Design Engineer (Seating and Occupant Restraints)

polaris; Wyoming (MN); On-site; USD 76,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit-sharing plan

Health and financial wellbeing

Job summary

Polaris Inc. is seeking an experienced engineer to design, develop, validate, and release seating and occupant restraint systems for off‑road vehicle programs.

You will build CAD models, drawings, and BOMs while integrating seat structures, foam systems, harnesses, and interfaces across vehicle platforms. You will collaborate with design, safety, testing, manufacturing, and suppliers to meet performance, cost, weight, and timing goals, while addressing ergonomics and rider experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Minimum of 4 years of experience in product development, mechanical design, or vehicle systems engineering.
• Proficiency with CAD software such as Creo, NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks; Creo experience is preferred.
• Working knowledge of GD&T, tolerance stack‑up analysis, DFMEA, and engineering drawing creation.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and root‑cause investigation skills.
• Experience working cross‑functionally with engineering, manufacturing, quality, purchasing, testing, safety, suppliers, or related partners.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills with cross‑functional teams and suppliers.
• Experience in powersports, automotive, commercial vehicle, recreational vehicle, agricultural, or related industries is preferred.
• Knowledge of APQP, PPAP, DVP&R, and product validation processes is preferred.
• Experience with ergonomic studies, occupant packaging, and vehicle integration is preferred.
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes including stamping, welding, injection molding, foam molding, and soft trim systems is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, validate, integrate, and release seating and occupant restraint systems for off‑road vehicle programs.
• Create and maintain CAD models, engineering drawings, bills of material, technical specifications, and release documentation.
• Develop seat structures, foam systems, trim components, harnesses, seat belts, and related vehicle interfaces.
• Support rider ergonomics, occupant packaging, comfort, ingress and egress, and overall rider experience initiatives.
• Develop and execute Design Verification Plans and Reports and support prototype, validation, and production builds.
• Collaborate with suppliers and cross‑functional teams to achieve performance, quality, cost, weight, and timing objectives.
• Lead root‑cause investigations and implement corrective actions related to design, manufacturing, validation, and field issues.
• Support DFMEA activities, engineering change management, and product release processes.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory, safety, and internal engineering requirements.
• Participate in benchmarking and continuous improvement activities focused on improving cost while maintaining durability, quality, safety, and customer experience.

Skills

Analytical

Problem solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related engineering discipline

Tools

Creo

NX

CATIA

SolidWorks

GD&T

Job description

At Polaris Inc., we have fun doing what we love by driving change and innovation. We empower employees to take on challenging assignments and roles with an elevated level of responsibility in our agile working environment. Our people make us who we are, and we create incredible products and experiences that empower us to THINK OUTSIDE.

Position Overview

You will design, develop, validate, and release seating and occupant restraint systems for off-road vehicle platforms. In this role, you will support vehicle programs from concept through production while delivering solutions that meet requirements for comfort, safety, durability, quality, cost, weight, and timing. You will work closely with Industrial Design, Vehicle Architecture, Safety, Testing, Manufacturing, Quality, Purchasing, and suppliers to integrate seating and occupant retention systems into vehicle platforms. This is a compelling opportunity to own key vehicle systems that directly influence rider experience, product performance, and cross-functional execution across the development lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, validate, integrate, and release seating and occupant restraint systems for off‑road vehicle programs.
• Create and maintain CAD models, engineering drawings, bills of material, technical specifications, and release documentation.
• Develop seat structures, foam systems, trim components, harnesses, seat belts, and related vehicle interfaces.
• Support rider ergonomics, occupant packaging, comfort, ingress and egress, and overall rider experience initiatives.
• Develop and execute Design Verification Plans and Reports and support prototype, validation, and production builds.
• Collaborate with suppliers and cross‑functional teams to achieve performance, quality, cost, weight, and timing objectives.
• Lead root‑cause investigations and implement corrective actions related to design, manufacturing, validation, and field issues.
• Support DFMEA activities, engineering change management, and product release processes.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory, safety, and internal engineering requirements.
• Participate in benchmarking and continuous improvement activities focused on improving cost while maintaining durability, quality, safety, and customer experience.

Desired Competencies

• Technical / Functional Expertise: You apply the required technical or professional knowledge to perform your role effectively and stay current within your area of expertise.
• Collaboration: You work effectively with others across functions and levels, contributing to shared goals while respecting different perspectives.
• Problem Solving: You identify issues, assess root causes, and implement practical solutions that balance speed, quality, and risk.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Minimum of 4 years of experience in product development, mechanical design, or vehicle systems engineering.
• Proficiency with CAD software such as Creo, NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks; Creo experience is preferred.
• Working knowledge of GD&T, tolerance stack‑up analysis, DFMEA, and engineering drawing creation.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and root‑cause investigation skills.
• Experience working cross‑functionally with engineering, manufacturing, quality, purchasing, testing, safety, suppliers, or related partners.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills with cross‑functional teams and suppliers.
• Experience in powersports, automotive, commercial vehicle, recreational vehicle, agricultural, or related industries is preferred.
• Knowledge of APQP, PPAP, DVP&R, and product validation processes is preferred.
• Experience with ergonomic studies, occupant packaging, and vehicle integration is preferred.
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes including stamping, welding, injection molding, foam molding, and soft trim systems is preferred.

#LI-CS99

The starting pay range for Minnesota is $76,000 to $100,000 per year. Individual salaries and positioning within the range are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge, skills, and geography. While individual pay could fall anywhere in the range based on these factors, it is not common to start at the high end or top of the range.

Up to 10% travel is associated with this role.

This position is not eligible for sponsorship.

To qualify for this position, former employees must be eligible for rehire, and current employees must be in good standing.

We are an ambitious, resourceful, and driven workforce, which empowers us to THINK OUTSIDE.

At Polaris we put our employees first, by offering a holistic approach to their health and financial wellbeing. Polaris is proud to offer competitive compensation, including a market‑leading profit‑sharing plan that is fundamental to our pay‑for‑performance culture. At Polaris, employees are owners of the