Overview
This role is responsible for developing and maintaining high-quality CAD models while establishing and driving modeling and drafting standards across the organization. The position plays a key role in enabling scalable, configurable design practices—ensuring models and drawings are structured for reusability, efficiency, and downstream engineering needs including analysis, manufacturing, and documentation.
The ideal candidate is both a strong CAD designer and a process-minded leader who can standardize modeling practices across global teams, ensure robust GD&T application, and enable design expansion through configurations and design automation.
Key Responsibilities
CAD Design & Development
Create and maintain parametric 3D models, assemblies, and drawings using SolidWorks (or equivalent CAD tools)
Support engineering teams with accurate, production-ready, parametric models and documentation
Ensure designs meet performance, manufacturability, and quality requirements
Create detailed 2D production drawings with complete dimensioning and tolerancing aligned with company drafting standards
Apply GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing) to define functional requirements and ensure manufacturability
Ensure drawings include proper datums, critical tolerances, and inspection requirements
Maintain alignment between 3D models and 2D drawings to support manufacturing and quality control
Configuration & Design Scalability
Develop and maintain configurable models using design tables, configurations, and parametric controls
Structure models to enable easy expansion into product families and variants
Establish best practices for configuration management to ensure model stability and avoid rebuild issues
Support development of modular, reusable design elements and libraries
Modeling Standards & Governance
Define, document, and enforce CAD modeling standards (naming conventions, feature structure, design intent)
Lead initiatives to standardize modeling approaches across products and teams
Establish and maintain drafting standards including dimensioning practices, tolerance schemes, and drawing structure
Ensure compliance with internal templates, tolerance blocks, and standard notes used in production drawings
Conduct model and drawing reviews and audits to ensure adherence to standards
Drive consistency between CAD models, drawings, and released documentation in PLM systems
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Work with product development engineers to align models with design intent and future scalability
Collaborate with manufacturing, tooling, and quality teams to ensure models and drawings support downstream processes
Ensure GD&T schemes align with inspection capability and quality requirements
Interface with PLM/document control to ensure models and drawings are properly structured and released
Continuous Improvement
Drive improvements in CAD efficiency, standardization, and reusability
Identify opportunities to reduce design time and errors through improved modeling and drafting practices
Support training and onboarding of team members on modeling standards, GD&T application, and configuration strategies
Qualifications
Required
Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Design, or related field
5+ years of CAD design experience (SolidWorks preferred)
Strong understanding of parametric modeling and design intent
Experience creating and managing configurations and design tables
Ability to structure models for scalability, reuse, and long-term maintainability
Strong working knowledge of GD&T principles and application in production drawings
Experience creating fully dimensioned manufacturing drawings with proper datums and tolerance schemes
Familiarity with industry standards (e.g., ASME Y14.5)
Ability to define critical-to-function features and inspection requirements
Strong attention to detail and documentation discipline
Preferred
Experience in connector, cable, or interconnect product design
Exposure to PLM systems (e.g., Windchill) and controlled documentation environments
Experience developing CAD modeling and drafting standards
Knowledge of manufacturing processes (injection molding, stamping, machining, etc.)
Experience aligning GD&T with manufacturing capability and inspection processes
Key Skills / Competencies
CAD expertise and design intent thinking
Standardization and process discipline
Configuration-driven design
GD&T application and interpretation
Strong drafting and manufacturability focus
Cross-functional collaboration
Problem solving and continuous improvement
Communication and training ability
Work Environment / Travel
Primarily onsite with collaboration across engineering and manufacturing teams
Minimal travel (<10%)