Lead Mechanical Engineer

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.; Post Falls (ID); On-site; USD 115,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee ownership (ESOP)

Excellent benefits

Competitive pay

Retirement with 401(k) options

Growth and development programs

Work-life balance initiatives

Job summary

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. seeks a Lead Mechanical Engineer to head mechanical design activities, guide engineers, and deliver complex hardware projects. You will architect assemblies, perform thermal analyses, and ensure manufacturability while mentoring interns and junior engineers.

Proficiency in SolidWorks and multi-physics tools is expected; strong communication and leadership are essential to drive projects from concept through validation.

Qualifications

• B.S. and/or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent.
• 6+ years’ experience in Mechanical Engineering roles and CAD.
• Two or more technical areas: heat transfer, materials, design-for-manufacturability, mechanics, or packaging.
• Strong leadership, problem solving, and communication skills.
• Project management experience and ability to mentor junior staff.
• Background check satisfactory and compliance with company policies.

Responsibilities

• Act as technical lead for mechanical engineering functions including design and analysis.
• Direct engineers or technicians and coordinate with Purchasing and Manufacturing.
• Execute high-complexity hardware projects from concept to validation.
• Generate and maintain Bills of Materials and estimate labor/materials.
• Review and improve mechanical designs and manufacturing processes.
• Write test plans, perform design validation tests, and review results.
• Maintain project notebooks and mentor interns/engineers.
• Follow SEL values and world-class manufacturing principles.

Skills

SolidWorks CAD

Heat transfer / electronics cooling

Material selection & fabrication

Design for manufacturability

Mechanics

Electromechanical packaging design

Project management

Leadership / mentoring

Education

B.S. and/or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent

Tools

SolidWorks

Ansys Mechanical

Ansys Icepak

Job description

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

1. Act as a technical lead for the following mechanical engineering functions: Assembly design Plastic and metal part design Tolerance studies Design for manufacturability/assembly Component selection and specification Thermal analysis and design Mechanical shock and vibration analysis Improving existing products
2. Direct the efforts of Engineers or Technicians; coordinate engineering activities with Purchasing and Manufacturing.
3. Execute hardware projects of high complexity.
4. Generate and maintain accurate Bills of Material. Provide accurate labor and material estimates.
5. Review, support, approve and provide recommendations for improvements to documentation, mechanical designs, and manufacturing process design.
6. Write comprehensive test plans, conduct detailed design validation tests and review results.
7. Maintain current and accurate project notebooks.
8. Mentor ME Interns, Designers, and Associate MEs, and MEs
9. Follow and apply SEL Values, Principles of Operations, and World Class Manufacturing Principles.
10. Understand. Create. Simplify.
11. Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• B.S. and/or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent.
• 6+ years’ experience in:
• Computer-aided design; SolidWorks preferred Electronic manufacturing techniques
• Technical expertise in two or more of the following areas:
• Heat transfer/electronics cooling
• Material selection and fabrication technologies
• Design for manufacturability
• Mechanics
• Electromechanical packaging design
• Working knowledge of project management processes and procedures
• Demonstrated leadership and problem solving skills
• Strong writing, documentation, and speaking skills
• Ability to learn new skills and assume new responsibilities
• Ability to work cooperatively in a team environment
• Background check results satisfactory to SEL
• Negative drug test result(s)

Preferred Qualifications

• Automated Test Equipment (ATE) design experience
• Factory automation experience
• Product-level automated test experience
• ICT “bed of nails” fixture design experience
• 19” server rack mechanical layout and design
• Structural finite element analysis; Ansys Mechanical preferred
• Computational fluid dynamics; Ansys Icepak preferred
• Understanding and application of Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) principles
• Plastic injection molded part design

Physical Requirements

None

Benefits

• Competitive pay.
• Superior benefits.
• Inspiring work.
• People are at the core of our company and we hire employee-owners.
• We welcome you to learn more about how we support employees.
• We’re 100% employee owned.
• Retirement benefits include an employer funded stock ownership plan (ESOP) and personal 401(k) options.
• We offer top tier medical, prescription, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.
• We recognize the importance of a healthy life balance and offer:
• 10 paid holidays
• annual vacation accrual starting at 12 days
• 9 paid sick days
• paid family and medical leave that covers 90% of your pay.
• We foster growth and development of our employees through avenues such as STEM courses, apprenticeships, tuition assistance, and engineering development programs.
• Ask our team about other benefits including wellness, fertility, adoption, and flexible spending benefits.

Pay Range

Lead Mechanical Engineer: $115,300-$170,400 per year

Our compensation ranges are based on the responsibilities of the role. Starting pay is determined individually and considers factors such as relevant experience, skills, knowledge, and training. Candidates may be considered at different levels based on their background. As a result, pay may vary to align with the level of the role.

Equal Opportunity Employer

SEL is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Vets/Disabled.

About SEL

SEL invents, designs, and builds digital products and systems that protect power grids around the world. This technology prevents blackouts and enables customers to improve power system reliability and safety at a reduced cost. A 100 percent employee-owned company headquartered in Pullman, Washington, SEL has manufactured products in the United States since 1984 and now serves customers worldwide. Our mission is simple: to make electric power safer, more reliable, and more economical.