What are the responsibilities and job description for the Design Engineer position at Black Diamond Equipment?
Design Engineer contributes to the development of outdoor equipment that meets demanding requirements for performance, safety, durability, weight, and usability. Working closely with Industrial Design, Product Development, and Quality Assurance, this engineer turns product requirements and user insights into manufacturable designs through analysis, CAD, prototyping, and testing.
This role has ownership of assigned components, assemblies, and development tasks under the guidance of experienced engineers. The ideal candidate combines demonstrated mechanical design ability with a passion for the outdoors and experience developing or improving physical products. Outdoor-industry experience is strongly preferred; relevant internships, academic projects, and personal builds are also valued. Experience using NX is highly valued.
Key responsibilitiesProduct design and engineering- Translate product briefs and user needs into measurable engineering requirements with the project team. Generate concepts and evaluate tradeoffs in function, strength, weight, durability, cost, and ease of use.
- Create and maintain 3D CAD models of parts and assemblies. Develop component interfaces, physical layouts, and technical drawings with appropriate dimensions, tolerances, and GD&T.
- Apply mechanics, stress and strain calculations, and appropriate engineering analysis to evaluate designs. Use basic FEA with guidance, checking assumptions and correlating results with physical tests.
- Select materials and manufacturing processes based on performance, environmental exposure, production requirements, and cost. Consider assembly, inspection, serviceability, and material efficiency.
- Build and evaluate prototypes using available fabrication methods and shop resources. Work with prototype machinists and technicians to develop fixtures and resolve practical design issues.
- Partner with Quality Assurance to develop test plans covering intended use, foreseeable misuse, environmental conditions, and applicable product standards. Document methods, results, and design changes.
- Investigate failures and unexpected results, identify likely causes, and verify corrective design changes. Incorporate laboratory data and field feedback into design iterations.
- Work with Industrial Design, Product Development, and suppliers to preserve design intent through tooling, samples, and production readiness. Review samples for fit, function, and conformance to drawings.
- Maintain accurate bills of materials, engineering records, and revision history. Prepare and process engineering changes through established review and document-control procedures.
- Communicate progress, technical risks, and schedule impacts promptly. Participate in design reviews, research relevant materials and technologies, and follow BD quality and safety procedures.
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline, or an equivalent combination of directly relevant product design experience and technical training.
- Demonstrated mechanical design experience through professional work, internships, academic projects, or personal projects. No post-graduation experience is required; candidates must be able to explain their individual contribution and engineering decisions.
- Working knowledge of mechanics, material properties, stress and strain, and common failure modes, with the ability to apply engineering fundamentals to physical products.
- Proficiency in a parametric 3D CAD system, including part and assembly modeling, and experience creating engineering drawings. Foundational understanding of tolerances and GD&T.
- Practical experience building, assembling, or testing prototypes and using results to improve a design. Ability to select materials and processes with an understanding of their limitations.
- Genuine interest in outdoor recreation and familiarity with equipment used in at least one relevant activity, such as climbing, skiing, mountaineering, or hiking. Ability to connect user experience to product requirements.
- Clear written, verbal, and visual communication; willingness to seek feedback; and ability to collaborate across technical and creative disciplines. Organized approach to documentation, priorities, and deadlines.
- One to two years of relevant professional product design experience, particularly with outdoor equipment or other performance-oriented consumer products. Outdoor-industry internships and co-ops are valuable.
- Experience with Siemens NX and engineering data or product lifecycle management systems.
- Experience with one or more relevant materials or processes: injection-molded polymers, metals, composites, foams, machining, forming, casting, or bonded assemblies.
- Exposure to FEA, tolerance stack analysis, design for manufacturing and assembly, design failure mode and effects analysis, or structured root-cause investigation.
- Experience planning tests, collecting and analyzing data, working with suppliers, or supporting a design through tooling and production. Familiarity with outdoor product safety standards is a plus.
Collaborates with design engineers, industrial designers, developers, category leaders, quality engineers, document control, prototype machinists, and suppliers. Seeks input from equipment users and field testers to understand product performance in use.
Work includes computer-based design, prototype assembly, laboratory testing, and outdoor product evaluation. Safely uses appropriate tools, equipment, and protective measures for assigned tasks. Domestic and international travel may be required for supplier collaboration, research, testing, and other project needs; appropriate travel documents are required when applicable.
Black Diamond is and Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex including sexual orientation and gender identity, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you have the right to request an accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career center as a result of your disability. To request an accommodation, contact a Black Diamond Equipment HR representative.