R&D Engineer

The Panaro Group; Stoughton (WI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Stoughton Trailers, LLC is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to design transportation equipment and improve existing products. The role focuses on validating structural integrity and regulatory compliance through analysis and testing.

You will create functional designs, develop BOMs, and collaborate with engineering and manufacturing to ensure products meet performance and cost targets. Strong communication and proficiency in FEA are essential for success.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or similar field.
• 1–5 years of experience.
• FEA training required.
• Experience designing welded, bolted, riveted, and bonded fabricated assemblies.
• Knowledge of steel, aluminum, and composite materials.
• Knowledge of thermal insulating structures is a plus.
• Strong verbal and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Analyzes and establishes product specifications and performance requirements.
• Conceptual design in conjunction with engineers to meet requirements; create drawings.
• Generate BOMs for prototypes, base models, and custom units.
• Apply FEA and strength-of-materials analyses to ensure structural integrity.
• Plan and develop tests; analyze results and implement design changes.
• Support manufacturing to improve processes and prevent defects.
• Provide technical information to sales and marketing for training.

Skills

Welding assemblies

Materials science

Thermal insulation

Strong communication

FEA awareness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

Job description

• Founded in 1961, Stoughton Trailers, LLC is a Wisconsin-based, family-owned manufacturer and top-10 international supplier of semi-truck trailers. The company designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of trailers for over-the-road trucking, along with agricultural and specialty transportation equipment, backed by build, finance, rental, and fleet management solutions. Headquartered in Stoughton, WI, the company has grown from a small family business into one of the largest semi-trailer manufacturers in North America.

Job Description

• Design and develop new transportation equipment as well as continuous improvement of existing products. Ensure structural integrity and regulatory compliance of all products manufactured by the company.
• Determine feasibility of designs considering cost, market requirements time limitations, planning, existing manufacturing processes, and other technical and economic factors.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Analyzes and establishes product specifications, performance requirements and data to determine feasibility of proposals.
• Conceptual Design – Develop functional designs, in conjunction with support team of engineers, which meet performance, dimensional and other requirements for a stated application. This can be for new product or an improvement for an existing one. Create drawings and supporting information for the purpose of conveying the design intent to the targeted customer.
• Generate Bills of Material (BOM) – Oversee creation of BOM’s for prototypes, base model products, and custom units for special applications. Prepare or direct preparation of layout and detailed drawings. Provide information to data entry from the drawings and vendor supplied components which will define a completed product in the form of a top level BOM.
• Analysis – Understand and apply Finite Element Analysis and strength of materials at component level and on completed product to ensure structural integrity. Apply general mechanical engineering analysis techniques to determine cause of field failures. Produce calculations of product weights, load distributions.
• Testing – Plan and develop experimental test programs to include test requests, procedures and fixture development. Oversee the performing of tests. Analyze test data and reports to determine if design meets functional and performance specifications. Evaluate engineering test results to clarify or resolve problems and prepare design modifications as required.
• Manufacturing Support – Direct or coordinate building of prototype systems or products. Work with Manufacturing and Manufacturing Engineering to establish or improve manufacturing processes and procedures. Ensure that products are being made to plan and assist in preventing or eliminating defects.
• Sales/Quote Information – Generate materials list for estimating purposes. Provide technical information to sales and marketing for training of sales force.
• Vendor Interaction – Work with vendors to evaluate and select components. Inspect quality of supplied components for compliant to requirements.
• Interaction with customer of product
• Contribute to the team effort to produce a quality product.
• Attend scheduled work hours on a regular and timely basis. Maintain good attendance.
• Comply with all company policies and procedures.
• Work and communicate in a team environment.
• Other duties may be assigned as required by the Company.
  

Above is a list of the most important responsibilities and functions, which are essential to the position. Employees must be able to perform these essential functions satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. Accommodations will be evaluated and provided to eligible employees on a case by case basis, depending on the employee's medical restrictions, work availability, the nature of the position, the position's essential functions and other relevant factors.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering of similar Engineering field
  • 1-5 years' experience
• Licenses/Certifications:
  • Training in finite element analysis (FEA)
• Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:
  • Experience designing welded, bolted, riveted, and bonded fabricated assemblies.
  • Knowledge of material science for steel, aluminum, composite
  • Knowledge of thermal insulating structures is a plus.
  • Strong verbal and communication skills.

Additional Information

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements

Please refer to the Welding Physical Demands Checklist for more information regarding the working conditions and physical requirements for this job.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.