Mechanical Engineer

This role supports our Buffalo Grove, IL branch location, which serves customers throughout the greater Chicago, IL area.

As a Mechanical Engineer in our R&D Hardware group, you will play a key role in expanding our product portfolio and enhancing our existing offerings. You'll contribute to the mechanical design of a wide range of products, including actuators, valves, enclosures, and accessories for commercial heating, cooling, and fire suppression systems. Your work will encompass a dynamic mix of developing new product concepts, extending existing products to fill portfolio gaps, driving critical Cost Value Engineering (CVE) initiatives, and executing customizations or private labeling projects.

This work often involves close collaboration withother Siemens locations and diverse cross-functional teams, including manufacturing engineering, quality, inspection, procurement, demand planning, product management, and technical support. This role also offers opportunities forlight project management, guiding initiatives from inception to completion, and involves frequent interaction with external suppliers to optimize designs and ensure manufacturability.

• Manage small projects and work streams: Coordinate the design, sourcing, assembly, and testing of concept models to validate production-ready designs, tracking schedules and deliverables.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration: Partner with manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and outside vendors to optimize designs, obtain production costing, and manage tooling.
• Guide product lifecycle and changes: Initiate and execute change requests driven by new product introduction (NPI), design-to-cost efforts, and supplier transitions.
• Provide technical and project documentation: Prepare supporting documentation, engineering calculations, and evidence to validate concepts for new development and existing product maintenance.
• Drive mechanical design excellence: Create models and drawings for components and assemblies using CAD software, incorporating DFM/DFA principles.
• Support manufacturing and field operations: Support production engineering with new product launches and assist field support/outside vendors in troubleshooting complex product issues across applications.
• Contribute to planning and estimation: Generate development and product costs, project schedules, and mechanical specifications to support adjacent functions.
• Mentorship: Actively participate in project planning, task prioritization, and the informal mentoring of junior engineers to prepare for formal supervisory responsibilities.

Basic Qualifications:

These are the non-negotiable skills and experiences that someone with 7-10 years of experience in a similar R&D hardware environment should possess.

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineeringor a closely related field from an accredited institution.
• 5 - 8 years of progressive experience in mechanical design, product development, or R&D within a hardware-focused industry.
• Demonstrated proficiency in 3D CAD software(e.g., NX, Solid Works, Creo, Inventor) for part and assembly design, including complex surfacing and large assembly management.
• Strong understanding of mechanical engineering fundamentals, including statics, dynamics, strength of materials, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics.
• Proven ability to perform engineering calculations(e.g., stress analysis, tolerance stack-up, thermal analysis) to validate designs and predict performance.
• Experience with various manufacturing processes such as injection molding, sheet metal fabrication, machining, casting, and additive manufacturing.
• Familiarity with GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing) principles and their application to engineering drawings for manufacturing.
• Experience in selecting and specifying materials for mechanical components, considering factors like strength, durability, cost, and environmental conditions.
• Ability to create comprehensive engineering documentation, including detailed drawings, specifications, test plans, and design reports.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills with a track record of identifying root causes and implementing effective solutions for design and manufacturing challenges.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate within a technical team.

• Experience leading small project sub-teams,…