Computer Aided Design Specialist

Company Overview

Stuart Rush is a private business formed from the legacy electric chain hoist plants of Columbus McKinnon Corporation, with the first Lodestar hoist made in the 1950s. With long-standing operations in Damascus, VA and Lexington, TN, the company builds on a legacy of quality in chain and hoist manufacturing. Stuart Rush values its employees as the foundation of its success and is committed to fostering a strong, supportive, and resilient workplace. The company is dedicated to delivering reliable products and earning customer trust through consistent performance while building a strong future for its people and customers.

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Position Overview

The CAD Design Specialist is a dual-function role within the NPD team, combining production-ready SolidWorks CAD work with product configuration logic development. This person will contribute immediately as a designer supporting NPD projects across all phase-gate stages, while building proficiency in Configit — the company's product configuration platform — over their first year.

This is not a traditional engineering role. It is well-suited to a technically strong designer or design technician with a systematic mindset, an aptitude for logic and rules-based thinking, and a genuine curiosity about how product configuration systems work. A four-year engineering degree is not required.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

CAD & Design Support — NPD Projects

• Develop detailed SolidWorks models and production-ready engineering drawings across all NPD project phases, from early concept through launch.
• Produce and maintain BOMs, drawing packages, and design documentation consistent with company standards.
• Review and check 3rd-party CAD deliverables for conformance with company modeling and drawing standards.
• Support design iterations and documentation updates through NPD and ECR/ECN workflows.
• Collaborate with the Director of NPD and project engineers to execute design deliverables on schedule.

Product Configuration — Configit Logic Development

• Shadow 3rd-party Configit implementation partner during initial product configuration buildout; develop working knowledge of configuration logic structure and rule authoring.
• Support ongoing validation of configuration rules against engineering-defined product constraints (load ratings, component compatibility, certification scope, regional variants)
• Review 3rd-party CAD deliverables integrated into the customer portal.
• As proficiency develops, take ownership of configuration logic for new product introductions under NPD governance.
• Work closely with Sustaining Engineer to maintain alignment between Configit logic and the engineering design record.
• Support audit and accuracy check of customer-facing configuration outputs.

Knowledge, Skills, Competencies, and Abilities

• Analytical with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and time manage independently.
• Team player with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to think abstractly and deal with ambiguous/undefined problems with a desire to collaborate with others.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated proficiency in SolidWorks — solid modeling, assemblies, and detailed drawings to production standards.
• Strong understanding of GD&T, drawing standards, and BOM structure in a manufactured products environment.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills — comfortable building structured models, using complex formulas, and organizing data systematically.
• Systematic thinker: able to understand and apply rules-based logic, constraint structures, and interdependency mapping.
• Attention to detail and personal ownership of output quality.

Preferred Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience with SolidWorks PDM or equivalent vault/document control system
• Exposure to any configure-price-quote (CPQ) platform, rules engine, or product configurator — Configit, Oracle CPQ, SAP Variant Configuration, or similar.
• Basic programming or scripting experience: VBA macros, Python, SQL, or equivalent — not required to be advanced, but evidence of self-directed logic building.
• Background in industrial or mechanical equipment manufacturing (hoists, lifting equipment, power transmission, or similar)
• Associate's degree, technical certificate, or equivalent experience in mechanical design, drafting, or engineering technology. xhyhwjd

Position will be located at the Damascus, VA facility

Benefits

At Stuart Rush, we value our employees and are committed to offering a competitive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage, as well as life insurance, short-term and long-term disability, paid time off, and a market-leading 401(k) plan.