Designer Lead, Thermal Solutions

Designers collaborate with engineers throughout the product development life-cycle to provide high level drafting and design support, creating and updating drawings, artwork and designs for production and prototype models.  Designers will investigate product requirements and specifications, discussing potential changes with the engineers to resolve problems. They maintain critical CAD and tooling data, identifying problems and other challenges, and supplying critical communication on project work to peers in the department. Designers provide timely and effective support to Engineers, Operations, Purchasing, Sales, and Management, and other internal teams as required.

Role:

• Provide timely technical support to engineering, production, quality, sales, and purchasing to complete projects or respond to customer needs regarding product specifications, drawings, results, and other information. Provided support meets or exceeds Minco standards of excellence in quality, delivery, performance, innovation, capabilities, productivity, and profit-mindedness.
• Serve as an expert in performing complex technical design tasks from engineering concepts including part modeling, drawing creation, and preparation of supporting documentation using CAD software, accurately.
• Collaborate with Design & Manufacturing Engineers, Process Engineers, Technicians, other departments, and external customers on new product designs.
• Design, output, verify and complete approvals for all manufacturing tools including specification drawings, CAM outputs, tooling drawings, electrical schematics, and fixture drawings.
• Lead drafting and design work that involves multiple product lines or groups; may perform some professional tasks, such as aiding in quote development and work with engineering or supervisors on sensitive or highly complex requests.
• Perform complex circuit/pattern designs and layouts to meet customer requirements, mitigate design risk, and optimize product performance for Thermal Solutions and Flex Circuits.
• Actively participate in design reviews and make sound design decisions needed to provide functional and cost-effective tools and programs for product fabrication.
• Interact with suppliers on tooling designs and make decisions to provide functional and cost-effective fixtures for product fabrication; maintain relationships with key suppliers and other external groups.
• Update records, documents, procedures, and system requirements regarding product introduction, and maintenance, such as drawings, designs, specifications, parts, and other product requirements.
• Lead in the development of CAD libraries, standard templates, and drafting standards.
• Contribute to the development of innovative improvements and lead in creating a culture of continuous improvement within the department.
• Provide training and mentoring to other drafters or designers in learning how to use various CAD software within area of expertise as well as other department processes and procedures.
• Lead audits of systems, processes, and methods within the designer role.
• Ensures compliance with department policies and procedures and applicable laws, rules, and regulations; advise or seek management direction as required.
• Identify areas of improvement, and lead in providing recommendations, and implementing solutions using appropriate tools (e.g. databases, spread sheets, programming, automation, etc.). Initiate related projects and reviews then communicate progress to management as necessary.
• Implement in a successful and timely manner all program and service offerings approved by the collaborative work of Management, Engineering, Quality, and Product Marketing.
• Perform other duties as identified.

Skills:

• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with suppliers, third-party agencies, fellow employees and management, providing the right amount of information in a timely manner.
• Proficient at taking complex processes and explaining them in clear, simple, understandable language.
• Capable of effective and timely completion of activities regarding creating, proposing, and implementing well-reasoned recommendations and sound business decisions with limited direction in response to concerns, questions, and opportunities.
• Outstanding skills to take initiative to accurately assess situations and opportunities, performing firsthand observations of current state conditions, then implementing successful solutions in a timely manner.
• Proficiently able to perform beginner to intermediate level programming as necessary for department needs to automate and optimize processes.
• Successful and demonstratable ability to multi-task; to successfully support and oversee multiple activities simultaneously, using strong time management skills and exceptional organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work efficiently under conditions of multiple deadlines and changing priorities.
• Thrives working in a fast-paced, dynamic and multi-cultural work environment.
• Able to effectively build relationships with suppliers, third-party agencies, fellow employees and management.
• Able to plan and lead continuous improvement project work teams as well as effectively coach others in lean principles and continuous improvement tools.
• An eager learner, willing to and capable of assimilating new knowledge, continually and applying it appropriately to the department.
• Able to read and understand ANSI/ASME standard mechanical drawings, schematics, and written work instructions.
• Ability to independently interpret and apply ASME Y14.5M and other industry standards and leads in the adoption of new standards in the design process when required.
• Strong understanding of fixture design and GD&T, tolerance analysis; experience with eCAD and PLM.
• Possess a strong grasp of drafting and operational principles, practices, and standards, and proficient in applying understanding to day-to-day situations.
• Ability to understand intermediate electrical and mechanical principles.
• Possesses and understanding of engineering change orders, and other operational documentation.
• Demonstrated intermediate experience with Microsoft Office, Solidworks, and an ability to learn other software as needed.
• Familiar with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software.

Work Experience:

• Ten (10) or more years of progressive professional design/drafting experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Five (5) years of experience with SolidWorks
• Experience working within either AS9100 or ISO9001 based quality systems preferred.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience with PCB circuit layout
• Ability to effectively translate CAD/CAM data between different software platforms (i.e. Altium, SolidWorks, DXF, IGES, and STP, Gerber) required
• Experience working with Engineers and other technical staff.

  Education:

• Minimum of an Associate degree in technically-oriented discipline (Engineering Technology, Drafting, Math, CAD, etc.), or equivalent certifications/work experience. 

 Work Environment:

• General office, engineering, and manufacturing environments.
• Sedentary work. Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time.
• Domestic Travel, less than one percent, as needed.