Job Details
Description
Job Overview:
The Sr. Design Engineer is a hands-on, self-directed engineering role supporting a small manufacturing team focused on residential and commercial HVAC products. This position reports to the Director of Engineering. The Sr. Design Engineer independently owns complex engineering assignments across new product development, sustaining, and value engineering, executing each task through completion with minimal supervision. This role requires the ability to work across disciplines, solve multi-variable technical problems, and deliver results that directly impact product performance, cost, and manufacturability. This is an onsite role based at the Aspen manufacturing facility in Humble, TX.
Job Responsibilities
- Own the design and development of HVAC product subsystems and components, executing prototype builds, design verification testing, and production handoff with minimal oversight
- Perform engineering CAD and analysis using SolidWorks, FEA, vapor cycle and coil design tools, and in-house analytical models to validate thermal, structural, and airside performance
- Create, maintain, and release accurate bills of material (BOMs) and engineering documentation, ensuring revision control and configuration accuracy throughout the product lifecycle
- Coordinate technical development—including scope, testing, simulations, and proof-of-concept builds—with management, engineering, and operations
- Support production and factory operations by troubleshooting manufacturing issues and implementing design-for-manufacturing (DFM) improvements on new and legacy products
- Manage engineering change notices (ECNs), BOM updates, and supplier qualification testing for sustaining activities including material substitutions, supplier changes, and field issue resolution
- Contribute to cost-reduction and value engineering initiatives: support should-cost analysis, teardowns, competitive benchmarking, and assist in qualifying alternative components through testing and supplier coordination
- Plan and execute lab testing for performance verification, reliability validation, and component qualification; analyze results and document findings with recommended design actions
- Interface with sales, supply chain, and manufacturing to ensure customer and production requirements are met; support complex application requests and develop custom configurations as directed
- Maintain working familiarity with applicable AHRI, UL, ASHRAE, and DOE standards for HVAC products; coordinate with regulatory agencies and testing labs as needed
- Read and interpret electrical schematics and wiring diagrams; specify electrical components and coordinate with controls resources on system integration
- Use structured problem-solving methods (root cause analysis, corrective action) to resolve recurring production and field issues
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, or equivalent engineering discipline
- Five years of hands-on engineering experience in HVAC product development, manufacturing engineering, or related roles
- Proficiency in SolidWorks 3D CAD modeling and engineering analysis
- Demonstrated experience with engineering simulation tools (FEA, coil/heat exchanger design software, or vapor cycle modeling)
- Practical knowledge of manufacturing processes relevant to HVAC product fabrication (brazing, tube expansion, sheet metal forming, assembly)
- Experience planning and conducting lab testing for product performance and reliability verification
- Working ability to read and interpret electrical schematics and wiring diagrams
- HVAC product experience in a manufacturing environment
Preferred Requirements
- Experience with CFD analysis platforms
- Engineering background spans more than one discipline (NPD, sustaining, applications, or value engineering)
- Familiarity with AHRI certification processes, UL/ETL safety standards, and DOE efficiency test procedures
- ERP system experience (Infor, SAP, or similar) for BOM and routing management
Competencies/Skills
- Self-directed and able to independently execute complex engineering tasks with minimal supervision
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills—root cause analysis with a solution-oriented mindset
- Effective at working in teams towards a time-bound set of goals and deliverables
- Superior technical knowledge of vapor compression cycle, hydronic cooling and heating, heat exchangers, and HVAC systems
- Excellent communication skills to translate technical details for cross-functional audiences
- Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills for managing concurrent tasks, BOMs, and engineering changes
- Continuous improvement mindset
Work Environment
Onsite: This is an onsite position based at the Aspen manufacturing facility in Humble, TX. The engineer will work on-site daily, engaging directly with the manufacturing floor, test lab, and cross-functional teams. Proximity to production operations, prototype builds, and testing activities are essential to the role.
Office: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to an office environment. Occasionally, the employee will be exposed to a warehouse
environment and will be required to wear appropriate PPE. The physical and mental demands described here represent those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. The employee will be required to read, communicate verbally and/or in written form, remember and analyze certain information, and remember and understand certain instructions or guidelines. The employee will encounter moderate noise, typical office lighting and temperatures, and moderate interruptions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to stand, walk, or sit at a computer for an extended period and may work in a confined area. The employee is frequently required to use hands and fingers to type, touch, handle, feel, and reach with hands and arms.
Manufacturing / Lab: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to a manufacturing floor and test lab environment. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to use hands and fingers to type or dial, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, and reach with hands and arms.
The employee must be able to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. This position requires computer use. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color
vision, distance vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
Compensation
RectorSeal has an effective process for assessing market data and establishing salary ranges to ensure we remain competitive. Based on your experience and market position, you are paid within the salary range. Employees may be eligible for pay incentives based on overall corporate and individual performance or at the discretion of the CSWI Board of Directors.
Benefits
- Competitive base salary plus performance-based incentives
- Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
- 401(k) with company match
- Comprehensive health and welfare benefits
About RectorSeal
Based in Houston, Texas, RectorSeal, LLC, is a wholly owned subsidiary of CSW Industrials, Inc. [NYSE: CSW] and is a leading provider of quality solutions for the professional trades serving heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC/R), plumbing, electrical, and construction markets. For more information about RectorSeal’s innovative products and brands that increase efficiency and improve reliability, please visit www.RectorSeal.com.
About CSW Industrials
CSW Industrials is a diversified industrial growth company with industry-leading operations in three segments: Contractor Solutions, Specialized Reliability Solutions, and Engineered Building Solutions. CSW provides niche, value-added products with two essential commonalities: performance and reliability. The primary end markets we serve with our well-known brands include HVAC/R, plumbing, electrical, general industrial, architecturally-specified building products, energy, mining, and rail transportation.
