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Design Engineer

Apogee Enterprises · Wausau, WI · Full time

Posted Sep 23, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a product you developed from idea to production. What was your role?

What they are checking: Whether they have led technical scope through development rather than only doing pieces of it.

Tell me about a time you led a cross-functional team without being their manager.

What they are checking: Whether they can enforce technical scope and keep a team moving through influence.

What would you do

Sales wants a new feature that would raise manufacturing cost a lot. How do you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they can weigh customer value against cost and present tradeoffs clearly.

A physical test fails late in development. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they diagnose the failure carefully and communicate impact on schedule honestly.

About the work

How do you design an aluminum extrusion so it is both strong and easy to manufacture?

What they are checking: Whether they understand die design limits, wall thickness and tongue ratios that affect extrusion cost and quality.

Walk me through how heat moves through a window frame and how a thermal break helps.

What they are checking: Whether they understand fenestration thermal performance, which the posting lists alongside structure and acoustics.

How would you design a curtain wall system to manage water infiltration?

What they are checking: Whether they understand pressure-equalized and drained designs and how they are tested.

How have you used Stage Gate or a similar process in product development?

What they are checking: Whether they can work within a structured NPI process and keep its documents current.

How do you use digital simulation alongside physical testing?

What they are checking: Whether they know when modeling is enough and when physical testing is needed to prove performance.

How do you keep costs down while still meeting structural and thermal criteria?

What they are checking: Whether they look for design efficiency, which the posting stresses as minimizing cost.

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The full job description

As published by Apogee Enterprises.

Apogee Architectural Metals Position Summary This position is responsible for guiding the technical scope of new product development projects from inception to introduction. Product development engineers optimize product design with a special focus on ease of manufacturing and application. This role is involved with architectural design and estimating support, product selection, digital testing, physical testing and engineering. Key Responsibilities Product Design & Technical Development • Design and develop new products and associated materials, training, assessments, and updates. • Generate and evaluate new product ideas. • Design, revise, and approve aluminum and plastic extrusions developed for new products. • Work with designers in preparation of die drawings, submission, and/or production drawings. • Ensure compliance to die design standards and extrusion design compatibility with the entire engineered system. • Minimize costs while meeting design criteria. • Understand fenestration performance, including heat transfer, fluid mechanics, acoustics, and structural integrity. Project Management & Process Compliance • Define, communicate, and enforce technical scope on new product development projects. • Plan and specify design criteria and lead a cross-functional team. • Understand and update Stage Gate processes and documents for NPI development. • Assist in documenting testing based on Air, Water, Structural, and Thermal needs. • Troubleshoot and participate in the correction of product-related problems in manufacturing, labs, or job sites. • Assist in the Fabrication, assembly, installation and glazing of fenestration mockups. • Assist in testing of mockups, diagnose and remediate after testing failures. • Attend training seminars, sales conventions, and visit suppliers as required. Technical Sales & Stakeholder Support • Support technical sales efforts and assist customers in obtaining pre-order approval of technical qualifications. • Provide technical support to other departments (calculations, product selection, specification review). • Communicate with vendors regarding technical limitations and capabilities of component parts and systems. • Communicate with extruders and suppliers and participate in review meetings. • Provide support for mockup fabrication, installation and testing. • Participate in design reviews for new product ideas. Experience & Skills Education: Bachelor's Degree in design related field (Engineering or Architectural). P.E. license preferred but not required. Experience: Applicable experience in R&D and Stage Gate approaches in school or as intern /co-op. Required Skills: • Read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals and other industry materials. • Write reports, business correspondence and procedural manuals. • Present information and answer questions from other managers, customers and the general public. • Apply advanced mathematical concepts, such as exponents, logarithms, quadratic equations and permutations. • Apply mathematical operations to tasks, such as frequency distribution, determination of test reliability and validity, analysis of variance, correlation techniques, sampling theory, and factor analysis. • Define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions. • Interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form, and accommodate several abstract and concrete variables. • Proficient in the following software: • AutoCAD (2D and 3D), CTO PRO, THERM, WINDOW and CMAST modeling software, • Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint and other Microsoft Office applications. • Speed and efficiency in 2D AutoCAD is critical. • 3D modeling a plus • IOT and Mechantronics experience a plus • Computer programming experience a plus • ERP Systems Work Environment Mostly an office environment with occasional visits to the manufacturing floor. The noise levels in the work environment are usually moderate. Available for moderate amount of travel. Physical Requirements Regularly required to sit or stand, reach, bend and move about the facility. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. This job description outlines the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Our Benefits We care about and invest in our employees. We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support their well-being and foster professional development. Here is a glimpse of what you can look forward to if you join our team. • Competitive Benefits Package for employees and their dependents (Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Disability) • Incentive Plans • 401(k) with employer contribution and match • Employee Stock Purchase Plan with employer match • Paid Time Off (Vacation and Sick Time) • Paid Holidays • Tuition Reimbursement Program • Employee Assistance Program (EAP) • Wellness Program • Training and Career Progression Apogee and our brands are an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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