What are the responsibilities and job description for the Lead Design Engineer position at Frontline Source Group - Nationwide Staffing & Executive Search?
Our client, in Denver, CO , an established commercial equipment manufacturer, is seeking an experienced Lead Design Engineer with a strong background in HVAC, refrigeration, cooling systems, or temperature-controlled equipment design. This is a hands-on technical leadership role for an engineer who can lead product development while remaining actively involved in mechanical design, problem-solving, testing, and manufacturing support.
The ideal candidate will bring a strong foundation in HVAC/refrigeration engineering and mechanical product design. Direct experience with the company’s specific equipment is not required; the organization is prepared to provide product-specific training to an engineer who brings the right technical foundation.
Key Responsibilities
The ideal candidate will bring a strong foundation in HVAC/refrigeration engineering and mechanical product design. Direct experience with the company’s specific equipment is not required; the organization is prepared to provide product-specific training to an engineer who brings the right technical foundation.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead mechanical design and development of new and existing commercial equipment
- Apply HVAC, refrigeration, thermodynamics, and heat-transfer principles to product design
- Develop mechanical designs, assemblies, layouts, and detailed engineering drawings
- Remain hands-on with CAD and product design throughout the development process
- Lead projects from concept and prototype through testing, manufacturing, and commercialization
- Design and integrate mechanical, refrigeration, and electro-mechanical systems
- Partner closely with manufacturing, operations, procurement, product management, and suppliers
- Participate in design reviews and resolve technical challenges affecting product performance or manufacturability
- Apply design-for-manufacturability principles, including sheet metal and production-focused design
- Support product testing, validation, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis
- Drive product reliability, cost reduction, and continuous improvement initiatives
- Mentor engineers and provide technical leadership across projects
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering discipline
- 7 years of mechanical/product design engineering experience
- Hands-on HVAC, refrigeration, cooling-system, or temperature-control equipment design experience
- Strong understanding of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and refrigeration/HVAC principles
- Experience designing engineered equipment or products for manufacturing
- Strong CAD experience; SolidWorks strongly preferred
- Experience taking products or equipment from design through prototype/testing and production
- Manufacturing and design-for-manufacturability experience
- Sheet metal design experience strongly preferred
- Experience with electro-mechanical equipment and system integration
- Experience with compressors, condensers, evaporators, heat exchangers, refrigerant circuits, fans/blowers, controls, or related HVAC/R components is highly desirable
- Testing, validation, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis experience
- Familiarity with UL, CE, NSF, or similar product standards is beneficial
- Ability to provide technical leadership while remaining hands-on with the engineering work
Salary : $120,000