Position summary

Design Engineer contributes to the development of outdoor equipment that meets demanding requirements for performance, safety, durability, weight, and usability. Working closely with Industrial Design, Product Development, and Quality Assurance, this engineer turns product requirements and user insights into manufacturable designs through analysis, CAD, prototyping, and testing.

This role has ownership of assigned components, assemblies, and development tasks under the guidance of experienced engineers. The ideal candidate combines demonstrated mechanical design ability with a passion for the outdoors and experience developing or improving physical products. Outdoor-industry experience is strongly preferred; relevant internships, academic projects, and personal builds are also valued. Experience using NX is highly valued.

Key responsibilities

Product design and engineering

• Translate product briefs and user needs into measurable engineering requirements with the project team. Generate concepts and evaluate tradeoffs in function, strength, weight, durability, cost, and ease of use.
• Create and maintain 3D CAD models of parts and assemblies. Develop component interfaces, physical layouts, and technical drawings with appropriate dimensions, tolerances, and GD&T.
• Apply mechanics, stress and strain calculations, and appropriate engineering analysis to evaluate designs. Use basic FEA with guidance, checking assumptions and correlating results with physical tests.
• Select materials and manufacturing processes based on performance, environmental exposure, production requirements, and cost. Consider assembly, inspection, serviceability, and material efficiency.

Prototyping and validation

• Build and evaluate prototypes using available fabrication methods and shop resources. Work with prototype machinists and technicians to develop fixtures and resolve practical design issues.
• Partner with Quality Assurance to develop test plans covering intended use, foreseeable misuse, environmental conditions, and applicable product standards. Document methods, results, and design changes.
• Investigate failures and unexpected results, identify likely causes, and verify corrective design changes. Incorporate laboratory data and field feedback into design iterations.

Manufacturing and project execution

• Work with Industrial Design, Product Development, and suppliers to preserve design intent through tooling, samples, and production readiness. Review samples for fit, function, and conformance to drawings.
• Maintain accurate bills of materials, engineering records, and revision history. Prepare and process engineering changes through established review and document-control procedures.
• Communicate progress, technical risks, and schedule impacts promptly. Participate in design reviews, research relevant materials and technologies, and follow BD quality and safety procedures.