Sr. Mechanical Engineer R&D

Job Description

SUMMARY:

As a member of the dynamic JC Ford Company R&D group, the Senior Mechanical Engineer is responsible for product, process, and new technology development of capital machinery for the tortilla and tortilla chip food processing industry. This key role uses successful interaction with vendors, internal team members, and customers to ideate, design, development, and verify new products.

Responsibilities

Design components to be manufactured via machining, sheet metal bending/rolling, welding, casting and other related processes using Autodesk Inventor CAD models and drawings.

Ensure designs meet product specifications, regulatory requirements, and international standards.

Create and release product Bills of Materials.

Apply Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Six Sigma (DFSS), and Design for Manufacturing Assembly (DFMA)

Perform tolerance analyses

Participate in Design and Drawing Reviews

Develop product requirements and specification documents

Develop test procedures, conduct product testing, and validate for production

· Develop project schedules and budgets

Perform and document Root Cause Analyses and Corrective Action Plans

Assist in developing processes/techniques to meet contract objectives.

Grow and maintain engineering knowledgebase

Recommend various technology options or approaches for system, processes, facility or program improvements in terms of safety, performance, efficiency or costs

Travel to customer locations as needed to troubleshoot issues and ensure programs meet deadlines

Work with suppliers to ensure components meet design requirements & diagnose design problems.

Deliver presentations on technical findings and project status to cross functional teams and management

Skills

· Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously with high level of autonomy

Technical writing and documentation

Data analysis

Interpret technical drawings and create Bill of Materials

Strong written and verbal communication skills

Strong interpersonal skills

Strong understanding of mechanical engineering principles and methodologies

Effective problem-solving

High degree of initiative and self-motivation

Experience solving ambiguous problems

Oversee and guide the work of other less senior contributors

Required

· B.S. in Mechanical Engineering

· 10+ years of experience with BS in Mechanical Engineering

· 7+ years of experience with MS in Mechanical Engineering

Specialized Knowledge and Skills:

3D CAD modeling, preferably Autodesk Inventor

PDM, preferably Vault

Experience in product design and development in an R&D environment

Preferred

Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerance (GD&T) practices

Experience with the design and manufacture of food processing equipment

Experience designing and developing electromechanical assemblies

Formal training in Design for Six Sigma

Ability to perform meaningful structural finite element analysis using software such as MSC NastranCompany Description

Since 1945, JC Ford Company has committed to providing automated equipment and service to the growing tortilla and tortilla chip industry. With the increasing popularity of flatbread and tortilla chips worldwide, JC Ford is helping the industry meet today's challenges with greater automation and product knowledge. This combination of state-of-the-art equipment and product expertise has allowed JC Ford to meet the challenges of the tortilla and tortilla chip industry head on. Located in an 80,000 sq./ft. manufacturing and design center, JC Ford is aggressively pursuing its capabilities with new design software and automated machining centers to provide these solutions with greater reliability.