Senior CAD Designer

Donaldson•Bloomington, MN

4d•$63,120 - $78,900•Onsite

About The Position

Donaldson is seeking a Senior CAD Designer for its Aerospace and Defense department. The role works with designers and engineers to create CAD models and drawings that support customers. The designer is expected to learn Donaldson products and processes and align work with business-unit goals. The position calls for knowledge of design and drafting standards, including ASME, familiarity with ASTM material specifications, and knowledge of manufacturing processes such as sheet metal, machining, casting, and plastics. The role requires working at least four days per week at Donaldson’s Bloomington, Minnesota office. The position spans project leadership and execution, business processes and compliance, and technical design. Responsibilities include coordinating work across teams, planning projects, applying company standards, contributing to product approval and change processes, and producing designs and documentation for a range of systems and components. The designer will apply advanced GD&T and sheet-metal practices, review drawings and inspection reports, and work with suppliers. The position also involves prototype development, CAD-based electrical routing, PLM integration, and foundational use of CFD and FEA concepts under engineering guidance. Applicants must have a high school diploma, at least five years of design, drafting, or mechanical experience, and at least three years using design or CAD software. An AAS degree in Engineering or CAD and experience with NX, SolidWorks, and Siemens Teamcenter are preferred. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship. The position requires access to systems storing or transmitting FCI/CUI data and is not eligible for relocation assistance.

Requirements

High school diploma.
At least 5 years of experience in design, drafting, or mechanical roles.
At least 3 years of experience using design software or CAD software.
Knowledge of design and drafting standards such as ASME and familiarity with ASTM material specifications and standards.
Ability to work at least four days per week at the Bloomington, Minnesota office.
Must be currently and legally authorized to work in the United States without current or future immigration sponsorship.
Ability to meet applicable U.S. export-control requirements; the position requires access to systems storing or transmitting FCI/CUI data.

Nice To Haves

AAS degree in Engineering or CAD.
Expertise with NX, or motivation and willingness to learn NX, the primary CAD system for Aerospace and Defense.
SolidWorks experience, the secondary CAD system for Aerospace and Defense.
Understanding of standard PLM systems and how they interact with CAD.
Siemens Teamcenter experience, which is highly preferred.
Knowledge of manufacturing capabilities such as sheet metal, machining, casting, and plastics.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with global teams, align work around shared goals, incorporate customer needs into design inputs, and address conflicts constructively.
Develop initial project plans and milestones, facilitate team communication, and identify basic project risks.
Incorporate diverse perspectives, prepare concise written reports, and present on mid-sized projects as needed.
Contribute to full PPAP and SPAP processes and ensure ECN compliance.
Apply Donaldson EN and DBOS standards to design work and projects.
Participate objectively in design reviews and raise straightforward observations.
Review datasheets for media compatibility and flow rates, support basic media testing as needed, and develop understanding of filtration and separation under senior-engineer guidance.
Design system layouts from existing templates while meeting basic specifications and cost considerations, and contribute to team problem-solving.
Apply knowledge of sealing, fasteners, and relevant material types and specifications.
Recognize intellectual-property concepts and contribute to value-proposition ideation for small projects.
Participate in prototype creation, including basic material selection, assembly, and test fixturing.
Independently design basic electrical systems, including CAD harness pathways and electrical routing.
Use templates to design plastic parts, including injection-molded parts, on small projects.
Apply advanced sheet-metal practices, including bend allowances, reliefs, and material thickness selection for mid-sized features.
Develop design intent for complex models and assemblies using DFM, advanced sketches, tolerances, basic simulation and rendering, master models, equations, design rules, edits, and Donaldson PLM integration.
Use basic CFD tools and generate simple fluid volumes in CAD under engineer guidance; recognize failure modes, fatigue, and stress in FEA contexts.
Apply ASME and ASTM standards; interpret CTQ and key characteristics; perform tolerance stack-ups to Donaldson standards; review FAI reports; communicate with suppliers; and lead advanced drawing reviews.
Apply advanced GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing).