Principal Engineer - Mechanical

Kimbal; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 3,500,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Kimbal in Bengaluru seeks an experienced Senior Mechanical Lead to own the mechanical architecture and enclosure design for next-gen Battery Energy Storage Systems. You will mentor a cross-functional team and partner with Electrical, Firmware, and Manufacturing to deliver scalable, cost-effective BESS solutions.

You will drive DFMEA, validation, and manufacturability improvements while ensuring safety and regulatory compliance across UL 9540, NFPA 855, IEC, and NEC standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering.
• 12–16 years of experience in mechanical engineering, with proven leadership in product development.
• Strong experience in mechanical design for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) or similar industrial products.
• Expertise in enclosure design, structural engineering, thermal management, and systems integration.
• Strong understanding of FEA, thermal simulations, and engineering validation methodologies.
• Experience in supplier development, vendor management, and mechanical procurement.
• Hands-on with DFM, DFA, GD&T, tolerance stack-up, and engineering change management.
• Familiarity with safety and compliance standards including UL 9540, NFPA 855, IEC, NEC, IP65/IP66.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD software such as SolidWorks, CATIA, Creo.
• Demonstrated ability to build and lead high-performing cross-functional teams.
• Strong analytical thinking, communication, stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical design and development of BESS enclosures, battery racks, structural systems, and supporting mechanical assemblies.
• Define the mechanical architecture for scalable, modular, and containerized Battery Energy Storage Systems.
• Drive system integration across mechanical, thermal, electrical, battery, and controls engineering teams.
• Lead mechanical design reviews, DFMEA, engineering risk assessments, and design validation activities.
• Perform or oversee structural, thermal, vibration, and environmental simulations to validate product performance and reliability.
• Implement Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) practices to improve manufacturability, quality, and product cost.
• Work closely with Manufacturing and Supply Chain teams during prototype development, NPI, production ramp-up, and product lifecycle management.
• Manage supplier selection, technical reviews, qualification, and development for enclosures, fabricated components, thermal systems, and mechanical BoS components.
• Ensure compliance with applicable industry standards including UL 9540, NFPA 855, IEC, NEC, and other relevant mechanical and safety requirements.
• Build, mentor, and lead the Tier-2 Mechanical Engineering organization comprising Mechanical Design, Thermal Engineering, Test & Validation, Program Management, and Quality Engineering.
• Drive engineering excellence through robust design processes, documentation standards, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

Mechanical design

BESS integration

DFMEA

3D CAD

Supplier management

DFM/ DFA

Systems integration

Thermal management

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

CATIA

Creo

Job description

Role Description

We are looking for an experienced Senior Mechanical Lead to lead the mechanical engineering function for Kimbal's next-generation Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). This role will own the complete mechanical architecture, enclosure design, structural engineering, thermal integration, and manufacturability of our utility-scale energy storage products.

As a Tier-1 engineering leader, you will build and mentor a multidisciplinary mechanical engineering organization while collaborating with Electrical, Firmware, Controls, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Quality teams to deliver scalable, reliable, and cost-effective BESS solutions. You will play a critical role in establishing engineering excellence, supplier partnerships, and product development best practices that enable Kimbal to build world-class energy storage systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical design and development of BESS enclosures, battery racks, structural systems, and supporting mechanical assemblies.
• Define the mechanical architecture for scalable, modular, and containerized Battery Energy Storage Systems.
• Drive system integration across mechanical, thermal, electrical, battery, and controls engineering teams.
• Lead mechanical design reviews, DFMEA, engineering risk assessments, and design validation activities.
• Perform or oversee structural, thermal, vibration, and environmental simulations to validate product performance and reliability.
• Implement Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) practices to improve manufacturability, quality, and product cost.
• Work closely with Manufacturing and Supply Chain teams during prototype development, NPI, production ramp-up, and product lifecycle management.
• Manage supplier selection, technical reviews, qualification, and development for enclosures, fabricated components, thermal systems, and mechanical BoS components.
• Ensure compliance with applicable industry standards including UL 9540, NFPA 855, IEC, NEC, and other relevant mechanical and safety requirements.
• Build, mentor, and lead the Tier-2 Mechanical Engineering organization comprising Mechanical Design, Thermal Engineering, Test & Validation, Program Management, and Quality Engineering.
• Drive engineering excellence through robust design processes, documentation standards, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering.
• 1216 years of experience in mechanical engineering, with proven leadership in product development.
• Strong experience in mechanical design for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), EV battery packs, power electronics, heavy electrical equipment, or similar industrial products.
• Expertise in enclosure design, structural engineering, thermal management, and systems integration.
• Strong understanding of Structural Analysis (FEA), thermal simulations, and engineering validation methodologies.
• Experience in supplier development, vendor management, and mechanical procurement.
• Hands-on knowledge of Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), GD&T, tolerance stack-up analysis, and engineering change management.
• Familiarity with safety and compliance standards including UL 9540, NFPA 855, IEC, NEC, IP65/IP66, NEMA, seismic qualification, and environmental testing.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD software such as SolidWorks, CATIA, Creo, or equivalent mechanical design tools.
• Demonstrated ability to build and lead high-performing cross-functional engineering teams.
• Strong analytical thinking, communication, stakeholder manag