What are the responsibilities and job description for the Mechanical Design Engineer position at American Superconductor?
The Mechanical Design Engineer is responsible for the mechanical design and development of transformers and related electrical power equipment for custom-engineered customer projects. AMSC’s equipment is primarily engineered to meet project-specific customer requirements rather than produced as standard, repetitive products. This position develops mechanical designs for transformer tanks, cores and clamping structures, winding assemblies, bus and connection systems, enclosures, piping systems, control cabinets, and other associated components.
The role utilizes Autodesk Inventor, AutoCAD, and other engineering tools to develop 3D models, equipment layouts, manufacturing drawings, and supporting technical documentation. The Sr. Mechanical Design Engineer will work to ensure designs meet customer specifications, applicable industry standards, manufacturing requirements, and project objectives.
Responsibilities:
- Develop mechanical designs for custom-engineered transformer and power equipment projects based on customer specifications, application requirements, and project-specific design criteria.
- Review customer specifications and technical requirements and translate them into mechanical designs appropriate for each project.
- Create and maintain 3D models, detailed part drawings, assembly drawings, equipment layouts, installation drawings, schematics, flow diagrams, and other manufacturing documentation.
- Develop mechanical equipment layouts and interfaces while considering electrical clearances, structural requirements, accessibility, manufacturability, serviceability, and overall equipment configuration.
- Design transformer tanks, structural components, core and clamping assemblies, winding support structures, bus and connection systems, enclosures, piping, cooling systems, and other mechanical components.
- Define and maintain Bills of Materials (BOMs) and engineering documentation required to support procurement and manufacturing for assigned projects.
- Prepare drawings, specifications, and technical documentation required for the manufacture and purchase of custom components and assemblies.
- Collaborate closely with Electrical and Project Engineering throughout project execution to ensure mechanical designs support electrical, thermal, insulation, dimensional, and customer requirements.
- Perform mechanical design calculations and engineering evaluations as required to validate project designs and component selections.
- Balance customer-specific engineering requirements with existing designs and standardization opportunities to improve quality, manufacturability, cost, and project delivery.
- Revise and adapt existing designs, drawings, models, and documentation to meet the unique requirements of individual customer projects.
- Provide engineering support to Manufacturing by troubleshooting project-specific design issues and developing practical solutions to production challenges.
- Participate in project and design reviews and provide technical input throughout design, manufacturing, testing, and project execution.
- Interface with customers and suppliers regarding mechanical design requirements, technical questions, design changes, and project-specific issues as needed.
- Develop and process Engineering Change Notices/Orders and ensure drawings and related project documentation are properly released and controlled.
- When assigned as the technical lead on a project, coordinate mechanical design activities and provide technical direction to designers, engineers, and other project team members.
- Monitor assigned engineering activities and communicate project status, technical concerns, design changes, and potential schedule impacts to appropriate stakeholders.
- Ensure designs comply with customer specifications, applicable engineering standards, company procedures, and safety requirements.
- Perform other duties and engineering projects as assigned.
Education - Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline required.
- Minimum of 5 years of progressive mechanical design experience in transformers, electrical power equipment, heavy industrial equipment, or a related engineered-product environment.
- Experience working in an engineered-to-order, project-based, or highly customized equipment environment strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated experience interpreting customer specifications and developing or adapting mechanical designs to meet project-specific requirements.
- Experience with the mechanical design and construction of oil-filled power transformers strongly preferred.
- Experience designing transformer tanks, structural assemblies, bus systems, winding support structures, insulation systems, cooling/piping systems, or similar components preferred.
- Experience with high-current bus connections, regulating transformers, multi-tap transformers, or other specialized transformer applications preferred.
- Experience with dry-type transformers, rectifier-duty transformers, or power conversion equipment is a plus.
- Experience supporting custom-engineered equipment from customer specification and design through manufacturing and project completion preferred.
- Experience working directly with manufacturing operations, suppliers, customers, and multidisciplinary engineering teams preferred.
Required Skills, Competencies, Authorities and Training Needs:
- Strong knowledge of mechanical design principles, engineering drawings, manufacturing methods, materials, tolerances, and fabrication processes.
- Demonstrated ability to interpret complex customer specifications and project requirements and translate them into practical mechanical designs.
- Ability to develop custom engineering solutions while appropriately leveraging existing designs, standards, and proven design practices.
- Proficiency with 3D mechanical design/CAD software; Autodesk Inventor experience strongly preferred.
- Proficiency with AutoCAD or similar 2D drafting software.
- Ability to develop and interpret detailed mechanical drawings, assembly drawings, equipment layouts, Bills of Materials, and technical specifications.
- Working knowledge of transformer mechanical construction and the interaction between mechanical, electrical, thermal, and insulation requirements.
- Ability to evaluate designs for manufacturability, assembly, structural integrity, accessibility, and serviceability.
- Strong mechanical problem-solving and troubleshooting skills, including the ability to address unique technical challenges that arise across customer projects.
- Ability to independently manage mechanical design responsibilities across multiple projects with competing priorities, requirements, and schedules.
- Strong attention to detail and commitment to accurate engineering documentation and configuration control.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work effectively with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Project Management, customers, and suppliers.
- Ability to provide technical leadership and direction to designers and other engineering personnel when assigned as a project lead.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel.
- Experience with transformer-specific engineering analysis/design software is a plus.
Salary : $100,000 - $130,000