WhiteWater makes products, but at our heart, we are a service business, and that means we are a people business. In this way, we excel and create value for our clients by listening to their needs, collaborating to create solutions, problem-solving and attending to the details. Our culture, as you would expect, reflects these traits. We are a diverse group of experts, from creative designers to talented engineers. Whatever the expertise we bring from all over the world, we listen and learn from each other because we are aligned behind a clearly understood purpose: together we create fun for families everywhere.
Interested in starting an exciting career with WhiteWater? Apply today!
Position: Manager/Team Lead, Development Engineering
Shift: 40 hours | Full-time
Department: Development Engineering
Location: Richmond, BC, Canada (relocating to Vancouver Downtown - mid 2027)
Reports to: Manager, Development Engineering
The Manager/Team Lead, Development Engineering will lead a team of Development Engineers, Designers, and Technical Staff responsible for the development and continuous improvement of world-class products for the waterpark industry. Reporting to Manager, Development Engineering the Manager/Team Lead will provide people leadership, resource planning, capacity management, and technical guidance while maintaining ownership of selected development projects.
This role combines people leadership with technical project ownership. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing team capability, balancing workload across multiple projects, coordinating resources, and supporting the successful execution of product development activities in accordance with WhiteWater's Stage-Gate process.
YOUR ROLE
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of engineers, designers, and technical staff.
- Support team members through regular feedback, mentorship, performance discussions, and development planning.
- Allocate and balance resources across active projects to support business priorities and development schedules.
- Monitor team workload, identify capacity constraints, and proactively resolve resource conflicts.
- Coordinate staffing requirements with the Manager, Development Engineering and other functional leaders.
- Serve as the first point of escalation for project, resource, and staffing concerns within the team.
- Lead selected development projects and cross-functional core teams from concept through commercialization.
- Ensure products are developed in accordance with WhiteWater's Stage-Gate process; meeting or exceeding applicable safety, regulatory, quality, manufacturing, engineering, installation, and ease of use requirements.
- Act as the technical authority for assigned products during development.
- Prepare and maintain development schedules, budgets, and resource requirements for assigned projects.
- Review product designs to evaluate risks, costs, estimated time to market, and fulfillment of requirements.
- Review and approve calculations, designs, and engineering documentation as appropriate.
- Provide technical direction and support to team members across multiple disciplines.
- Lead and participate in prototype testing, design verification activities, and commissioning efforts.
- Support hiring, onboarding, and succession planning initiatives within the department.
- Track team performance and support achievement of departmental goals and metrics.
- Identify, support, and cultivate lean initiatives and opportunities for continuous improvement of products, processes, and team effectiveness.
- Communicate and collaborate regularly with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and other stakeholders to support a team-based approach to product development.
Qualifications and Experience:
- Minimum education requirement: Bachelor of Applied Science degree from a Canadian university or foreign equivalent.
- Registered Professional Engineer in Canada (P.Eng.) or US (P.E.) is preferred.
- Minimum 5 years of experience leading an engineering team in a product development environment.
- Minimum 5 years of experience working in a product development environment, including design, fabrication, prototype testing, and analysis.
- Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary engineering projects and teams.
- Product Development and Stage-Gate process experience is preferred.
- Project management experience including estimating, budgeting, scheduling, planning, and resource management.
- Experience balancing competing priorities across multiple projects and stakeholders.
- Experience with installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting of complex mechanical systems is preferred.
- Experience with industry-accepted risk assessment techniques, including FMEA, is preferred.
- Working knowledge of SolidWorks and Product Data/Lifecycle Management systems is preferred.
- Experience with ERP systems is preferred.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including MS Project.
- Must be legally eligible to work in Canada.
- Must be able to travel globally without restrictions.
Competencies, Skills & Abilities:
- Proven leadership, coaching, and mentoring skills.
- Strong organizational, communication, and prioritization skills.
- Attention to detail and ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to develop and maintain effective internal and external working relationships with all levels of the organization.
- Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and drive project execution.
- Ability to effectively manage resources, timelines, and stakeholder expectations across multiple concurrent projects.
WHITEWATER COMPETENCIES
- Accountability – We do what we say
- Collaboration – We work well together
- Customer Focus – We know and respond to our customers
- Communication – We listen to and understand each other
- Authenticity – We are honest and trust each other
- Resilience – We deal effectively with pressure, are persistent and optimistic
- Flexibility & Adaptability – We are willing and able to respond to changing circumstances
WhiteWater is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate the diversity of all employees and applicants and are strongly committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone.
We thank all the candidates who take the time and energy to apply. Given the size of our team, it makes responding personally to each applicant submission difficult, but please know we are grateful for your interest. We look forward to connecting with you through this search or future ones. All the best in your job search.
Skills Required
- Bachelor of Applied Science degree from a Canadian university or foreign equivalent
- At least 5 years of experience leading an engineering team in a product development environment
- At least 5 years of experience in product development, including design, fabrication, prototype testing, and analysis
- Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering projects and teams
- Project management experience including estimating, budgeting, scheduling, planning, and resource management
- Experience balancing competing priorities across multiple projects and stakeholders
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including MS Project
- Legally eligible to work in Canada
- Ability to travel globally without restrictions
- Registered Professional Engineer in Canada or the United States
- Product Development and Stage-Gate process experience
- Experience with installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting of complex mechanical systems
- Experience with industry-accepted risk assessment techniques, including FMEA
- Working knowledge of SolidWorks and Product Data/Lifecycle Management systems
- Experience with ERP systems
What We Do
WhiteWater leads the attractions industry because we live by some clear principles; we hold the highest standards of safety, sustainability, and entertainment value in all we do. The result has helped us grow from operating our own water park in 1980 to supplying the world’s leading entertainment and hospitality brands with products and services they can count on, because we understand the importance of lasting quality and reliability on the bottom line. We also appreciate the value of being local—our six regional offices mean we are available in your time zone and understand your local culture, which allows us to provide the advice and quality of service that our reputation for excellence is based upon. It is these strong and trusting relationships with employees, suppliers, and customers alike that create the strength of our brand. We believe that integrity in business means creating a transparent relationship amongst all parties and delivering on our promises. We’ve learned a lot about what makes a venue successful over the last 40+ years with over 6,000 aquatic entertainment projects completed around the world. We don’t begin by designing a venue, we start by thinking about what guests come to experience. That is what delivers a solid ROI. We know that there is more to the science of entertainment just excellent engineering; we understand the value of emotion and that is where the magic lies. We innovate relentlessly to meet your guests’ ever evolving expectations because we are as invested in their safety, engagement, and overall satisfaction as you are. At WhiteWater, we don’t just sell attractions; we partner with our customers to deliver world-class experiences not found anywhere else. We’re here to create places where fun thrives.
