Principal Design Engineer

Blue Sky Innovations is a technology company dedicated to delivering products and solutions that close mission-critical capability gaps for the warfighter.

We have earned a reputation as a value-added partner to the Department of Defense and 20 of the top 25 defense integrators by consistently delivering innovative solutions that leverage digital engineering, precision manufacturing, and outstanding customer service for over twenty years.

As a small veteran owned defense contractor, Blue Sky has delivered over 25,000 systems worldwide to our customers which include all branches of the United States military, 20 of the top 25 US defense integrators, and numerous federal and state agencies.

Blue Sky Mobile power develops and manufactures small form factor advanced power generation systems for the US military and commercial markets, including developing our own axial flux electric motor in-house. Currently, Blue Sky Mobile power is transitioning the 6kW power generation system into production, while developing a turbocharged, 10kW version of the base 6kW system as the next product offering in the product line.

Blue Sky Mobile power has also acquired the world’s smallest common rail diesel engine and is currently relocating production of that engine to our Lexington, NC facility. This is the only diesel engine in production under 25 HP made in the USA. A turbocharged variant of this engine, to support the power generation system as well as other applications, is in active development.

Role Overview

The Principal Design Engineer will be a member of the Blue Sky Mobile Power R&D team, reporting to the VP of Mobile Power. You will work collaboratively with project teams and with other subject matter experts (SMEs) to develop and to design components, subsystems, and assemblies, to manage larger design projects, and to enhance Blue Sky’s “Digital Engineering” and “Digital "Twin" capabilities and services.

Blue Sky Mobile power is developing APUs for the US military, including developing our own electric motor entirely in-house. This project is exciting and technically challenging.

Responsibilities

• Designing subsystems or complex components, assemblies small to large.
• Able to take on larger projects and can communicate across to other groups for specific technical questions and collaboration.
• Generating drawings or specifying other dimensional data such as PMI (Product Manufacturing Information) or MBD (Model Based Definition)
• Expert in top-down design methodology in a PLM environment.
• Interact with manufacturing team, implement feedback based on manufacturability, tolerance stack up, or cost reduction.
• Working with vendors to identify and implement design requirements. Ability to choose best fit of components based on vendor and our requirements.

Qualifications

• B.S.: in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Mechanical Engineering Technology, from ABET accredited university
• Background: in automotive, industrial, agricultural or aerospace design, packaging, and layout.
• Familiarity: with castings considered a plus
• Familiarity: with CNC bent sheet metal design
• 7+ years: experience as a product or system designer.
• Expertise: in Siemens NX (preferred), PTC Creo, Dassault Solidworks or Catia, Autodesk Inventor.
• Surfacing experience: is considered a plus but not required.
• Working experience: and/or administrative experience with Product Document Management (PDM)/Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems to store and manage the change of digital data. Preferred systems include PTC Windchill PLM (preferred), Autodesk Vault Pro or Siemens Teamcenter.
• This position: requires access to export-controlled commodities, technical data, technology, software, and services. U.S. citizenship, U.S. legal permanent resident status, protected person status, or U.S. Government export authorization is required.
• Experience: with Microsoft Office 365 applications (One Note, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, SharePoint, etc.)
• High personal accountability: integrity, and dependability. Able to manage time efficiently, and ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Excellent verbal and written: communication of English language, ability to convey technical data and information to technical and non-technical associates.
• Ability to travel: for business: 0% – 10% as required for project or other business-related purpose.