Mechanical Engineer II
Posted Sep 18, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
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
Walk me through a new product design you took from concept to release. What was your role and what did you actually own?
What they are checking: 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?
What they are checking: 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?
What they are checking: 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?
What they are checking: 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?
What they are checking: proactive risk analysis and willingness to speak up before problems become costly
What would you do
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?
What they are checking: 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?
What they are checking: 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?
What they are checking: project ownership and communication discipline when things go off track
About the work
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?
What they are checking: 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.
What they are checking: 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?
What they are checking: 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?
What they are checking: 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?
What they are checking: practical understanding of documentation standards that affect procurement and quality
Practice this interview out loud.
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Generac.