Sr. Design Engineer

NORTH WIND SYSTEMS LLC • Plymouth, MN

89d

About The Position

North Wind is a leading independent supplier of complex hypersonic and Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) systems and services. Leveraging decades of specialized experience, North Wind delivers hypersonic and RDT&E capabilities through five complementary business segments: Applied R&D; Test Articles and Critical System Components; Test Facility Design & Build; Test Services; Flight Testing & Flight Systems. The Company’s offerings span the full life cycle of aerospace & defense and commercial systems, including end-to-end turnkey solutions. We are expanding our Hypersonics Team and are looking for an experienced Mechanical Engineer to join us. Our Mechanical Engineers are responsible for providing mechanical and structural design and analysis services for wind tunnel and hypersonic ground test projects. This is a diverse role that includes designing and validating predominantly custom one-off equipment and components for new tunnel facilities as well as major capability upgrades to existing facilities. Everything we do with our customers and employees is based upon our goal of being selective to join and difficult to leave. We operate with a core set of values surrounding inclusiveness, accountability and innovation.

Requirements

• Bachelors or Masters in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering from accredited university.
• 7+ years of practical work experience in design engineering, systems engineering, or similar roles with large industrial equipment or facilities.
• Must be a self-starter, able to work on multiple projects, and prioritize workload.
• Design & analysis experience of welded steel structures.
• Design & analysis experience of fluid packages or process equipment (valves, filters, pumps, instruments, etc. for pneumatic, hydraulic, fuel, and/or cooling water systems).
• Experience with 3D CAD modeling, with SolidWorks experience preferred.
• Proficiency with Finite Element Analysis, with ANSYS experience preferred.
• General knowledge of fabrication methods including forming, welding, machining, and additive manufacturing.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills and positive attitude.
• Able to work collaboratively with a multi-disciplinary team.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally, typically less than 20%.

Nice To Haves

• Prior wind tunnel or other aerospace design experience.
• Design & analysis experience of pressure vessels & piping systems in accordance with code requirements (e.g. ASME BPVC, B31.3, PED, etc.).
• Design & analysis experience with high temperature environments (>2000°F / >1365K) including transient heat transfer analysis, liquid and air-cooling methods, high temperature materials (e.g. super alloys, ceramics, etc.) and coatings (e.g. thermal barrier coatings).
• Familiarity with GD&T.
• Familiarity with risk assessments (e.g. FMEA, Safety Risk Assessments, HAZOP analysis, etc.).
• Basic understanding of subsonic, supersonic and hypersonic aerodynamics.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop mechanical subsystems including welded steel structures, pressure vessels, piping systems, simple and complex mechanisms, rotating equipment, and process equipment.
• Collaborate with Designers to prepare drawings and bills of material for internal release or work with sub-contracts to construct a procurement specification.
• Conduct FEA analysis and calculations for substantiation of mechanical subsystems to assure compliance with self-derived and customer requirements.
• Document and present work in accordance with quality and customer requirements, including preparing design criteria, calculation packages, procurement specifications, technical reports, and design verification & validation plans.
• Participate and lead internal and customer design reviews.
• Provide guidance to fabrication, procurement, assembly and installation teams, assisting with vendor selection, subcontractor quality assurance, site surveys, equipment installation and commissioning.
• Effectively manage time and communicate resource usage to ensure projects stay within schedule and on budget.
• Coordinate with Project Manager, Systems Engineer and other disciplines to ensure cohesiveness.
• Assist in developing proposals for future work, including developing concepts, cost estimates, and proposal write-ups in cooperation with the Sales department.

What This Job Offers

• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees