Contract Engineer

Mueller Industries•Fort Worth, TX

16h•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a solo contract engineer to design, build, commission, and validate a functional heat-transfer test apparatus for internal product testing and material evaluation. This is a hands-on engineer who can work directly with our facility, maintenance resources, fabrication shop, and available plant equipment to turn technical test requirements into a reliable physical test system. The selected engineer must be able to lead the practical build of the apparatus, including the mechanical structure, airflow system, thermal control, instrumentation, data acquisition, calibration approach, safety controls, and validation documentation. This role requires someone comfortable working in a shop environment, coordination with internal resources, and solving build issues as they come up.

Requirements

Ability to design controlled heat-transfer environments, manage heat loss, understand insulation effects, perform energy balances, and troubleshoot temperature stability issues.
Experience with HVAC airflow, duct testing, pressure measurement, flow measurement, leakage control, fan/blower selection, and repeatable air-handling setups.
Ability to design chambers, frames, duct fixtures, access panels, supports, seals, insulation systems, sample mounts, and serviceable mechanical assemblies that can be built using shop resources.
Comfort working around fabrication equipment, maintenance personnel, electricians, welders, machinists, and plant technicians to move the apparatus from concept to physical build.
Experience with PID loops, temperature control, airflow control, heater control electrical control panels, safety interlocks, alarms, and stable operating logic.
Strong understanding of RTDs, thermocouples, pressure sensors, airflow measurement devices, power meters, signal wiring, sensor placement, calibration intervals, and traceable measurement practices.
Ability to specify and integrate a data acquisition system capable of logging raw data, averaging test data, recording steady-state conditions, storing test history, and exporting usable reports.
Ability to validate the apparatus through baseline runs, repeatability checks, energy-balance review, measurement uncertainty analysis, and documented commissioning procedures.
Ability to interpret technical test requirements and convert them into practical equipment requirements without overcomplicating the system.

Nice To Haves

Experience with ASTM, UL, HVAC, insulation, or flexible duct test environments is preferred.

Responsibilities

Review the test requirements, identify the equipment and measurement needs, design the test unit, select instrumentation, develop the controls concept.
Coordinate with ATCO shop and facility resources.
Support fabrication, assemble or oversee assembly of the system.
Commission the equipment, and prove that the apparatus produces stable and repeatable results.
Mechanical layout and design of the test apparatus.
Selection of heaters, fans/blowers, sensors, controls, and data acquisition hardware.
Electrical and controls design, including schematics and safety devices.
Sensor placement plan and calibration requirements.
Fabrication drawings, sketches, bill of materials, and detailed build documentation.
Direct coordination with in-house shop, maintenance, and facility resources.
Assembly support, troubleshooting, and field modifications during the build.
Commissioning and functional testing.
Repeatability and baseline validation runs.
Operator procedure and maintenance documentation.