Project Lead Engineer - High Voltage Industrial and Data Centers

About Methode Electronics

We are a leading global provider of innovative automotive and industrial electronic products, including center stacks, switch banks, sensors, high-voltage busbars, Battery Disconnect Units (BDU), Integrated Circuit Boards (ICB), park brake actuators, ambient lights, and Center High-Mount Stop Lights (CHMSL). Our commitment to quality, innovation, and sustainability positions us at the forefront of the industry, delivering high-performance power distribution solutions to customers worldwide.

Role Purpose

We are seeking a highly qualified Mechanical Engineer to play a crucial role in the Product Development  lifecycle of innovative high-voltage power distribution components. This role owns the design, analysis, and validation of critical systems, with a core focus on data center busbars, industrial power pathways, and wire harnesses. Leading projects from concept to production launch, you will collaborate with cross-functional teams and industry experts to ensure designs meet rigorous electrical, thermal, structural, and manufacturing specifications.

Key Responsibilities

• Design & New Product Development (NPD): Specify, design, and develop high-voltage components, focusing on data center busbars and high-power wire harnesses. Utilize advanced 3D CAD software to generate detailed models, architectural layouts, and production-ready manufacturing drawings.
• Vertical Busbar Engineering & Attributes: Optimize vertical busbar architectures for critical data center infrastructure, ensuring precise execution of core attributes:
  • Electrical & Thermal: Manage high current density, skin effect, voltage drop constraints and short-circuit current ratings.
  • Mechanical & Structural: Design for seismic bracing requirements, structural loading, expansion joints (to handle thermal expansion/contraction across multi-story risers), and joint integrity.
  • Ingress & Insulation: Incorporate proper phase isolation, epoxy coating, heat-shrink insulation, and appropriate Ingress Protection (IP) ratings.
• Analysis & Simulation: Collaborate with FEA analysts to define model setups, boundary conditions, and assumptions. Interpret and act upon results from thermal (CFD), fluid flow (Moldflow for over molding), and structural mechanical (stress/strain/vibration) simulations to validate busbar integrity under maximum electrical load and fault conditions.
• Technical Documentation & Standards: Apply a comprehensive understanding of Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T) to detailed component designs. Ensure all technical documentation, tolerance stacks, and engineering drawings strictly comply with industry standards (e.g., ASME Y14.5, ANSI, UL 857 / IEC 61439-6 for busbar trunking systems).
• Materials Expertise: Apply functional knowledge of material properties—including copper/aluminum conductivity, plating (tin, silver, nickel), insulation chemistry, and polymer selection—to component design, environmental testing, and qualification processes.
• Project Leadership: Lead cross-functional product development gates from concept through production release. Act as the primary technical point of contact, ensuring alignment between cost, timeline, tooling feasibility, and customer specifications.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electromechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience: 5+ years of mechanical design experience in New Product Development, specifically focusing on high-voltage power distribution, industrial busbars, or data center infrastructure.
• CAD/Tools: Proficiency in advanced 3D CAD platforms (e.g., Creo, SolidWorks, or CATIA) and PLM software.
• Industry Knowledge: Strong familiarity with copper fabrication, extrusion, over molding, and manufacturing assembly processes.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.  Frequent hand motion and repetitive tasks including using a computer for typing.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee will occasionally do immediate reaching and overhead reaching to perform various duties, frequent standing for varied amounts of time to perform various duties, frequent walking for varied amounts of time to perform various duties.  Squat or bend to perform various duties.  Occasionally climb stairs.

Benefits and Perks:

Methode offers U.S. employees comprehensive benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, Hearing, Life and Disability insurance, educational assistance, and paid time off benefits. Voluntary benefit plans include Accident, Hospital Indemnity, and Pet Insurance coverage. Employees also have access to valuable discount programs that can contribute to lowering costs off certain technology, automotive, and home appliance products. In addition, Methode provides an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and participation in the Company's 401(k) plan, which includes a company contribution.

Methode Electronics is an equal opportunity employer.  We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected characteristics per the EEO Poster available here . If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please send an e-mail to [email protected] or call (708) 867-6777 and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.