Project Engineer

It’s not just about your career or job title… It’s about who you are and the impact you will make on the world. Because whether it’s for each other or our customers, we put People First. When our people come together, we Expand the Possible and continuously look for ways to improve what we create and how we do it. If you are constantly striving to grow, you’re in good company. We are revolutionizing the way the world moves for future generations, and we want someone who is ready to move with us.

Who will you be working with?

Railroad Friction Products Corporation designs and manufactures Cobra high-friction and low-friction composition brake shoes, specialty shoes, and disc brake linings for freight, locomotive and transit vehicles. 

How will you make a difference?

The Engineering department is responsible for the design configuration, application engineering and project management activities associated with the development and qualification of new friction products, primarily brake shoes and disc brake pads for rail vehicles. The Project Engineer is responsible for the technical aspects of developing a new product or selecting an existing product for a new application and managing the project from initial requirements definition through to successful qualification with the customer and implementation into production.

What do we want to know about you?

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, with strength in dynamics.
• Three (3) years related experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Knowledge of friction materials, braking, and/or railroad air brakes preferred.

• Experience with AutoDesk Inventor a plus.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
  • Able to read, analyze, and interpret applicable technical articles and papers.
  • Able to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers and regulatory agencies.
  • Able to write reports in a professional style and format.
  • Able to work with teams and individuals productively and professionally despite differences in opinion or communication styles.
  • Able to plan projects and activities and communicate project plans, schedules, timelines, deadlines, etc. in an effective manner that everyone understands.
• Strong Engineering Ability
  • Able to analyze brake test results, applying engineering concepts such as Newton’s Laws of Motion, kinematics, and friction.
  • Able to apply industrial statistics to evaluate the significance and validity of test results and the capability of production processes.
  • Knowledge of Design of Experiments a plus.
• Solid Reasoning Ability
  • Able to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
  • Able to work with abstract ideas and with imperfect information when making decisions and recommendations.
• Computer Skills
  • Proficient in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
  • Experience with Project Management software.
• Supervisory Responsibilities
  • This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

What will your typical day look like?

• Working closely with Marketing, the Project Engineer defines customer requirements and communicates these requirements to R&D for proper material selection, to Design Engineering for proper product configuration, to Dynamometer Test for the testing required and to the rest of the organization as to project scope.

• The Project Engineer develops a detailed project plan with schedules and executes the plan within the company’s ECR/ECO and Product Development Systems.

• The Project Engineer is primarily responsible for the configuration design, preparation of test plans, and analysis of test results. This includes verification tests during development and validation tests on production parts.

• The Project Engineer works with the Mechanical Designer/Drafter to prepare drawings reflecting the product configuration, R&D to select the correct friction material, Dynamometer Test to conduct test programs, and the PUR Technician to make test samples.

• Depending on the project, field testing may be conducted by the Project Engineer or the Project Engineer may support customer led qualification test programs. The Project Engineer handles final report preparation and presentation to the customer on both in-house and field tests.

• The Project Engineer works with R&D, Manufacturing and Quality departments to develop and document the manufacturing process. Open technical issues with the customer are resolved and final validation testing approved by the Project Engineer.

• Administratively, the Project Engineer is respon