Senior Product Design Engineer

Business Unit: JTEKT Bearings North America
Location: Greenville, SC
Reports to:  Engineering Supervisor
Work Environment: Hybrid

 JTEKT North America is a global leader in engineering and manufacturing automotive systems, bearing solutions, and high performance machine tools

Purpose:

• Design new or apply existing bearing designs to meet customer application and product requirements.
• Support development, validation testing and launch of new bearing designs.
• Design and develop new product extensions to meet customer or market needs.
• Identify and drive initiatives to continuously improve engineering design standards, engineering efficiency and product performance.
• Identify and drive initiatives to continuously improve manufacturability and profitability of existing and new designs.
• Provide engineering support to manufacturing, sales & customers for maintenance of existing production designs.

Responsibilities:

• Independent evaluation, selection and application of appropriate Koyo engineering standards to create bearing designs that meet customer application and product requirements.
• Analyze customer’s application requirements to define product requirements.
• Produce drawings and specifications for manufacturing and customer agreement.
• Perform all engineering analysis and testing required to validate designs.
• Interface with manufacturing to ensure design for manufacturability and continuously improve alignment between product design and process capabilities.
• Lead/execute engineering continuous improvement and product development projects in support of product line and/or corporate objectives.
• Provide failure analysis, root cause analysis and problem solving of internal testing or customer application field issues.
• Provide engineering support for root cause analysis and problem solving of manufacturing quality issues.
• Create or modify design and engineering standards based on lessons learned or product advancements.
• Recommend and develop new technology or new uses of technology (Intellectual Property).
• Develop computer competency to successfully complete design tasks utilizing standard calculations, automated design programs, 3D modeling (CAD), FEA and other analysis tools.

Requirements:

Qualified candidates will have BS in Mechanical Engineering and at least 3 years experience in engineering field with demonstrated ability in the following areas:

• Mechanical aptitude
• Written and verbal communication skills; internally and with customers
• Computer and CAD skills
• Project planning and execution

• Problem solving techniques
• Team skills
• Motivated, self-starter

Other Desirable Experience:

• Automotive or bearings industry
• DFMEA/PFMEA process
• SolidWorks
• FEA
• Failure analysis
• Product testing
• Familiarity/training in formalized problem-solving methodologies (Red X, DOE etc)

Work Environment/Physical Demands:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

•    Work is mostly performed in a normal office setting with minimal exposure to health or safety hazards, and with substantial time spent working on a computer. Requires sufficient hand, arm, and finger dexterity to operate computer keyboard and other office equipment.

•    The performance of this position may occasionally require exposure to manufacturing areas which require the use of personal protective equipment such as safety glasses with side shields and mandatory hearing protection.

•    Travel by automobile and plane required approximately 10-20% of time.

 JTEKT North America is strongly committed to a workplace that is free of discrimination for associates and applicants. It is the policy and practice of JTEKT North America to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons regardless of age, race, color, sex, national origin, religion, gender identity, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.  The policy of equal employment opportunity include, but are not limited to, the areas of hiring, promotion, compensation, benefits, demotion or transfer, recruitment, discipline, layoff or termination, and company sponsored training & education.