Engineer II

Kershaw Equipment, located in Montgomery, AL, is a leader in rail maintenance and vegetation management production and a worldwide supplier of maintenance-of-way equipment. Built on our strong commitment to our customers, our company supplies machines to Class I railroads, transit lines and short lines, and many contractors around the globe. Kershaw is part of The Heico Companies LLC, a parent holding company comprised of more than 40 businesses involved in manufacturing, construction, and industrial services. Kershaw joins forces with heavy equipment brands Pettibone, BARKO, and ARDCO as part of the Heavy Equipment Segment of The Applied Solutions Group.

Job Purpose


Designs, analyzes, evaluates, and validates products and subsystems for performance/reliability improvement and cost reduction. Supports manufacturing and field service for new and existing components and designs. Designs and supports manufacturing solutions and collaborates with other supporting groups to rapidly develop new applications for a wide range of various maintenance of way hydraulic and mechanical systems. Utilizes engineering methodologies, principles, and tools to develop or improve technical products, systems, or processes that meet specified requirements and standards. Researches and identifies optimal materials and processes to ensure product quality, performance, and manufacturability. Utilizes CAD software and engineering methodologies to create blueprints, drawings, or models and communicate designs and specifications to stakeholders. Collaborates with stakeholders to understand requirements and ensure specifications are captured. Oversees prototype testing to evaluate the performance and reliability of designs, collect feedback, and draw meaningful insight for product improvements. Maintains detailed documentation of test results, processes, and specifications for future needs. Requires a bachelor's degree. Typically reports to a manager.

Key Job Elements


Duties and responsibilities:

• Provides direction over relevant hydraulic and mechanical designs and drawings used on products.
• Supports production by diagnosing and solving problems related to hydraulic or mechanical systems.
• Leads design reviews for assigned systems and participates in reviews for other systems; collaborates with vendors and suppliers to specify new components and select appropriate components for designs; collaborates with engineers of other disciplines to integrate components into higher-level machine designs.
• Supports production and service in implementing and maintaining products through their entire life cycle; works closely with Purchasing, Production, Quality, Sales, and supporting functions to identify and address any issues affecting machine productivity and quality.
• Responsible for new product development, manufacturing processes, and assembly methods; works with project engineers to fully validate and sign off on new designs.
• Develops, writes, and coordinates Engineering Change Requests (ECRs), Engineering Deviation Authorizations (EDAs), and works to close items in a timely manner.
• Remains current on engineering resources and new products/processes.
• Conducts testing and inspections at manufacturing and customer sites as required.
• Communicates with supply chain to purchase necessary components.
• Leads and manages work assigned by project engineers, trains other departments on necessary functions or knowledge needed for product success.
• Performs additional job-related duties and special projects, as assigned.
• Desire to learn product line, attend training, participate in field visits and interface with customers.

Qualifications, Experience, Education

• Bachelor's degree in engineering with 2-5+ years of experience in an engineering role, including experience in manufacturing, transportation, and/or machinery industries; hand tools experience; hydraulic systems design experience is a plus.
• Proficiency in 2D and 3D CAD software; ability to accurately design, draw, and check a project with minimal supervision.
• Proficiency in computer programs relevant to assigned position, e.g., FEA (Nastran), Autodesk Inventor, AutoCAD 2D, and Kershaw Equipment's specific programs and applications.
• Ability to read and understand specification and standards documents; proficient in interpreting and creating engineering drawings adhering to industry and customer specifications.
  • Experience with project design cycles and cross functional design teams.
  • Communication skills (both oral and written), multi-tasking, and organizational skills.
  • Strong attention to detail; strong problem solving, investigative and collaborative skills.
  • High level of interpersonal skills; ability to work together in a cross-functional environment.
  • Proficiency with MS Office tools (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Teams).
  • Experience with mobile equipment, diesel engines, and/or hydro-electric systems is a plus.
  • Understand the DFMEA process and DFMA.
  • Familiarity with FEA for validating components and machine designs.
  • Familiarity with fluid power, stress, and dynamics calculations necessary for design validation and prototyping.