Senior Design Engineer

Acuity Inc.•Decatur, GA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The National Accounts and Vertical Solutions Engineering team rapidly delivers customer-specific, high-impact lighting solutions. This team works closely with Sales, Product Management, Operations, Manufacturing, Certification and Testing, and other Engineering teams to execute time-critical, revenue-driving programs across Indoor, Industrial, and Commercial portfolios. The Senior Design Engineer oversees the end-to-end rapid product development process, managing projects from initial concept through production. Responsibilities include new product development, sustaining engineering, and addressing field-related issues. This position leads electro-mechanical product design and redesign activities, encompassing building & maintaining Bills of Material and preparation of detailed component drawings, while ensuring adherence to performance, cost, quality, compliance, and scheduling requirements. The role demands strong problem definition skills, rigorous validation of AI-generated insights, and human ownership of final engineering decisions. AI is used to scale analysis and consistency while human judgment, intent, and accountability remain central to the role.

Requirements

Bachelor of Engineering
3 to 5 years of mechanical and electrical design experience
Prior experience working with high-volume commercial or industrial products
Ability to move quickly from concept to prototype with sound engineering judgment
Strong capability in platform re-use, variant creation, and partial redesigns
Experience optimizing costed BOMs, component substitutions, and margin recovery strategies
Working knowledge of DFM, DFA, design validation, and manufacturing readiness
Experience supporting pilot builds, production launches, and production enablement
Familiarity with UL, safety approvals, and testing
Proficient with 2D & 3D CAD (Solidworks preferred), PLM software (Windchill preferred), and standard productivity tools (e.g., MS Office)
Proficient in LEAN / Six Sigma (DMAIC) tools (standard work, time studies, cause & effect, 5-Why).
Strong communication skills (verbal, written, sketches, and engineering drawings); effective in cross-functional teams.
Understanding of manufacturing methods for metals and plastics (stamping, drawing, casting, extrusion).
Demonstrated leadership to influence and align stakeholders to deliver new product development on time and within budget.
Knowledge of UL requirements and UL testing processes; understands and follows applicable industry and safety standards.
Strong discipline in PLM, BOM accuracy, and documentation
Strong prioritization skills and proven ability to manage diverse project scopes
Experience using AI-enabled tools to accelerate design exploration, surface risks earlier, and improve decision quality across the product life cycle.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting customer-specific lighting programs is preferred
Experience developing and testing prototypes in a fast-paced engineering environment is preferred
Background in sustaining, advanced customization, lifecycle, or fast-turn Engineering roles is preferred
Experience with commercial or industrial lighting products is preferred

Responsibilities

Rapidly design, adapt, and deploy lighting solutions to meet customer-specific requirements and commercial objectives.
Execute product modifications, redesigns, and variants using existing platforms while balancing cost, performance, and schedule.
Lead technical execution for time-critical, high-revenue Customer programs in collaboration with Sales, Product Management, Operations, and Manufacturing.
Drive cost reduction, margin improvement, and inventory-driven redesign initiatives.
Support manufacturing readiness through DFM/DFA reviews, tooling decisions, pilot builds, and issue resolution.
Manage Engineering change execution including BOMs, Core Notes, ECOs, and PLM accuracy.
Ensure regulatory and compliance requirements (UL, DLC, safety) are met with minimal disruption to schedule.
Clearly communicate technical trade-offs, risks, and recommendations to cross-functional and leadership audiences.