Research and Development Engineer jobs in Rockford, IL

Job Purpose: Design, Develop, Validate and Implement new models, features, and technologies for the Grain and Reefer Trailer Markets.

Responsibilities

• Lead and project manage research and development projects from concept through production for dry vans, reefer trailers, container chassis, grain hoppers, and other platforms.
• Identify projects and opportunities that contribute to revenue increase, trailer cost reduction, warranty improvement, safety improvement, or other benefit.
• Establish and maintain project benefit and business case for project opportunities.
• Establish and document technical requirements for projects.
• Develop design proposals, lead prime path selection of proposed solutions, and implementation of selected design proposals.
• Identify validation plan, support test development, and ensure completion of required tasks.
• Complete analysis including hand calculations and FEA required to validate the design proposals.
• Complete risk assessments or FMEA’s to ensure changes are fully validated.
• Lead cross functional design reviews.
• Establish and manage timelines for multiple projects that are occurring concurrently.
• Develop and update engineering standard work processes to aid in future validation and design of critical systems and subsystems.

Skills/Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to manage and implement complex cross functional projects from concept to implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and implement innovative solutions to both simple and complex problems.
• Intermediate skills in design and development processes, methods, and tools.
• Intermediate skills in 3D modeling (Solidworks preferred)
• Intermediate skills in project management and cross functional project leadership
• Intermediate skills in FEA Analysis – Linear Static Analysis, Modal Analysis, Non-linear Analysis, etc. (Expert skills preferred)
• Basic skills in tolerance stackup analysis – Worst Case and Statistical Methods.
• Basic skills in PDM systems (preferred).

Education/Knowledge

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent with a minimum of 5 years of experience in a Product Development or Design Role.
• Intermediate knowledge in structural mechanics.
• Knowledge of Lean and six sigma methods and tools (preferred).
• Knowledge of Dry Van, Reefer, and Chassis Design (preferred).

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)