Mechanical Engineer III

John Crane; Morton (IL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

John Crane, a Smiths Group company, seeks a skilled mechanical engineer to advance gas seal technologies and sealing systems. You will design components, analyze rotating equipment, and create detailed documentation for developmental projects.

You will apply FEA and testing to validate designs, build prototypes, and collaborate with Product Management, Manufacturing, and Test Engineering to transition innovations to production. Strong analytical and documentation skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Strong mechanical aptitude employing mechanics, physics, materials science to develop robust seals.
• Ability to interpret mechanical drawings, GD&T and engineering specs.
• Experience with finite element analysis (FEA) including model development and validation.
• Knowledge of structured troubleshooting and root-cause analysis methodologies.
• Ability to develop and execute engineering test plans and validation protocols.
• Ability to correlate analytical predictions with test data and drive design improvements.
• Strong technical documentation, communication, and project execution skills.

Responsibilities

• Research, develop, and evaluate gas seal technologies to meet current and future market needs.
• Design seal components and assemblies with focus on performance, reliability, manufacturability, and cost competitiveness.
• Apply mechanical engineering principles to analyze rotating equipment, sealing systems, and component interactions.
• Create, interpret, and maintain engineering drawings, specifications, and technical documentation for new product development projects.
• Perform and interpret FEA and other engineering analyses to assess product performance and design robustness.
• Develop, execute, and document product verification and validation plans, including laboratory and rig testing.
• Design, build, and evaluate prototype hardware to support concept development and product validation.
• Correlate analytical predictions with test data and implement design improvements based on findings.
• Conduct technical investigations of product performance, test results, and developmental failures to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Generate and maintain engineering calculations, design records, test reports, and other documentation required to support the NPD process.
• Collaborate with Product Management, Manufacturing, Materials, Test Engineering, and other cross-functional teams to advance technology and product development efforts.
• Manage assigned development activities to achieve project objectives, schedules, and technical milestones.
• Support the transition of new products and technologies from development to production through design validation and technical documentation.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of engineering tools, analytical methods, testing capabilities, and product development processes.

Skills

Mechanical aptitude

GD&T

FEA

Engineering drawings

Analytical testing

Documentation

Project execution

Job description

John Crane, a business of Smiths Group, is a global leader in mission-critical flow control solutions for energy and process industries that enable efficient and sustainable operations. Our products include mechanical seals and systems, couplings, filtration systems, and predictive digital monitoring technologies.

We have a global network of more than 200 sites in over 50 countries and employ more than 6,000 people worldwide. We partner with our customers to help them keep their operations safe, reduce downtime, improve efficiency, and meet the latest environmental standards.

John Crane is part of Smiths Group. For over 170 years, Smiths has been pioneering progress by engineering for a better future. We serve millions of people every year, helping to create a safer, more efficient, productive, and better-connected world across four global markets: energy, security & defence, space & aerospace, and general industrial. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, Smiths employs approximately 16,000 colleagues in over 50 countries.

Job Description

Duties & Responsibilities

• Research, develop, and evaluate innovative gas seal, wet seal, and sealing system technologies to address current and future business and market needs.
• Design and develop new seal components, assemblies, and related technologies with a focus on performance, reliability, manufacturability, and cost competitiveness.
• Apply mechanical engineering principles to analyze rotating equipment, sealing systems, and component interactions.
• Create, interpret, and maintain engineering drawings, specifications, and technical documentation for new product development projects.
• Perform and interpret FEA and other engineering analyses to assess product performance, structural integrity, and design robustness.
• Develop, execute, and document product verification and validation plans, including laboratory and rig testing.
• Design, build, and evaluate prototype hardware to support concept development and product validation.
• Correlate analytical predictions with test data and implement design improvements based on findings.
• Conduct technical investigations of product performance, test results, and developmental failures to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Generate and maintain engineering calculations, design records, test reports, and other documentation required to support the NPD process.
• Collaborate with Product Management, Manufacturing, Materials, Test Engineering, and other cross-functional teams to advance technology and product development efforts.
• Manage assigned development activities to achieve project objectives, schedules, and technical milestones.
• Support the transition of new products and technologies from development to production through design validation and technical documentation.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of engineering tools, analytical methods, testing capabilities, and product development processes.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Strong mechanical aptitude with the ability to apply engineering principles including mechanics, physics, materials science, heat transfer, tribology, fluid dynamics, and structural analysis to evaluate, troubleshoot, and develop robust sealing solutions.
• Proficiency in interpreting and creating mechanical drawings, GD&T, and engineering specifications.
• Experience with finite element analysis (FEA), including model development, result interpretation, and validation.
• Knowledge of structured troubleshooting and root-cause analysis methodologies.
• Capable of developing and executing engineering test plans and validation protocols.
• Ability to correlate analytical predictions with physical test results and drive design improvements from data.
• Strong technical documentation, communication, and project execution skills.

Additional information

With colleagues stretching across the globe, we are proud of our diversity. To foster inclusivity, we run employee resource groups (ERGs) to provide a safe space for employees to connect and support each other. Our cross-business ERGs include Veterans, Pride Network, Black Employee Network, Women@Work Network, and Neurodiversity.

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