Designer Sr

FET•Houston, TX

About The Position

The Senior Designer develops mechanical components, assemblies, and manufacturing documentation for Global Heat Transfer (GHT) industrial radiators and cooling packages. Working with engineering, this position translates customer requirements and approved engineering inputs into accurate, practical designs that support product safety, reliability, manufacturability, serviceability, and on-time delivery. The role independently handles complex design assignments from concept through production release and sustaining support, provides technical guidance to less experienced designers, and collaborates with manufacturing, quality, supply chain, sales, and customers to resolve design and product issues. The position supports cooling equipment for power industrial engines, including power generation and oil and gas. The Senior Designer creates and maintains designs and controlled product documentation, supports production, prototype builds, inspections, and testing, and coordinates assigned work across multiple projects. Work is primarily office-based, with regular interaction in manufacturing, assembly, and testing areas and occasional travel to facilities, suppliers, and customer sites. Industrial environments may involve moving machinery, noise, vibration, outdoor conditions, and other hazards; compliance with safety requirements and appropriate personal protective equipment is mandatory.

Requirements

Minimum 8 years of progressive mechanical drafting and design experience, including at least 3 years independently developing mechanical designs for manufactured equipment.
Advanced proficiency in Autodesk Inventor, including assembly management, sheet metal, weldments, detailed drawings, and parametric modeling.
Experience producing complete fabrication and assembly drawing packages and supporting designs through production release.
Experience with industrial fabrication, sheet metal and plate construction, welded assemblies, machined parts, and mechanical assembly.
Experience maintaining BOMs, revision control, engineering changes, and ERP/MRP product records.
Practical knowledge of steel, aluminum, and other commonly used fabrication materials; welding, forming, machining, coatings, and corrosion protection.
Ability to select and detail standard hardware, seals, fittings, bearings, and mechanical interfaces using approved specifications and supplier data.
Ability to interpret customer specifications, schematics, piping and instrumentation diagrams, and supplier technical documentation as required by the assignment.
Strong attention to detail, sound mechanical judgment, practical problem-solving skills, and accountability for drawing quality and schedule commitments.
Clear written and verbal communication, effective cross-functional collaboration, and ability to explain design intent to shop personnel, suppliers, and customers.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and ability to organize technical records, communicate project status, and manage concurrent assignments.
Ability to perform regular computer use, review detailed drawings, and inspect mechanical components; duties may involve walking, standing, bending, reaching, and taking measurements in manufacturing or field environments.
Use appropriate lifting equipment and assistance when handling heavy components.
Comply with FET safety requirements, site procedures, and appropriate personal protective equipment requirements.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with AutoCAD and Autodesk Vault or equivalent data management tools.
Experience with industrial radiators, engine cooling packages, heat exchangers, fans, or related power generation and oilfield equipment is strongly preferred.
Technical diploma or associate degree in mechanical design, drafting, engineering technology, or a related discipline preferred; equivalent relevant education and demonstrated mechanical design experience will be considered.

Responsibilities

Develop original designs and adapt existing products using Autodesk Inventor, including frames, tanks, and manifolds.
Create general assembly drawings and production drawing packages, including fabrication and machining details, assembly drawings, exploded views, bills of material, and installation and service information.
Review customer specifications, equipment layouts, supplier drawings, and engineering inputs; identify missing information, conflicting requirements, and design risks before release.
Apply dimensions, GD&T, datum schemes, fits, weld symbols, material specifications, finishes, and inspection requirements.
Perform tolerance stack-up and interference checks to verify assembly fit, fan clearances, component interchangeability, and installation envelopes.
Account for thermal expansion, vibration, fatigue-sensitive details, corrosion, sealing, and fastener retention in coordination with engineering; escalate matters requiring additional calculation, testing, or specialist review.
Incorporate safe access, rotating equipment guarding, lifting and handling provisions, drainage, venting, cleaning, and component replacement into designs, subject to engineering review.
Apply design-for-manufacture and assembly principles, considering material availability, sheet metal bend allowances, weld access and distortion, machining requirements, fabrication capability, and assembly sequence.
Create and maintain ERP/MRP item masters, BOMs, and product structures; maintain alignment among CAD models, drawings, purchased components, and released manufacturing records using Autodesk Vault.
Control design documentation through approved product data management and engineering change processes, including revision history, review, approval, release, and communication of changes.
Check drawings and design packages for accuracy, completeness, consistency, and compliance with company standards; participate in design reviews and support risk assessments, including engineering calculation, DFMEA, and FEA.
Measure existing equipment and components with appropriate inspection tools; develop replacement or improvement designs and verify critical interfaces.
Support prototype builds, first-article inspections, and product testing; incorporate approved findings into controlled design changes and production documentation.
Coordinate assigned design work, establish realistic completion dates, communicate progress and technical concerns, and maintain commitments across multiple projects.
Identify opportunities to reduce cost, simplify assembly, standardize components, and improve product durability and customer serviceability.
Perform duties in accordance with FET Health, Safety, and Environment policies, the Code of Conduct, quality procedures, and applicable regulations.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Provide technical guidance to less experienced designers and collaborate with manufacturing, quality, supply chain, sales, engineering, and customers to resolve design and product issues.