Sr. Design & Development Eng

Founded in 1898 and headquartered in Chicago, IL, GATX Corporation (NYSE: GATX) is an industry leader with 125+ years of success—success that is powered by our people. We are proud of our high-performance culture, hard-working and enthusiastic management team, and beautiful office space in the Willis Tower.

At GATX, we hire the best and offer our employees a dynamic, energetic, collaborative environment to enable them to make an impact from day one. Enjoy the perks and benefits of a global company with the close-knit culture and community of a much smaller one. In the same way we strive to empower our customers to propel the world forward, we are dedicated to providing our people with the tools and resources they need to advance in their careers.

The primary responsibility of the Senior Design and Development Engineer will be to support the GATX Engineering Technical Services Group's mission by providing mechanical engineering structural analysis, working with engineering structural analysis consultants, provide project management, and engineering support in executing rail car purchasing, modifications and/or repairs. Provide field troubleshooting services in cases involving structural or component failure and other operational issues. Lastly, the role will be a resource for support for technical/analytical guidance to GATX International teams.

Provide design and structural analysis on projects involving rail car design and modifications.

• This position requires a very motivated self-starter whom is willing to take complete ownership of the role as structural analyst.
• The incumbent must be proficient in developing new railcar/railcar repair designs and structures and be able to develop/oversee the design drawings for manufacturer.
• Must have a complete understanding of classical analysis, FEA and fatigue, fracture mechanics and knowledge in materials.
• Must be able to identify and apply appropriate theory to determine analysis procedures. Of particular importance is the ability to define the scope of the analysis such that sound engineering judgment can be made in the simplest, most time and cost effective manner.
• Must be able to communicate design and analysis results in a concise and clear manner to both a technical and non-technical audience through technical writing and verbal presentation.
• A complete understanding of industry design standards is required to understand their compliance. On occasion, on-site field trips will be required in order to obtain necessary design information of existing equipment.

 
Provide project management for projects involving rail car design evaluation, modification certification, and/or repair.

• The position requires coordination of project activities and communication with suppliers, customer service, fleet execution, fleet maintenance and repair centers (internal and external) to ensure project execution.
• The incumbent will be responsible evaluating rail car equipment, developing instructions and drawings for necessary modifications, ordering material and maintaining corresponding equipment records.
• The incumbent will support the review of new, and fleet acquisition rail equipment and provide the necessary engineering approval write-ups as required.
• The incumbent will provide cost estimating and capitalization on all design projects managed.
• When projects involve third party technical consultants, the incumbent will clearly define the scope of work and the required services as well as review work completed. Of particular importance is the ability to balance time and focus between project management and mechanical analysis.

Provide on-site inspection, field troubleshooting, and evaluation of rail car structure, specialty components and other equipment affecting rail car operation.

• Includes the examination of weld failures, equipment problems, product contamination issues, and general railcar operating problems.
• Includes the use of test equipment on rail cars and participation in troubleshooting efforts as required.
• The incumbent must work and communicate effectively with internal and external customers, shop personnel, suppliers and regulatory agencies regarding rail car improvements and root cause investigations.
• The incumbent utilize both field data and engineering analysis to determine root cause analysis and verify repairs and/or modifications to rail equipment, develop the modification drawings/instruction, and work with the AAR to implement design solutions to GATX railcars.
• The incumbent will also be involved in evaluating rail cars being considered for acquisition.

Act as the technical / analytical resource to GATX Engineering, GIPL (India Team) Engineering, and Commercial groups.

• Supports GATX management on mechanical analysis involving areas such as equipment evaluation, failure, and repair integrity and equipment safety.
• Provide design support for GIPL (India Team) as required on a technical support basis.
• Provide technical guidance and support to facility engineering projects as required.
• Provide weld team support on the evaluation of welded joint design and welding standards as required.
• Miscellaneous mechanical analysis is required on an as-need basis, including hydraulic analysis, dynamic analysis and materials research.
• The incumbent provides oral presentations on various projects, equipment and technical issues to inform management as required.

In addition to providing support to GATX Engineering, this position interacts with Sales, Customer Service, and Fleet Management. The position will also will interface with outside regulatory organizations, rail car repair centers, equipment vendors, and customers as required. It directly impacts customer sales and Fleet Management in that it provides technical analyses and consultation to determine if particular rail cars are suitable or can be made suitable for customer needs and market demands. It directly impacts rail fleet maintenance in that it provides evaluation of wagon designs, repair and maintenance procedures with regard to asset life, safety, compliance and necessity. The incumbent must be capable of working to understand the root cause of problems, develop practical and cost effective solutions while working with the AAR for approval and determine the best way to implement them. The incumbent must be capable of making sound engineering decisions based on sound engineering principles.

This position assumes responsibility for project management activities and executing mechanical analysis. Therefore, the incumbent must be capable of working independently in doing so. The ability to define the minimum work scope necessary to accomplish a project task is essential. The incumbent must be able to communicate topics of a technical nature to a non-technical audience and interact with those individuals effectively.  This postion currently has no direct reports.

Education and/or Experience required:

• Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical or Structural Engineering with 10 years of work experience.
  Areas of Concentration:
  o Engineering –The position requires a complete understanding of engineering analysis related to structural, fatigue, and fracture engineering principles and the ability to apply them both analytically and intuitively. It requires experience with rail car design, shop operations, sales support, and regulatory compliance.  
• Program Management – The position requires experience with managing multiple projects from conceptual design to the production phase – managing resources, budgets and timelines.
• Minimum 7 years’ experience in the design of railcar modifications and AAR 4-2 submittals.
• Ability to read, create and understand mechanical drawings is required.
• Familiarity with bills of material is required
• Minimum of 7 years of Finite Element Analysis experience, preferably with ANSYS.
• Minimum 10 years of 3D CAD, preferably with Autodesk Inventor and AutoCAD.
• Computer Programming, preferably with FORTRAN, or Visual Basic is desirable.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite Software. Minimum of 7 years of experience using Microsoft Excel and other design programs to solve analytical problems.
• Freight and tank rail car experience required.
• Knowledge of DOT, TC, Association of American Railroads (AAR), and India RDSO regulations pertaining to railcar design/operations is required.

Key Competencies:

• Adaptable to different project work and customer requirements
• Well organized and detail oriented including effective time management ability
• Customer focused. Must develop customer relationships by making the effort to listen and understand the customers’ business.
• Effective communicator. Must be able to express ideas effectively and adjust technical terminology to the characteristics and needs of the audience.
• Strong people skills, ability to gain trust and confidence.
• Results orientation. Passion to complete the task.
• Sense of urgency to work in a timely manner.

Other (i.e., physical requirements, travel, etc. that is not covered above):

• This hybrid position is based at GATX, Chicago, IL corporate offices and currently requires 60% in-office attendance, measured over the course of a month.
• Moderate travel as necessary to visit repair facilities, customers and attend industry meetings.
• Must be physically able to climb on rail cars to inspect damage and repair work.
• Passport is required for international travel.

NOTE: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.

GATX embraces diversity, and we are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.