What are the responsibilities and job description for the 3D Surface Engineer position at Winnebago Industries Inc?
A Little About Us: Operating since 1968, Newmar Corporation has been helping customers explore the outdoor lifestyle, enabling extraordinary mobile experiences as they travel, live, work, and play. Newmar has been synonymous in the RV industry with luxury, quality, and innovative motor coaches. In every part of our company, we relentlessly pursue continuous improvement and enhanced productivity, driving out waste, and creating meaningful strategic differentiation. Newmar is part of Winnebago Industries, Inc. a leading U.S. manufacturer of outdoor lifestyle experiences under the Winnebago, Newmar, Grand Design, Chris-Craft, and Barletta brands.
At Newmar Corporation, we’ve been crafting luxury motor coaches since 1968 — helping people live, work, and explore in comfort and style. As part of Winnebago Industries, we’re backed by a family of leading outdoor lifestyle brands.
We’re driven by innovation, quality, and continuous improvement — and we’re looking for passionate individuals who want to grow, make an impact, and be part of something extraordinary. Ready to hit the road with us?
Primary Objective of Position
We are seeking a highly creative and detail-oriented Surface Designer to drive the design development of vehicle Exterior and Interior. This role is centered on shaping compelling design solutions and translating design intent into high-quality digital surfaces.
The ideal candidate brings strong expertise in 2D and 3D digital design environments, with proficiency in Autodesk Alias, Onshape, and Teamcenter, along with advanced digital visualization, storytelling, and presentation skills. This position plays a key role in defining the aesthetic, form language, ergonomics, and user experience for vehicles across the automotive, heavy truck, and RV industries.
Key Areas of Responsibility
- Develop high-quality Class-A surfaces and 3D digital models that embody design intent, brand identity, and user experience goals.
- Translate sketches, concept renderings, and 2D layouts into refined 3D digital forms using Autodesk Alias.
- Create compelling digital visualizations, renderings, and presentations to communicate design ideas clearly to internal stakeholders and leadership.
- Collaborate closely with designers, engineers, suppliers, production teams, and leadership to evolve concepts into production-feasible designs while maintaining design integrity.
- Ensure consistency of form language, proportions, and surface quality across vehicle components including exteriors, interiors, and key touchpoints.
- Utilize Teamcenter PLM to organize and manage design data, ensuring clean structure, traceability, and efficient workflow.
- Demonstrate strong organizational and time planning skills to manage multiple design iterations, reviews, and project timelines effectively.
- Produce clear, visually driven design documentation and concise reports to communicate progress, rationale, and decision-making.
- Participate actively in design reviews, contributing insights on aesthetics, usability, manufacturability, and overall design quality.
Key Attributes
- Strong sense of form, proportion, and surface quality, with a refined eye for detail
- Strong understanding of Class-A surfacing, design intent, and form development
- Advanced digital visualization and visual storytelling skills (rendering, presentation, design communication)
- Creative problem-solving ability with a passion for design innovation
- Excellent organizing skills with the ability to manage complex design data and workflows
- Effective time management and prioritization skills in a fast-paced, iterative design environment
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to clearly present design concepts
- Ability to balance creative vision with technical constraints and business objectives
- Experience collaborating in multidisciplinary teams
- Familiarity with vehicle design trends, materials, and production considerations
Education & Experience
- Associate’s degree in industrial design or equivalent relevant design experience
- 3 years of surface design experience in automotive, heavy truck, RV, or related industries
- High proficiency in Autodesk Alias for surface modeling
- Experience with Autodesk VRED or similar visualization tools strongly preferred
- Experience with Teamcenter or similar PLM systems