JobsGenerac

Mechanical Engineer III (Senior)

Generac · Sussex, WI

Posted Sep 9, 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 you designed from concept through release. What was your role and where did you have to make the tough calls?

whether the candidate has actually owned a full design lifecycle versus just contributing pieces

Tell me about a design you had to change because it was too expensive or too hard to manufacture. What did you do?

real experience balancing cost, manufacturability, and performance trade-offs

Tell me about a time you had to write or release an engineering change notice that affected other teams. How did you handle the ripple effects?

experience with formal change control and awareness of downstream impact

Describe a project where you worked across engineering, operations, sourcing, quality, and marketing at the same time. What made that hard?

comfort operating in a matrix organization with competing priorities

Tell me about a time you mentored a less experienced engineer on a design problem. What did you actually do to help them get unstuck?

whether they can translate seniority into real mentorship rather than just doing the work themselves

Technical

What materials have you designed with, and how do you decide between something like a plastic housing versus an aluminum casting for a given part?

depth of hands-on material selection knowledge, not just familiarity with terms

How do you use FEA or CFD in your design process? Give me an example where the analysis actually changed your design.

whether simulation tools are used to drive decisions or just to check a box after the fact

How comfortable are you working in Windchill or a similar PLM system, and what's tripped you up before with managing BOMs or part specs?

real familiarity versus surface-level exposure to PLM tools

Tell me about a product you designed that involved AC generators, batteries, or other electrical system integration. What mechanical challenges came up?

specific experience bridging mechanical design with electrical components, a named requirement in this posting

What's your process for building a process validation plan for a new product, from specs to fitness-for-use testing?

whether the candidate has run structured validation work end to end or only participated in pieces of it

Situational

Say you're designing a sheet metal enclosure that needs to house a circuit breaker panel and battery, and thermal testing shows it's running hot. How do you approach the problem?

practical grasp of thermal, electrical, and mechanical integration in enclosure design

You're two weeks from a design freeze and manufacturing flags that a critical part can't be sourced in time. What do you do?

how the candidate handles schedule pressure and cross-functional problem solving under constraint

If you inherited a design that a junior engineer created and you saw a risk they missed, how would you bring that up without stepping on their work?

tact and leadership style when correcting others' work

How do you explain a technical design decision to someone in marketing or sales who has no engineering background?

ability to translate technical detail for non-technical audiences, which the posting calls out directly

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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 Mechanical Engineer III – Senior Engineer is responsible for providing engineering input 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. Basic Qualifications: • Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline; • 5+ years of relevant work experience; Preferred Qualifications: • Experience creating and releasing engineering Change Notices (CNs) to release parts and bills of material. • Experience with Windchill or equivalent PLM • Ability to perform detail oriented work with a high degree of accuracy on multiple projects; • Design experience with a variety of materials (ie plastics, aluminum castings, sheet metal) and basic knowledge of material specs and use; • Experience in new product design and development; • Ability to conduct analysis using FEA, CFD, etc. • Demonstrated written communication and presentation skills; • Ability to translate technical information to all audiences; • Applies engineering knowledge and experience to improve products, services and processes; • Technical Skills to include 3D modeling (ProE or SolidWorks); • MS Excel, MS Word; • Experience with machine design; • Previous experience with SAP or equivalent ERP. • Design experience with electrical components and system integration including; circuit breakers, batteries, electrical panels, and AC generator. • Experience working in a Matrix organization. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: • Designs, validates, and brings new products to market.  • Specifies precise new product functional requirements; designs, tests and integrates a variety of 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 moderately complex 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 moderately complex designs for manufacturability.  • Utilizes CAD (Computer Aided Design) or CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) systems to model new designs and produce detailed engineering drawings.  • Supporting product development plans (schedule, product cost, meeting design inputs) • Acts as a resource to mentor and teach less experienced engineers. • Travel to other Generac facilities as necessary.  • Other duties as assigned. Level of Independence : · Works independently; · Receives minimal technical guidance;                       · Requires in-depth knowledge and experience; · Uses best practices and knowledge of internal or external business issues to improve products or services; • Strong conceptualization, visualization, and creativity; • Strong time management, prioritization, and analytical problem solving; · Developing business acumen; · Solves complex problems; · Takes a new perspective using existing solutions; · Strong decision-making skills; · Acts as a resource for colleagues with less experience; · Has participated in cross-functional project teams and leads some aspects of the project; · Ensures success cross-functionally;                                                                                                                  · Offer recommendations and implement solutions; · Take ownership of designs; · Thorough understanding of the Engineering financial impact and a basic understanding of the needs and impact of other functions on the business.                                                                                                                                                                                                              “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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