Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

Mechanical Design Engineer 

Home Interconnect & Controls is responsible for interconnecting sources and loads across Generac’s product portfolio. We own the controls and hardware that tie generators, energy storage, transfer switches, load-management devices, and metering together into a coordinated home energy system. As a Mechanical Design Engineer, you will design the mechanical hardware behind our interconnect products – the enclosures, switching mechanisms, and structural and thermal packaging for transfer switches, generator controllers, and related interconnect devices. You will take components and assemblies from concept and CAD through drawings, prototyping, verification, and production, acting as the technical owner of the mechanical design while collaborating closely with project and product teams in our U.S. offices. You will partner day to day with electronics, firmware, manufacturing, and test engineering to bring robust, cost-effective products to market. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

• Design mechanical components and assemblies for electromechanical products – enclosures, sheet-metal and molded parts, brackets, and switching mechanisms for transfer switches, generator controllers, and related interconnect devices. 

• Create and modify detailed 3D CAD models and complete 2D drawing sets in Creo Parametric, with attention to assembly construction and design intent. 

• Produce manufacturing-ready 2D drawings applying Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) standards. 

• Perform 1D tolerance stack-up analysis and design fixtures and methods to qualify first articles. 

• Translate product and system requirements into mechanical designs and evaluate tradeoffs across cost, performance, reliability, and manufacturability. 

• Design for thermal management and environmental protection, including enclosure ratings (e.g., NEMA/IP) and cooling of energy-dense assemblies. 

• Select materials, finishes, and off-the-shelf components – fasteners, seals, hinges, contactors, and actuators – appropriate for cost, environment, and reliability. 

• Design to applicable product-safety and agency standards and support certification testing. 

• Build and test prototypes using typical shop tools to validate baseline designs. 

• Design and conduct experiments, then analyze results to inform and drive design decisions. 

• Collaborate with the Electronics and Firmware teams to package boards and energy-dense elements into robust mechanical assemblies. 

• Work closely with Manufacturing to ensure designs are optimized for production and assembly (DFM/DFT). 

• Work with suppliers and prototype shops to evaluate parts, obtain quotes, and resolve technical issues. 

• Support new product introduction (NPI) through pilot builds, design verification, and production launch, and help root-cause mechanical failures across development, validation, manufacturing, and the field. 

• Contribute to mechanical design standards, documentation, and continuous improvement of engineering processes. 

Minimum Qualifications 

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline. 

• 5+ years of experience in mechanical design and product development of electromechanical or electrical products. 

• Proficiency creating and modifying complex 3D models and complete 2D drawing sets in  Creo Parametric. 

• Ability to create detailed 2D drawings using Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) standards. 

• Experience performing 1D tolerance stack-up analysis. 

• Experience designing mechanical components for electromechanical systems, including enclosures, sheet metal, plastics, and mechanisms. 

• Working knowledge of common manufacturing processes – sheet metal, injection molding, machining, and casting – and design for manufacturability. 

• Ability to prototype baseline designs using typical shop tools. 

• Strong attention to detail with good written and verbal communication skills. 

• Experience working with U.S.-based teams or customers, with strong communication and collaboration skills across time zones. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience designing transfer switches, generator controllers, switchgear, or similar power distribution and control products.

• Familiarity with product-safety and agency standards and enclosure ratings (NEMA/IP). 

• Experience with thermal design and analysis, including cooling of energy-dense assemblies. 

• Experience with mechanical simulation and FEA (structural, thermal, and modal analysis). 

• Experience designing fixtures and methods to qualify first articles. 

• Familiarity with Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Assembly (DFA), Reliability (DFR), and Cost (DFC). 

• Experience collaborating with Power Electronics teams to package energy-dense elements using advanced manufacturing techniques. 

• Ability to conduct literature reviews to incorporate cutting-edge solutions. 

• Participation in Formula SAE (FSAE) or similar hands-on design projects. 

• Experience with renewable energy, energy storage, or power generation products, given the residential energy focus of our products.