Principal Mechanical Engineering

R.C. Systems LLC; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent engineering firm is seeking a Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead the hardware aspects of product development. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in mechanical design and team leadership, with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering. This full-time role is situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota, offering competitive pay and the opportunity to work on innovative solutions in fire detection and suppression technologies.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in mechanical engineering.
• 5+ years developing electro-mechanical products.
• Experience leading product development from inception to market launch.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical team and provide technical direction.
• Manage mechanical planning and design processes.
• Collaborate on product development and risk analyses.

Skills

Technical leadership

Mechanical design

Collaboration

Risk analysis

Document management

Education

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

PTC Creo

Windchill

CAD tools

Job description

Join the Principal Mechanical Engineering role at R.C. Systems LLC

Spectrum Safety Solutions, a division of R.C. Systems LLC, is a global leader in fire detection and suppression solutions for high‑hazard applications across critical infrastructure, oil and gas, marine, and clean energy sectors. With approximately 1,500 employees operating in more than 20 countries, we employ strong customer relationships across our brands Det‑Tronics, Marioff, Autronica, and Fireye to deliver differentiated lifecycle solutions and advanced growth.

Base Pay Range

$120,000.00/yr – $155,000.00/yr

About This Role

The Principal Mechanical Engineer leads and manages hardware aspects of products throughout their entire lifecycle from architecture, planning, design through verification and validation. This includes mechanical‑design technical leadership for cross‑functional new product development and sustaining engineering projects involving optical, electrochemical, and communication technologies.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership to mechanical team members.
• Lead mechanical strategic planning, concept generation, architecture definition, and translate to system/subsystem/component definitions, focusing on manufacturability, reliability, safety, and sustainability.
• Lead the capture of mechanical requirements and associated rationale for regulated products.
• Collaborate with other engineers and designers on requirements development, product risk analyses, design and technical reviews, and other product development deliverables.
• Support project managers by providing work breakdown plans and task estimates to support project plans and schedules.
• Manage tools and processes necessary to ensure traceability from requirements to test cases.
• Lead and contribute to the development of resolutions to product mechanical‑related issues in development projects and manufacturing operations.
• Follow development processes, lead technical reviews, ensure product requirements comply with company standards, and properly document work deliverables.
• Work closely with technical and subject‑matter experts to ensure accurate and complete use case coverage and regulation compliance.
• Ensure that mechanical designs are rigorously documented, supported, and substantiated with analytical and/or numerical analyses (e.g., FEA and tolerance analyses), tested at different stages, and controlled.
• Establish (as needed), implement, and maintain written verification and testing standards and policies.
• Work closely with Approvals and Test Engineers to develop and execute mechanical tests.
• Participate in roadmap planning and identify competency/resource gaps and implement plans to close the gaps.
• Support multiple product development programs simultaneously.
• Develop and implement risk‑mitigating solutions.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering.
• 7+ years of experience, including CAD tools.
• 5+ years developing electro‑mechanical products.
• Must have led the mechanical development of at least one product from inception through market launch.
• Due to contractual agreements, must be a U.S. citizen, green card holder, or permanent resident.

Preferred Qualifications

• 3+ years’ experience with PTC Creo and Windchill CAD tools.
• Advanced degree strongly preferred.
• Platformed product development desired.
• Strong mechanical discipline knowledge and expert in mechanical engineering design analyses (particularly tolerance analyses and FEA) and testing methods.
• Experience working with vendors in design for manufacturability (die/injection casting, injection molding, machining, assembly, and troubleshooting manufacturing defects).
• Knowledge of design practices, methodologies, tools, and instruments for regulated products; high‑hazard application knowledge (Industrial Life Safety, SIL2, explosion‑proof enclosure) strongly preferred.
• Experience with functional safety standards (e.g., IEC 61508) and Functional Safety certification desired.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for collaboration with project stakeholders.
• Skilled in collaborating with other engineers to distill market needs into defined technical requirements, system/subsystem/component architectures, and verification/validation test plans.
• Demonstrated root‑cause analysis skills (Lean Six Sigma, 5 Whys, Ishikawa diagrams).
• Expert knowledge of GD&T and ASME Y14.5 drawing best practices.
• Ability to work both collaboratively and independently on assignments to foster continuous improvement.
• Experienced with FMEAs and developing control techniques to mitigate risks.
• Self‑motivated with demonstrated ability to lead process improvement activities.
• Must be able to perform essential job functions safely and work within company guidelines.

Seniority Level

Mid‑Senior level

Employment Type

Full‑time

Job Function

Engineering and Information Technology

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