Chief Engineer, Mechanical Systems

Job Description:

Chief Engineer, Mechanical Systems

Job Summary:

The Chief Engineer, Mechanical Systems will be our subject matter expert for all technology and product development initiatives. We will look to you for engineering guidance on new and existing design standards. This involves applying a high level of technical expertise, ingenuity, and knowledge of industry best practices to identify potential engineering solutions and provide expert technical guidance for engineering initiatives. This role is also responsible for providing hands-on technical and simulation analysis expertise.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Serve as primary spokesperson to customers and other companies on our technical capabilities.

• Play a key role in attracting and obtaining new business.

• Represent company at professional technical forums, organizations, conferences, and meetings.

• Publish in national scientific and technical journals.

• Mentor high potential engineers and other team members.

• Recommend system philosophies, design objectives and risk mitigation.

• Actively participate in design reviews, proposal evaluations, tiger teams and new business activities.

• Interpreting Wind Tunnel Analysis.

• Analyze and optimize mechanical systems using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques.

• Demonstrated ability to lead CFD simulation efforts from concept through final design, including model setup, meshing, solver selection, and post-processing.

• Proven track record of integrating CFD results into iterative design cycles to improve performance, reduce risk, and accelerate development timelines.

• Experience correlating CFD simulations with physical testing data (e.g., wind tunnel, thermal chambers) to validate model accuracy and refine predictive capabilities.

• Strong command of CFD software tools such as ANSYS Fluent, STAR-CCM+, or OpenFOAM, with ability to mentor others in their use.

• Familiarity with fluid-structure interaction (FSI) and multi-physics simulations involving thermal, aerodynamic, and mechanical coupling.

• Ability to define CFD requirements and standards across cross-functional engineering teams to ensure consistency and quality in simulation deliverables.

• Lead simulation efforts using FEA tools (primarily Ansys) to validate mechanical designs and support product development decisions.

• Establish and maintain FEA best practices, including documentation standards, verification protocols, and cross-functional training.

• Collaborate with design and test engineering teams to translate simulation insights into actionable design changes.

• Prepare and review technical papers and reports.

• Establish and enforce engineering best practices, simulation methods, and design standards.

• Develops short- and long-range program plans and goals.

• Delegate work and determine work schedules.

• Consult with senior management to negotiate or coordinate work related changes.

• Plan and coordinate necessary resource acquisition.

• Foster new ideas and inventions.

• Help recruit key engineering talent.

• Identify, evaluate, select, and manage external suppliers.

• Stay current on the latest industry changes, trends, and technological advancements.

• May occasionally require some evening and weekend hours.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering.

• 12+ years of mechanical systems experience.

• 5+ years’ experience in the application of design for reliability.

• Minimum 5 years of direct experience applying Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to mechanical system design, validation, and optimization.

• Minimum 5 years of hands-on experience with Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for mechanical systems, including stress, thermal, and modal simulations.

• Advanced proficiency in Ansys Mechanical and Workbench, with demonstrated ability to set up, run, and interpret simulations for complex assemblies.

• Proven ability to correlate FEA results with physical testing and integrate findings into iterative design improvements.

• Strong understanding of material modeling, boundary conditions, and meshing strategies to ensure simulation accuracy and reliability.

• 3+ years working in Stage Gate product development processes.

• 2+ years’ experience working in a matrixed environment, interfacing with high-level internal and external leadership.

• 1+ years’ experience with simulation tools, (e.g., MCS - including ADAMS, ANSYS, SolidWorks Simulation, etc.).

• Must have extensive experience in applying Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques to analyze and optimize mechanical systems. This includes proficiency in using CFD software tools to simulate fluid flow, heat transfer, and other related phenomena.

• Proven track record of interpreting wind tunnel tests to validate and refine design concepts. Ability to integrate wind tunnel data with CFD results to enhance the accuracy and reliability of engineering solutions.

Preferred qualifications:

• Master’s degree in mechanical engineering.

• Strong leadership skills and the ability to develop and mentor others.

• Ability to work across multiple organizations and thrive in a fast paced, smaller company environment.

• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving abilities.

• Ability to work well independently with little supervision.

• Proven success negotiating with internal/external customers.

• Professional engineer license.

• Experience in utility scale solar products and installations.

At Array Tech, Inc., we strive to lead with our culture, and believe that our people are a key enabler of our future state. Our total rewards philosophy supports Array’s ability to attract, develop, and retain our employees. We offer competitive compensation, benefits and wellness programs that align with the local markets where we do business. 

Array Tech, Inc. offers equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, gender, age, creed, sex, religion, national origin, disability (physical or mental), marital status, citizenship, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, or any other legally protected status.