Principal CAD Designer

CesiumAstro•Westminster, CO

About The Position

The Principal CAD Designer provides advanced CAD design and drafting support throughout the product development lifecycle. The role develops, modifies, and maintains detailed 3D models, engineering drawings, and technical documentation, ensuring accuracy, configuration control, and compliance with engineering standards. As a key technical resource for engineering teams, the designer supports design execution, product data management, engineering change implementation, and continuous improvement of CAD processes and documentation practices. The position calls for strong SolidWorks expertise, exceptional attention to detail, and the ability to manage complex design data in a fast-paced development environment. The work takes place primarily in an office and engineering development environment, with frequent collaboration across engineering, manufacturing, quality, and program teams. The environment is fast-paced, with changing priorities and deadlines. The role requires extended periods at a computer workstation and the ability to maintain focus and accuracy while handling complex documentation.

Requirements

Associate’s degree or technical certification in Drafting, Design Technology, Mechanical Design, Engineering Technology, or a related field is preferred.
At least 7 years of progressive CAD design and drafting experience in a manufacturing, aerospace, engineering, or product development environment.
Advanced proficiency in SolidWorks, including part modeling, assemblies, and engineering drawing creation.
Strong understanding of GD&T, mechanical drafting standards, and engineering documentation best practices.
Proficiency with technical diagramming and drafting tools such as DraftSight, Lucidchart, Draw.io, or equivalent applications.
Experience with issue tracking and workflow management tools such as Jira or similar systems.
Knowledge of engineering change control processes and configuration management principles.
Ability to interpret engineering specifications, manufacturing requirements, and technical documentation.
Experience creating and managing BOM structures and hardware documentation.
Strong troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving skills related to CAD models and engineering documentation workflows.
Exceptional attention to detail, organizational skills, and commitment to documentation accuracy.
Ability to analyze detailed technical drawings and engineering data.
Ability to work at a computer workstation for extended periods and maintain focus and accuracy while managing complex documentation.
Ability to communicate effectively with engineering and manufacturing teams.
Must meet U.S. Government Space Technology Export Regulations eligibility requirements: be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, conditional resident, asylee, or refugee (protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or be eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Nice To Haves

Exposure to ERP and PLM systems, including SAP, Windchill, ENOVIA, or similar platforms.
Strong mechanical proficiency and general understanding of manufacturing, including CNC and 3D printing, and mechanical assembly techniques.
Knowledge of applicable government and industry standards, including ASME Y14.5 (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing) and ASME Y14.100 (Engineering Drawing Practices), and their application.
Previous experience supporting the design of electronic packages, ground structures, mechanisms, and/or composite structures.
Aerospace or automotive electronics design experience.

Responsibilities

Provide advanced CAD drafting and design support throughout the product development lifecycle using SolidWorks.
Generate, modify, and maintain 3D models, assemblies, engineering drawings, and related technical documentation.
Ensure models and drawings comply with engineering standards, drafting practices, GD&T requirements, and company documentation procedures.
Collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, quality, and program teams on design development and product release activities.
Support prototype, development, and production design updates.
Manage mechanical CAD files, engineering drawings, and digital design documentation in Product Data Management systems.
Administer file structures, version control, and drawing release processes in SolidWorks PDM.
Prepare, process, and incorporate Engineering Change Orders and Engineering Change Requests into released documentation packages.
Maintain bill of material structures and associated hardware configurations, and ensure documentation traceability and configuration control.
Review CAD models and drawings for completeness, manufacturability, accuracy, and compliance with design requirements.
Identify design issues, drawing discrepancies, and configuration conflicts; support corrective actions and root cause analysis related to documentation errors.
Partner with engineers and cross-functional teams to resolve technical drafting and documentation concerns.
Support standardization and continuous improvement of CAD processes, templates, libraries, and documentation workflows.
Assist in developing drafting standards, best practices, and internal design procedures.
Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior designers or drafters as needed.
Support departmental initiatives focused on efficiency, data integrity, and documentation quality.