Design Engineer I

Are you an engineer who thrives on using modern design tools and enjoys solving practical product challenges? If you have engineering fundamentals, initiative, and a desire to join a thriving and stable global company with a wealth of career opportunities, you can go places with Donaldson Company, a leading provider of filtration solutions. As a Design Engineer I at Donaldson Company, you will support the design, development, validation, and release of filtration products across a variety of mobile applications, manufacturing processes, and materials. Qualified candidates must be able to work an on-site schedule at our Bloomington, MN office.

Role Responsibilities:

• Apply entry-level engineering ownership to defined design assignments by developing simple mechanical components, filtration product features, and system layouts that meet customer, performance, cost, and manufacturing requirements.

• Use engineering software and design tools to create and update 3D models, assemblies, 2D drawings, layouts, basic calculations, bills of materials, and technical documentation in support of project requirements.

• Apply engineering fundamentals, design intent, GD&T, basic tolerance stack-ups, material guidance, and applicable Donaldson EN standards to produce manufacturable, cost-effective, and robust design solutions.

• Participate in design reviews and incorporate feedback from engineering, manufacturing, quality, applications, product management, suppliers, customers, and other cross-functional stakeholders.

• Support prototype builds, troubleshooting, validation testing, DFMEA/DVP&R inputs, and test documentation by applying project requirements, lessons learned, and practical engineering judgment.

• Follow Teamcenter/PDM release practices and standard APD, ECO, ECN, PPAP, and SPPAP workflows to release models, drawings, bills of materials, and related documentation accurately and on schedule.

• Contribute to problem-solving, process improvement, and innovation by identifying practical design recommendations, supporting proof-of-concept work, and applying creative approaches within defined assignments.

Travel: Domestic Travel – 10%

Minimum Qualifications:

• BS in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering discipline.
• 1-2 years of entry-level experience applying engineering fundamentals to mechanical design, product development, engineering projects, or related technical work.
• Demonstrated ability to perform basic engineering calculations, interpret customer and technical requirements, and translate inputs into effective design updates or recommendations.
• Working knowledge of mechanical drawings, design intent, GD&T concepts, tolerance stack-ups, and manufacturability considerations.
• Demonstrated ability to complete assignments in a timely manner, coordinate routine deliverables, follow release processes, and adapt to changes in scope or priority.
• Demonstrated mechanical aptitude and hands-on ability to support prototypes, assemblies, testing, or troubleshooting in a manufacturing or product development environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong communication skills (verbal/written), including the ability to present design concepts, calculations, recommendations, and project updates to engineering, manufacturing, customer, and stakeholder teams.
• Foundational experience designing injection-molded plastic parts, sheet metal components, seals, latches, fasteners, or filtration system components with consideration for manufacturability, cost, quality, and performance.
• Experience with Product Data Management (PDM) systems such as Teamcenter for model management, revision control, routing, and ECO/ECN release workflows.
• Working knowledge of GD&T principles (ASME Y14.5), tolerance stack-ups, DFMEA/DVP&R inputs, design validation practices, EN standards, or risk mitigation tools.
• Exposure to engineering tools or methods such as CFD, FEA, Moldflow/Mold Analysis, DFA, DOE, or basic lean tools to support design decisions, manufacturability, and quality.
• Experience supporting APD, ECO, ECN, PPAP, SPPAP, prototype, validation, test, or product release activities within a structured engineering process.
• Demonstrated creativity in engineering problem-solving, process improvement, or innovation activities, including support for proof-of-concept work or patentable concept development.
• Experience in a manufacturing plant environment, preferably in automotive, heavy equipment, mobile solutions, or filtration-related applications.

Relocation: This position is not eligible for relocation assistance.

Key Words: Design Engineer I, P16, Mechanical component design, Filtration product development, Mobile applications, Product design, System layout, 3D CAD modeling, 2D engineering drawings, Parametric modeling, Design intent, Engineering fundamentals, Engineering calculations, Customer requirements, Technical objectives, Design reviews, Prototype builds, Design validation, Testing, Troubleshooting, DFMEA, DVP&R, GD&T (ASME Y14.5), Tolerance stack-up, Manufacturability, Injection-molded plastics, Sheet metal design, Seal design, Latches and fasteners, BOMs, ECO/ECN workflows, APD, PPAP, SPPAP, EN standards, PTC Creo, Siemens NX, SolidWorks, Teamcenter PDM, Product Data Management (PDM), Revision control, CFD, FEA, Moldflow, Mold Analysis, DFA, DOE, Lean tools, Process improvement, Innovation, Intellectual property, Proof of concept, Mechanical aptitude, Manufacturing environment, Heavy equipment design, Automotive sectors, Filtration systems, Strong communication skills, Adaptability to priorities, Cross-functional collaboration