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Systems Engineer - Engines

Generac · Waukesha, WI · Full time

Posted Jun 26, 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

Walk me through a project where you took an engine from initial concept through to a validated, market-ready product. What was your role at each stage?

What they are checking: whether the candidate has genuinely owned full product development lifecycle, not just a piece of it

Describe a time you had to convince manufacturing or a contract manufacturer to change a design because it wasn't producible at the volume or cost needed.

What they are checking: real experience influencing design for manufacturability, not just theoretical knowledge of it

Have you mentored a less experienced engineer through a design problem? What did that look like day to day?

What they are checking: willingness and ability to teach, since the role explicitly expects mentoring

Tell me about a time you had to explain a technical engine issue to someone outside engineering, like marketing or service. How did you adjust what you said?

What they are checking: ability to translate technical detail for non-technical audiences, which the posting calls out directly

What would you do

Say you're integrating an engine into a new generator application and the cooling system spec conflicts with the packaging constraints the industrial design team already committed to. How do you resolve that?

What they are checking: ability to navigate cross-functional conflict without just escalating or stalling the project

Imagine a project is behind schedule because a supplier can't deliver a component that meets your functional spec. What do you do in the next 48 hours?

What they are checking: how the candidate prioritizes under schedule pressure and works with sourcing

If you found out late in the process that a component you specified doesn't meet a safety requirement, what would you do next?

What they are checking: integrity and process discipline when a mistake threatens the schedule

About the work

Tell me about a time you had to balance fuel, cooling, intake, and exhaust system requirements against each other on a single engine design. What tradeoffs did you make?

What they are checking: depth of hands-on knowledge across the specific engine subsystems this job names

How do you approach a risk analysis on a new engine design when you know some of the components are new and untested?

What they are checking: structured thinking on reliability and safety risk assessment versus a checklist mentality

Tell me about a validation test plan you built for a moderately complex system. What did you test for, and what did the results actually change about the design?

What they are checking: whether validation planning experience is real and iterative, not just documentation after the fact

Walk me through how you've used CAD or CAE tools to model a new design, and how much of that work you did yourself versus handed off.

What they are checking: actual level of hands-on modeling involvement versus oversight only

Describe a cost/benefit analysis you ran on a design decision where the cheaper option wasn't obviously the right one. How did you decide?

What they are checking: whether the candidate can weigh cost against reliability and performance with real judgment, not just picking the lowest bid

Have you worked with SAP or a similar ERP system as part of engineering work? What did you use it for?

What they are checking: practical familiarity with the ERP tools the job lists as preferred

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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 Systems Engineer - Engines 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. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: • Specifies, gives input to design, validates, and brings new products to market. • Specifies precise new product functional requirements; 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. • Works with multiple engineering groups to design, develop, execute, and evaluates overall system fitness-for-use testing, product specifications and process validation plans for a variety of moderately complex products and/or components. • Collaborates with internal manufacturing partners, contract manufacturers, designers and product specialists to optimize moderately complex designs for manufacturability. • Gives input into CAD (Computer Aided Design) or CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) systems modeling for new designs. • 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. Minimum 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 • Engine design/development experience with a focus on application engineering • Experience in engine integration in an application • Ability to work cross functionally to ensure all aspects of engine requirements are met • Technical Skills to include knowledge of: fuel, control, intake, cooling, and exhaust systems • 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 • Experience with machine design • MS Excel, MS Word Previous experience with SAP or equivalent ERP Benefits : This position includes a comprehensive benefit package that includes medical, dental and vision plans; life, long-term disability, flexible spending, and health savings accounts, accrued paid time off, 8 paid Holidays, opportunity for overtime and 401(k) retirement benefits. 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, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law." “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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