Senior Design Engineer - Plastic Pipe & Conduit

Atkore•Dallas, TX

6d•$100,160 - $137,720

About The Position

Atkore is seeking a Senior Design Engineer for its Electrical Business Unit / Plastic Pipe & Conduit (PPC) Strategic Business Unit. Reporting to the Senior R&D Engineering Manager, this role serves as the technical lead for the design, development, validation, and commercialization of electrical conduit, pipe, fittings, fabricated fittings, and related infrastructure products. The engineer will apply product development and engineering design expertise to lead cross-functional initiatives from concept through product launch, delivering innovative, manufacturable, and cost-effective solutions that support Atkore’s growth initiatives. The role works closely with Product Engineering, Product Management, Manufacturing, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Sales. It provides technical leadership through expertise and influence while driving continuous improvement, manufacturing capability advancement, and product innovation across the PPC portfolio. The position includes designing and developing products, translating customer and market needs into product solutions, managing development and improvement projects, leading design reviews and validation, and supporting commercialization. It also involves CAD and engineering documentation, design analysis, prototype testing, manufacturing and supplier collaboration, tooling and production launch support, engineering standards, root-cause investigations, strategic product planning, and support for capital projects and manufacturing technology investments. The posting outlines expectations for the first 3, 6, and 12 months, including completing the Atkore immersion program, collaborating on product development, supporting customer and supplier needs, leading R&D development and scale-up through the stage-gate process, and understanding applicable industry and regulatory standards.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or a related engineering discipline.
Minimum 5 years of experience in product design, development, and commercialization.
Proven track record leading complex new product development initiatives.
Advanced proficiency with Autodesk products, SolidWorks, or equivalent 3D CAD software.
Experience with DFMEA, PPAP, tolerance analysis, root-cause analysis, and Design for Manufacturing (DFM).
Strong understanding of extrusion, injection molding, fabrication, machining, assembly, and automation processes.
Experience supporting tooling design, process validation, and production launch activities.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and projects simultaneously.
Strong communication, presentation, and project leadership skills.
Ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct authority.

Nice To Haves

Experience with infrastructure products such as conduit, pipe, fabricated fittings, elbows, couplings, or related products.
Knowledge of UL, ASTM, NEMA, NSF, CSA, NEC, and other related standards.
Prior involvement with industry organizations, standards committees, or technical customer engagements.
Experience with FEA, product testing, validation, and rapid prototyping.
Experience leading manufacturing automation or capital improvement projects.
Lean Six Sigma certification.
Experience utilizing ERP and PLM systems.

Responsibilities

Design and develop new products related to infrastructure markets.
Translate customer requirements, market opportunities, and business objectives into product solutions.
Serve as design expert for new product development projects from concept through commercialization.
Manage multiple product development and product improvement projects simultaneously.
Lead design reviews, risk assessments, and technical decision-making activities.
Drive product validation, qualification testing, and commercialization efforts.
Ensure products meet performance, quality, manufacturability, regulatory, and cost objectives.
Drive value engineering, product standardization, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Develop and maintain CAD models, engineering drawings, specifications, and bills of material.
Apply DFM, DFA, DFMEA, and Lean principles throughout product development.
Lead prototype design, testing, and validation activities.
Conduct engineering analysis to optimize product performance, reliability, and cost competitiveness.
Evaluate new materials, manufacturing processes, automation opportunities, and emerging technologies.
Support PLM activities, including Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) and Engineering Change Requests (ECRs).
Research competitive products and market trends to identify innovation opportunities.
Collaborate with manufacturing facilities to support production readiness and product launches.
Support tooling development, process validation, pilot production, and first article inspections.
Work with Quality, Operations, and Supply Chain to resolve technical and manufacturing challenges.
Partner with suppliers on tooling, materials, manufacturing processes, and product improvements.
Support troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, and corrective action implementation.
Work with external tool makers and departments to ensure costs, deliverables, and timelines are met.
Provide direction, guidance, and expertise to team members on the design and development of parts and tooling.
Develop engineering standards, design guidelines, and best practices.
Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, productivity, and cost reduction.
Lead root-cause investigations and corrective action activities.
Promote Lean manufacturing and operational excellence principles.
Present project updates, business cases, and technical recommendations to leadership.
Support product roadmap development and long-term growth initiatives.
Identify opportunities to expand product offerings and manufacturing capabilities.
Evaluate emerging market needs and infrastructure trends.
Support capital projects and manufacturing technology investments.
Contribute to strategic planning within the PPC business.
Complete the Atkore immersion program and learn how the role contributes to Atkore’s strategy.
Work cooperatively with a cross-functional product development team, including Sales, Product Management, and customers, to develop solutions for customer and market needs.
Use engineering and design skills to ensure products are cost-efficient, manufacturable, and compliant with electrical industry standards.
Design and implement test methods and/or equipment to support product development.
Provide technical support and solutions to customers and suppliers.
Facilitate and participate in concept brainstorming and ideation sessions.
Lead R&D development and scale-up through the stage-gate process and ensure milestone commitments are achieved.
Plan design of experiments and conduct data analysis in support of concept testing.
Perform other tasks as assigned.