JobsGenerac

Mechanical Engineer II

Generac · Sussex, WI

Posted Sep 17, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 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.

Behavioral

Walk me through a new product design you took from concept to release. What was your role and what did you actually own?

whether the candidate has genuinely led parts of a product development cycle versus just supporting one

Tell me about a time you worked with a contract manufacturer or internal production team to fix a design that wasn't manufacturable. What changed?

collaboration skill with manufacturing partners and design-for-manufacturability judgment

Tell me about a time you had to explain a technical design decision to someone outside engineering, like marketing or service. How did you adjust your explanation?

ability to translate technical detail for non-technical stakeholders

Have you mentored or helped develop a less experienced engineer? What did that look like day to day?

readiness to take on the informal mentoring expectation built into this level

Tell me about a design risk you identified that others hadn't caught yet. How did you raise it and what happened?

proactive risk analysis and willingness to speak up before problems become costly

Technical

Tell me about a time you had to design a component for large industrial generators using a mix of materials like castings, sheet metal, or plastics. What tradeoffs did you have to balance?

real hands-on material selection experience relevant to the actual product line

How do you approach FEA or CFD analysis when you're validating a new design? Walk me through a specific example.

depth of analytical skill versus surface-level familiarity with simulation tools

What's your experience with SAP or a similar ERP system, and have you ever acted as a super user or gone-to person for others on it?

comfort with the specific administrative tooling the role requires beyond CAD

Describe a design you created in Creo or SolidWorks that went through several revisions. What drove the changes and how did you manage the model and drawing updates?

practical CAD discipline and ability to manage design churn without losing control of documentation

How do you decide what level of detail belongs in a BOM or part specification versus what can be left to downstream teams?

practical understanding of documentation standards that affect procurement and quality

Situational

Suppose you're partway through a project and manufacturing tells you the design as spec'd will blow the unit cost target. What do you do next?

how the candidate balances cost, performance, and schedule under real constraints

Imagine a test result on a fitness-for-use plan comes back marginal, not a clear pass or fail. How do you decide whether the product is ready to move forward?

engineering judgment under ambiguity and willingness to make a defensible call

If a schedule slip on your project is caused by a supplier delay outside your control, how do you keep the rest of the cross functional team informed and the project moving?

project ownership and communication discipline when things go off track

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The full job description

As published by Generac.

We believe power is a promise - a shared commitment to be there for others when it matters most. For more than 65 years, we've turned big ideas into solutions that help protect homes, strengthen businesses and build a more resilient, efficient, sustainable energy future. Ready to Power a Smarter World with us? JOB SUMMARY: The Engineer II for Large Industrial Generators is responsible for providing engineering solutions to the product development projects assigned to him/her including interfacing with the cross functional team consisting of engineering, operations (industrial engineering, production, and material procurement, sourcing) quality, service, and marketing. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: • Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering or related discipline • 3+ years of relevant work experience • Experience with 3D modeling such as Creo or SolidWorks PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: • Design experience with a variety of materials (plastics, alumni castings, sheet metal, etc.) and basic knowledge of material specs and use • Experience in new product design and development • Experience conducting analysis using FEA, CFD, etc. • Experience with SAP or equivalent ERP ESSENTIAL DUTIES: • Designs, validates, and brings new products to market.  • Provide new product development in the Industrial, Commercial, Residential and/or Retail generator or Power Tools product area including; Creating and maintaining CAD models, drawings, and BOMs, Supporting product development plans (schedule, product cost, meeting design inputs), Interfacing with internal company personnel, Provide technical support for assigned projects. • Specifies precise new product functional requirements; designs, tests and integrates moderately complex components to produce final designs; and evaluates the design's overall effectiveness, cost (including cost/benefit analysis), reliability (risk analysis), and safety.  • Designs, develops, executes and evaluates fitness-for-use testing, product specifications and process validation plans for a variety of standard products and/or components; creates and reviews material part specifications and bills of materials. • Collaborates with internal manufacturing partners, contract manufacturers, designers and product specialists to optimize more complex designs for manufacturability.  • Utilizes CAD (Computer Aided Design) or CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) systems to model new designs and produce detailed engineering drawings.  Other Duties as assigned and the following: • Supporting product development plans (schedule, product cost, meeting design inputs). • Develops less experienced engineers. • Act as SAP Super User within functional area as assigned. • Other duties as assigned. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES: • Ability to perform detail oriented work with a high degree of accuracy; • Demonstrated written communication and presentation skills; • Ability to translate technical information to all audiences; • Able to solve moderate to complex engineering problems; • Good decision-making skills; • Technical Skills to include 3D modeling (ProE or SolidWorks); • MS Excel, MS Word; Level of Independence : This position works with guidance from the Engineering Leader. “We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.”

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