Design Engineer

Zoppas Industries Heating Element Technologies; Franklin (WI); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Zoppas Industries Heating Element Technologies in Wisconsin is seeking a hands-on Design Engineer to support the design, development, testing, manufacturing, and continual improvement of electric heating products across HVAC, transportation, food-service, industrial, and other markets.

You will own engineering tasks through the product lifecycle, from concept to production, collaborating with cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electromechanical Engineering, or related field.
• 1–5 years of product/design/manufacturing/electromechanical engineering experience.
• Strong proficiency with 2D/3D CAD and engineering drawings.
• Fundamental understanding of mechanical and electrical systems.
• Ability to read and create basic electrical schematics.
• Familiarity with sheet-metal forming, stamping, welding, machining, assembly processes.

Responsibilities

• Design heating products, assemblies, and systems using 2D and 3D CAD tools.
• Create and maintain drawings, models, BOMs, routings, and electrical schematics.
• Translate requirements into manufacturable designs.
• Support design reviews, DFMEA activities, and design validation.
• Collaborate with production to resolve manufacturing issues.

Skills

2D/3D CAD

Electrical schematics

Problem solving

Communication

Prioritization

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Electrical/Electromechanical Engineering

Tools

Autodesk Inventor

Siemens TeamCenter

Epicor ERP

Job description

We are seeking a practical, hands-on Design Engineer to support the design, development, testing, manufacturing, and continued improvement of electric heating products and systems used across HVAC, transportation, food-service, industrial, and other specialized markets.

This position extends beyond traditional CAD design.The Design Engineer will take ownership of engineering tasks throughout the product lifecycle, including concept development, detailed design, prototyping, testing, manufacturing support, engineering changes, documentation, cost improvement, and product troubleshooting.

The successful candidate will be comfortable working in a fast-paced manufacturing environment where priorities can shift, resources are shared, and engineers are expected to exercise sound judgment, communicate clearly, and independently move work toward completion both autonomously and with collaboration

This is a hands-on engineering position. Approximately 25-40% of the role may involve laboratory, prototype, manufacturing-floor, or troubleshooting activities. We believe direct exposure to how products are built, tested, and used is essential to becoming an effective product engineer.

Key Responsibilities

• Design electric heating products, assemblies, and systems using 2D and 3D CAD tools.
• Create and maintain drawings, models, assemblies, and basic electrical schematics.
• Translate customer requirements and engineering concepts into manufacturable product designs.
• Select materials, electrical components, hardware, and manufacturing methods based on performance, manufacturability, availability, and cost.
• Apply practical engineering analysis to evaluate electrical, thermal, mechanical, and manufacturing considerations.
• Participate in design reviews, risk assessments, DFMEA activities, and design validation.
• Create and maintain part numbers, bills of material (BOMs), routings, drawings, and related engineering information within Epicor ERP.
• Manage engineering changes and ensure affected drawings, BOMs, documentation, and manufacturing information remain aligned.
• Support prototype fabrication, product testing, test setups, instrumentation, and troubleshooting in the engineering laboratory.
• Work directly with production personnel to understand manufacturing issues and develop practical engineering solutions.
• Collaborate with Quality, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Sales, and other functions to resolve product and process issues.
• Participate in cost-reduction and continuous-improvement activities while maintaining product performance and compliance.
• Support qualification, agency, and customer testing as required.
• Assist with technical documentation, customer questions, and engineering investigations.
• Identify project risks, communicate obstacles early, and escalate issues appropriately when additional support or decisions are required.
• Manage multiple engineering assignments simultaneously while maintaining appropriate priorities and follow-through.
• Maintain professional, factual, and concise communication with internal and external stakeholders.

Engineering Environment

The position supports products that may incorporate:

• Electric resistance heating elements
• Sheet-metal assemblies and fabricated components
• Contactors, relays, circuit breakers, fuses, transformers, and other electrical controls
• Single- and three-phase electrical systems
• HVAC equipment and airflow systems
• Mechanical and electrical assemblies
• Customer-specific configurations and engineered-to-order products
• Engineers may also support products evaluated to UL, Intertek, NFPA, or other applicable regulatory and safety requirements.4

What Success Looks Like

A successful Design Engineer in this role is someone who:

• Takes ownership of assigned work and follows tasks through completion.
• Communicates problems, delays, and uncertainties early rather than waiting for them to become critical.
• Can distinguish between routine problems and issues requiring management or cross-functional escalation.
• Uses sound engineering judgment rather than relying solely on written instructions.
• Is comfortable to ask questions while also independently investigating problems.
• Maintains organized drawings, BOMs, engineering records, and project documentation.
• Understands that a technically correct design must also be manufacturable, testable, serviceable, and cost-effective.
• Can work effectively with engineers, technicians, production employees, suppliers, customers, and management.
• Responds constructively to feedback and demonstrates continued development.
• Remains professional and solutions-focused when dealing with disagreement, changing priorities, or unexpected problems.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electromechanical Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline from an accredited institution.
• Approximately 1-5 years of product, design, manufacturing, or electromechanical engineering experience.
• Strong proficiency with both 2D and 3D CAD and engineering drawings.
• Fundamental understanding of mechanical and electrical systems.
• Ability to read and create basic electrical schematics.
• Familiarity with common manufacturing processes such as sheet-metal forming, stamping, welding, machining, assembly, or similar processes.
• Strong technical problem-solving and troubleshooting ability.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to independently organize and prioritize multiple assignments.
• Willingness and ability to work directly with prototypes, production equipment, test equipment, and manufactured products.

Preferred Qualifications

• Autodesk Inventor experience.
• Siemens TeamCenter experience or equivalent PLM experience.
• HVAC or electric-heating experience.
• Experience with electrical controls, power distribution, or three-phase systems.
• ERP experience, particularly Epicor.
• Experience creating and maintaining BOMs and engineering change documentation.
• Exposure to DFMEA, PFMEA, FAI, PPAP, or similar quality-planning processes.
• Experience with laboratory testing, data acquisition, instrumentation, or product validation.
• Familiarity with UL, NFPA, IEC, Intertek, or similar standards and certification processes.
• Experience with FEA, thermal analysis, or other engineering-analysis tools.
• Experience supporting products from initial concept through production launch.

This position is best suited for an engineer who enjoys a small-team, hands-on manufacturing environment rather than a highly segmented engineering organization.

The individual should be comfortable moving between CAD work, engineering analysis, the manufacturing floor, laboratory testing, supplier/customer questions, ERP documentation, and problem solving as business needs require.

Strong technical ability is important, but long-term success in this position also requires ownership, judgment, adaptability, professional communication, and consistent follow-through.

Employment Authorization

Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without current or future employer sponsorship.