conditions
- Regular on-site collaboration in Kohler, WI and periodic travel to manufacturing, supplier, and field deployment locations.
- Some work occurs in manufacturing environments and test labs.
Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without requiring sponsorship now or in the future.
Benefits
Kohler offers benefits on day one. Details vary by location and role and may include medical, dental, vision, retirement savings programs, and additional wellbeing support.
Why Choose Kohler?
We empower each associate to #BecomeMoreAtKohler with a competitive total rewards package, access to career growth and development opportunities, a diverse and inclusive workplace, and a strong culture of innovation.
About Us
It is Kohler’s policy to recruit, hire, and promote qualified applicants without regard to race, creed, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. If, as an individual with a disability, you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact kohlerjobs@kohler.com. Kohler Co. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.