JobsGenerac

Staff Engineer - Transfer Switch

Generac · Waukesha, WI

Posted Aug 18, 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

Tell me about a design you released that ran into a manufacturability problem once it hit production. What happened and what did you do?

whether they can own a design failure and describes a real fix, not just a lesson learned platitude

Tell me about a time you led a small cross-functional team through a new product introduction. What was hardest about keeping engineering, manufacturing, and sourcing aligned?

readiness to act as engineering lead across functions, which the role explicitly calls out

Tell me about a time a supplier or contract manufacturer pushed back on a design you thought was necessary. How did you resolve it?

how they handle friction with external partners while protecting design integrity

Technical

Walk me through a transfer switch mechanism you've designed, from the mechanical concept through validation testing.

depth of hands-on mechanism design experience and whether they can explain tradeoffs clearly

Tell me about a time you worked with a gear train, over-center toggle, or cam mechanism and had to solve a problem with how it performed.

real experience with the specific mechanism types this role requires, not just familiarity by name

How do you decide between a compression spring, extension spring, or a solenoid when you're specifying an actuation force in a design?

practical component selection knowledge versus textbook recall

How familiar are you with UL 1008, and can you describe a design decision you made that was directly shaped by that standard?

actual working knowledge of the governing safety standard, since this is core to transfer switch design

Describe a project where you had to use FEA or hand calculations to justify a design decision to a skeptical stakeholder.

comfort defending engineering judgment with data, and communicating it to non-engineers

Walk me through how you'd choose between plastic, aluminum casting, and sheet metal for a new transfer switch housing.

material selection reasoning tied to cost, manufacturability, and durability

What's your experience with SolidWorks or Pro/E on complex assemblies, and how do you manage design changes once a product is already in mass production?

depth of CAD fluency and discipline around change control in a production environment

Situational

Say you're asked to reduce the cost of an existing transfer switch design by 15 percent without touching its UL certification. How would you approach that?

ability to balance cost, compliance, and risk without cutting corners on safety

You're mentoring a junior engineer who keeps making the same mistake in their tolerance stack-up analysis. How do you handle that?

coaching ability and patience, since mentoring less experienced engineers is a stated duty

If a field failure came back on a transfer switch you designed, what would your first three steps be?

systematic root-cause thinking and sense of ownership over a shipped product

Practice this interview out loud.

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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? The Staff Engineer-Transfer Switch 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 or Electrical Engineering or related discipline • 7+ years of relevant work experience Preferred Qualifications: • Ability to perform detail-oriented work with a high degree of accuracy on multiple projects of increasing complexity • Proven experience in mechanism design - including gear train, over-center toggle, linear actuator, multi-bar linkage, & cam design. • Design experience with a variety of mechanical & electrical components (compression springs, linear springs, extension springs, solenoids, electric motors) and basic knowledge of how to specify and use • 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 & development • Experience in manufacturing production support • Ability to conduct analysis using hand calculations, FEA, CFD, etc • Active participant in technical communities tied to industry standards or regulations • Strong written communication and presentation skills • Ability to translate technical information to all audiences • Applies engineering knowledge and experience to improve products, services and processes • Able to solve complex engineering problems with minimal oversight • Strong technical skills to include 3D modeling (ProE or SolidWorks) • MS Excel, MS Word • Experience with UL 1008 • Previous experience with SAP or equivalent ERP. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: • Designs, validates, and brings new transfer switch products to market.  • Supports transfer switch products from concept through mass production. • Specifies precise new product functional requirements; designs, tests and integrates a variety of increasingly 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 increasingly 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 increasingly 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.  • Other duties as assigned. Level of Independence : • Works at a high level of independence with occasional guidance on challenging technical issues • May act as engineering lead on small cross-functional project teams; • Requires in-depth knowledge and/or breadth of expertise • Uses best practices and knowledge of internal and external business issues to improve products or services • Beginning to recommend solutions and best practices • Strong conceptualization, visualization, and creativity • Strong time management, prioritization, and analytical problem solving • Solves complex problems • Strong decision-making skills • Ensures success cross-functionally                              • Actively coaches colleagues with less experience         • Offer recommendations and implement solutions • Takes ownership of designs, test plans, & validation plans                                                                        • Participates in standards and procedure development • Leading efforts to improve the financial impact of engineering activities on the businesses and thorough understanding of how other functions impact the business Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear; and use hands to manipulate objects or controls.  The employee is regularly required to stand and walk.  On occasion, the incumbent may be required to stoop, bend, or reach above the shoulders.  The employee must occasionally lift up to 25 pounds. Specific conditions of this job are typical of frequent and continuous computer-based work requiring periods of sitting, close vision, and the ability to adjust focus. Occasional travel.   “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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