Principal Mechanical Engineer – NPD

City of Shakopee, MN; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance plans

401(k)

Tuition reimbursement

Flexible time off plans

Job summary

City of Shakopee, MN, is seeking a Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead mechanical architecture and design for actuator product lines. This role demands deep expertise in drive train and gear design, along with mechanical power transmission.

As a senior technical leader, you will guide end-to-end mechanical development, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and ensure compliance with global industry standards. The role includes a variety of flexible and competitive benefits plans to support employee wellbeing.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering with 8+ years of experience or Bachelor's with 10+ years.
• Deep experience in drive trains, gears, and mechanical power transmission is essential.
• Strong background in motor-driven systems and integration of mechanical and electrical subsystems.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical architecture for Actuator product lines.
• Design complex mechanical assemblies including gear trains and motors.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams for product integration.

Skills

Mechanical power transmission

Drive train design

Gear design

FEA analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Leadership in engineering

Education

Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline with 10+ years experience

Tools

CAD software

FEA tools

Job description

We are seeking a highly skilled and technically strong Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead mechanical architecture and design for our Actuator product lines. This role requires deep expertise in drive train and gear design, mechanical power transmission, housing and enclosure development, and precision fabrication. You will serve as the technical authority for actuator mechanical systems, driving the design of gears, clutches, housings, sealing systems, and motion components while ensuring structural integrity, reliability, and manufacturability.

As a senior technical leader, you will guide end-to-end mechanical development—from concept through prototyping, analysis, qualification, and launch—while collaborating closely with electrical, controls, firmware, and systems engineering teams. You will also lead design reviews, drive DFM and cost optimization, engage with suppliers, and support lifecycle management and root cause investigations. This role is critical to advancing our actuator platforms and delivering robust, compliant, and high-performance mechanical solutions.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead actuator mechanical architecture including gears, clutches, housings, sealing systems, and precision motion components.
• Design and integrate complex mechanical assemblies such as gear trains, motors, torque transfer mechanisms, and injection-molded parts.
• Perform structural and thermal analysis using FEA to validate integrity under static, dynamic, fatigue, and thermal loads.
• Drive reliability engineering through load path analysis, stress evaluation, wear modeling, and fatigue life prediction.
• Develop actuator enclosures with consideration for hazardous location requirements, structural integrity, thermal management, EMI shielding, and environmental protection.
• Select materials and manufacturing processes including casting, machining, molding, and advanced coatings.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with electrical, controls, firmware, and systems engineering teams to ensure integration of motors, electronics, sensing mechanisms, control systems, and user interfaces with mechanical systems and housing.
• Lead design reviews and contribute to validation, qualification, and verification activities.
• Maintain engineering documentation including BOMs, specifications, test plans, and ECOs.
• Drive DFM and cost optimization across actuator components and assemblies.
• Engage with suppliers to resolve fabrication issues and ensure quality standards.
• Manage component lifecycles including obsolescence planning and alternate sourcing.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for mechanical failures or field issues.
• Ensure compliance with global regulatory and industry standards including hazardous locations (UL, CE, ATEX, IEC, RoHS, REACH).
• Provide end-to-end mechanical leadership from concept through prototyping, testing, qualification, and launch.
• Coordinate global engineering teams and collaborate closely with electronics, firmware, and software leaders.

Required Education, Experience & Skills

• Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (or related discipline) with 8+ years of mechanical or electromechanical product engineering experience OR Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (or related discipline) with 10+ years of relevant engineering experience.
• Deep experience with industrial equipment including drive trains, gears, housings, sealing systems, and mechanical power transmission.
• Strong background in motor‑driven systems, motion control, and integration of mechanical and electrical subsystems.
• Proficiency in advanced CAD modeling and design of machined, cast, and molded components.
• Experience performing structural analysis and FEA, including static, dynamic, fatigue, and thermal evaluations.
• Expertise in formal design processes, including DFMEA, PFMEA, DFM, DFA, design reviews, and structured engineering documentation.
• Demonstrated leadership across the full product lifecycle, from concept through prototyping, testing, qualification, and launch.
• Experience working with cross‑functional engineering teams, including electrical, controls, firmware, systems, manufacturing, and suppliers.
• Strong communication, documentation, and technical leadership skills, with the ability to mentor and guide engineering teams.

Preferred Education, Experience & Skills

• Background in actuator‑specific technologies, including sealing systems, environmental protection, and long‑life reliability engineering.
• Experience designing and certifying products for use in hazardous locations (FM, ATEX, IECEx, etc).
• Experience with global regulatory and industry standards (ISO 22153, API6DX, RoHS, REACH).
• Experience with castings (sand, investment, high pressure die).
• Familiarity with industrial networking, motor‑control systems, and electromechanical integration.
• Experience leading global or multi‑site engineering teams and coordinating complex development programs.
• Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or Black Belt) or equivalent process‑improvement training.

Benefits

We recognize the importance of employee wellbeing. We prioritize providing flexible, competitive benefits plans to meet you and your family’s physical, mental, financial, and social needs. We provide a variety of medical insurance plans, with dental and vision coverage, Employee Assistance Program, 401(k), tuition reimbursement, employee resource groups, recognition, and much more. Our culture offers flexible time off plans, including paid parental leave (maternal and paternal), vacation and holiday leave.