R&D Mechanical Engineer III

Stolle Machinery Company•Centennial, CO

4h•$112,000 - $125,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Research and Development Mechanical Engineer III will possess advanced knowledge of engineering principles and will execute product development activities as directed by immediate and upper-level management with little or no guidance. This role is responsible for driving designs from concept through commercialization, ensuring designs meet performance, cost, manufacturability, quality, safety, and compliance requirements. The Research and Development Mechanical Engineer III supports the global Stolle community by providing technical expertise, data-driven recommendations, and effective communication to management, manufacturing, assembly, field service, vendors, and customers to enable smooth product transitions. This position assumes ownership of assigned projects, including providing project direction and making decisions required for project success.

Requirements

Advanced knowledge of GD&T principles and Stolle drawing standards; able to define inspection requirements.
Understanding of material properties and their application to new designs; including raw material, coating/plating, manufacturing process, lubrication, pneumatic, and vacuum system design as applicable.
Intermediate understanding of finite element principles; capable of performing and interpreting structural FEA when needed.
High level analytical and problem-solving skills; capable of root cause analysis, risk analysis, and data-driven decision-making with rapid turnaround time.
Demonstrated project ownership mindset: takes responsibility for outcomes, drives decision-making, manages tradeoffs, and understands how engineering choices impact margin, cost, and overall project performance.
Capable of writing and facilitating test plans; defining acceptance criteria; designing test rigs; executing and analyzing functional and longevity testing.
Experience with DFM and DFMEA analysis; hazard and risk assessment; and supporting compliance documentation (e.g., CE documentation).
Experience with DOE and application to real-world engineering problems; strong statistical analysis capability.
Minimum 8 years’ experience with CAD software (Solidworks, Solid Edge, Creo, AutoCAD, with preference for Solidworks) and PDMs; understands and can implement design configurations and product structure management.
Solid interpersonal skills with strong technical communication and presentation ability; able to host customer and stakeholder technical conversations as needed.
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail; excellent time management with a proven ability to meet deadlines and manage project timelines.
Ability to function well in a fast-paced, dynamic environment; demonstrates resiliency and initiative.
Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite; high level data analysis skills in Excel or Minitab; able to generate clear documentation (SOPs, training documents, reports).
Working knowledge of ERP processes (e.g., BOM creation/release, change orders, sourcing and purchasing information) to support product development transitions.
Vendor interaction capability (quoting, negotiation, lead time/cost/tolerance discussions) and cross-functional coordination with purchasing, manufacturing, quality, assembly, and field service.
Able to obtain a passport and travel both domestically and internationally, including extended durations when needed.
Understanding of Six Sigma principles.
Minimum 8 years’ of engineering experience.
Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
Experience in manufacturing and/or product development environment.
Proven track record of sound engineering judgment, robust documentation, and successful product transition support.

Responsibilities

Provides high-level engineering support as required to the global Stolle community while drawing from a wide breadth of engineering knowledge.
Maintains involvement with assigned projects from design inception through commercialization; supports technical execution through design, build, test, trial, and implementation phases.
Assumes ownership of assigned projects and is responsible for project success (technical performance, schedule, cost, manufacturability, and quality); drives issues to closure and escalates risks early with clear options and recommendations.
Provides project direction within scope by making timely, well-supported technical decisions; aligns stakeholders, establishes priorities, and drives project outcomes through accurate estimating and design-to-cost decisions while monitoring material spend.
Provides sales and marketing support on new ideas and cutting-edge, industry-changing technology; contributes to value proposition development and customer-facing technical discussions.
Accurately estimates material cost and engineering labor on design projects; supports profitability/ROI analysis and design-for-cost decisions.
Develops, documents, and communicates requirements; proactively revalidates requirements and performs what-if/contingency planning to mitigate design/test/trial risk.
Offers creative, unique, and effective design solutions when presented with complex engineering problems; executes problem solving and root cause analysis.
Creates and releases complete drawing packages and models using CAD/PDM; including configurations, product structure, and bill of materials creation/management in CAD/ERP.
Designs components and systems across varied manufacturing processes, including sheet metal, mill/lathe parts, weldments, cast parts, assemblies, mechanisms, and tooling as applicable.
Performs and/or coordinates analysis activities such as hand calculations/rough evaluation, power/utility/torque calculations, gearing and mechanism (dynamics) analysis, fatigue/life calculations, statistical analysis, and finite element/structural analysis as appropriate and with actionable outcomes.
Develops test plans, acceptance criteria, and test rigs/fixtures as needed; executes functional and longevity testing; analyzes and documents results to support sound engineering conclusions.
Supports dimensional/alignment/measurement and inspection activities (as needed) to validate designs and troubleshoot issues.
Supports offsite tests, trials, and field activities as required; including field trial planning/monitoring, site installation coordination, and customer support (domestic and international travel as needed).
Communicates and supports purchasing, planning, manufacturing, quality inspection, assembly, field service, vendors, and OEM engineering regarding part design, machine assembly, and component/product optimization requests.
Engages with vendors regarding process selection, tolerances, lead times, and cost; identifies/evaluates vendors; supports part quoting, vendor identification, and procurement support.
Supports build activities including part chasing, assembly/manufacturing support, and hands-on fabrication/assembly operations as required to enable rapid learning cycles and solution implementation.
Leads or supports engineering change request evaluation and execution; ensures robust documentation and configuration control.
Works with management to develop DFMEA, DFM, Hazard & Risk Assessment, CE documentation, cost analysis, and other supporting documents for product transitions to commercial sales.
Investigates new technology for implementation into new designs; performs competitor/patent research and supports intellectual property development (including patent application development/submission where applicable).
Documents workflow and individual design history; develops SOPs, training documentation, and presentations; can present to management and cross-department stakeholders.
Collaborates effectively across departments; demonstrates diplomacy, resiliency, initiative, and a strong propensity to collaborate while contributing to a positive team culture.