Who We Are:The Rotating Machinery Dynamics Section at Southwest Research Institute is responsible for transitioning ideas and concepts for improving machinery, machinery based power systems, and renewable energy systems into tangible systems that we design, build, and test.
Objectives of this Role:Work in a team-focused environment to perform applied engineering R&D for power systems to support our clients in developing and validating improvements to system and component reliability, performance, sustainability, cost, or other objectives.Inform strategic planning for technical program areas, including business development, technical capability improvements, and laboratory facility utilization and improvements.Help match funding, facilities, and personnel with select opportunities that create added value.Provide technical leadership by mentoring less-experienced technical staff as a subject matter expert in project management, industrial systems, and/or machinery disciplines and associated methods and tools.Lead applied R&D projects through management, project management, and business development roles to design, install, commission, and operate industrial power systems including machinery, heaters, coolers, test rigs, and other thermal/fluid power systems and components.Daily and Monthly Responsibilities:Manage engineering and technician staff in business development and project execution activities.Foresee market needs and assist management in the creation of facilities and skillsets to meet future market trends.Assist clients in finding symbiotic opportunities to leverage technologies in various markets, or to develop technologies specific to maintain or grow their position with specific markets.Prepare technical publications and presentations for business development purposes.Interface with technical clients to coordinate project scope and develop proposals.Manage project requirements and schedules, and labor plans.Utilize project controls including earned value, schedule, risk/opportunity analysis, effective task delegation, and other tools to manage progress and interfaces including clients and subcontractors/vendors.Coordinate project team activities and make individual contributions to efficiently accomplish technical project tasks, including activities such as thermodynamic modeling, power system analysis/design, test loop assembly/operation, data analysis, and reporting.Requirements:Requires a Bachelors or a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering.5+ years: Experience with power system design, analysis, and testing preferred, including functional knowledge of various technical areas including thermal/fluid systems, turbomachinery, prototype design and manufacturing, and large-scale testing.5+ years: Experience with energy system analysis and development over a broad range of clean energy technologies.
Proven ability to independently troubleshoot industrial power system operations and break down complex research problems into logical tasks.5+ years: Broad understanding of and experience with implementation of industry-accepted standards and guidelines for design, analysis, commissioning, and testing.
Experience with integration of multiple systems preferred.5+ years: Past project management experience required and personnel management and/or business development experience strongly preferred.
Experience managing government-funded projects preferred.
Good organizational and communication skills required, including verbal and technical writing.A valid/clear driver's license is required.