Design Engineer

The Career:

Are you passionate about innovation, quality, and making a difference? If so, great news - QA1 is looking for a talented Design Engineer to join our Lakeville, MN or Mooresville, NC based team. This role offers the opportunity to work on cutting-edge products that not only meet but exceed industry expectations. As a member of the QA1 team, you’ll be responsible for product design and specifications, including but not limited to general motion control, dampers, automative chassis, suspension, steering driveline, body, and electromechanical systems.

Our ideal candidate is detail-oriented, mechanically inclined, and brings hands-on experience in 3D modeling and product design—preferably within the automotive industry. A strong foundation in engineering principles, a passion for automotive performance, and a deep understanding of design for manufacturability—including casting, machining, and fabrication—are essential. In this role, you’ll be supported by a collaborative and experienced team, providing opportunities for you to learn, grow, and make a meaningful impact.

• Spearhead design and prototype projects using engineering principles and techniques.
• Create part models and assemblies in CAD.
• Analysis and reverse engineering of components.
• Focus on design for manufacturing to ensure efficient production processes.
• Ensure smooth product launch to production.
• Specify materials, hardness, surface finishes, and tolerances.
• Perform calculations related to the design, including but not limited to strength, fatigue, weight, kinematics, cost, flow, and speed.
• Participate in cross-functional design reviews of projects.

• Education:
  
  Bachelor’s degree in Product Design Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering or other affiliated discipline.
• Work Experience:
  
  2-4 years of relevant experience required
• Experience in the automotive industry and knowledge of suspension products
• Advanced solid modeling expertise required;
  Solid Works experience preferred.
• Strong understanding of design for manufacturing principles utilizing the following manufacturing processes:
  Machining, sheet metal bending & fabrication, laser cutting, welding, forging, stamping, casting, tube bending and fabrication.
• Knowledge of FEA, kinematic system design and analysis, 3D printing, and metrology tools.
• Experience with material specification and tolerance analysis.
• Ability to perform complex calculations related to design and engineering.
• Excellent problem‑solving skills and attention to detail.
• Positive attitude with a collaborative approach to problem‑solving.
• Excellent communication skills (verbal, written, and listening) with the ability to build strong relationships across teams.
• Detail oriented, organized, and capable of working effectively with minimum supervision.
• Must have ability to collaborate, build, and maintain strong relationships with Team Members across all functions.
• Willingness to continuously learn and be open to feedback to improve individual performance.
• Must have demonstrable ability to act with a sense of urgency and accuracy, with flexibility to respond to changing priorities.
• Demonstrable technical proficiency with Microsoft Office products and ERP based inventory management systems; experience with VXelements/Creaform.
  
  OS software a plus.
• Ability to work with a diverse team.
• Verified personal and professional values aligning with QA1.

To perform this job successfully, the team member must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. At QA1, we strive to minimize the level of physical work needed to perform the job. The demands described here are representative of those a team member encounters while performing…