Mechanical Design Engineer II

Description FORGENT Transformer Business

Mechanical Design Engineer II Location: Waco, TX | Reports to: Mechanical Engineering Manager | Department: Engineering – Transformer Business

About Forgent Forgent designs and manufactures liquid-filled transformers that keep power moving for utilities, industrial customers, and communities across the country. We're a team that believes great products come from great people - people who are given the trust, the tools, and the runway to do their best work. Our culture is built on five values that show up in how we hire, how we lead, and how we get things done: Powered by People, You Belong, Own It, Think Boldly, and Winning Pace.

Position Summary Forgent is seeking a Mechanical Design Engineer II to lead the mechanical design and drafting of our liquid-filled transformer product line in Waco, TX. Building on solid transformer mechanical design experience, this engineer works independently on more complex designs - tanks, radiators, core/coil support structures, bushings, and hardware - owns assigned orders from concept through production release, and provides technical guidance to junior engineers and drafters. Reporting to the Mechanical Engineering Manager, the Mechanical Design Engineer II combines strong design execution with design-for-manufacturability and cross-functional partnership across manufacturing, quality, and electrical engineering.

Key Responsibilities

Mechanical Design & Drafting

• Independently develop mechanical models and drawings for transformer tanks, radiators/cooling systems, core and coil support structures, bushings, and hardware, including more complex and custom units.
• Own assigned orders from concept through detailed drawings, bills of materials, and documentation to production release.
• Perform and verify structural, thermal, and dimensional calculations to ensure designs meet requirements.
• Review and approve mechanical drawings, cross-checking work before release, and ensure conformance to design standards.

Design-for-Manufacturability & Support

• Drive design-for-manufacturability (DFM) improvements to reduce cost, improve build quality, and shorten cycle time on the shop floor.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective action on mechanical issues surfaced from manufacturing, test, or the field.
• Provide expert mechanical support to the factory floor and resolve fit, dimension, and hardware issues.
• Mentor and check the work of the Mechanical Design Engineer I and drafting staff.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Electrical Engineering to ensure mechanical designs support electrical performance requirements.
• Work with Quality to resolve mechanical nonconformances and support investigations.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain on component selection, supplier drawings, and make/buy decisions.
• Support customer-facing engineering requests, including drawing reviews and technical clarifications.

What Success Looks Like

• Complex mechanical designs are released on time, manufacturable, and require minimal rework on the shop floor.
• Mechanical issues are caught and resolved quickly, with clear root-cause thinking and durable fixes.
• Junior design engineers and drafters grow in capability with the Design Engineer II's guidance and review.
• Engineering, Manufacturing, and Operations stay aligned on assigned orders.

How You'll Live Our Values in This Role

• Powered by People: You'll mentor junior engineers and drafters and collaborate across the plant, giving and receiving the trust and support that make great work possible.
• You Belong: You'll help create a team environment where every engineer and drafter feels heard, valued, and set up to contribute.
• Own It: You'll take full ownership of your designs from concept to production release, standing behind their quality.
• Think Boldly: You'll challenge legacy design assumptions and push for better, smarter, more manufacturable transformer designs rather than defaulting to “how it's always been done.”
• Winning Pace: You'll keep mechanical output moving at the speed the business needs, balancing urgency with the rigor required for equipment that has to perform in the field for decades.

Position Details

• Location: Waco, TX (on-site).
• Travel: Occasional (approximately 5–10%) to supplier or other Forgent facilities as needed.
• Reports to: Mechanical Engineering Manager.
• Direct reports: None (provides technical guidance to junior engineers and drafters).
• Compensation: Competitive base salary, commensurate with experience [insert range], plus bonus eligibility and full benefits.

Forgent is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Requirements

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field (required).
• 3–5 years of mechanical design experience, ideally in transformer or heavy electrical equipment / power products.
• Strong working knowledge of mechanical design principles as applied to structural, thermal, and manufacturing considerations for large industrial equipment.
• Proven ability to independently create and approve detailed mechanical drawings and specifications.
• Proficiency with SolidWorks and AutoCAD.
• Strong communication skills across manufacturing, quality, and electrical engineering.

Preferred

• Direct experience designing liquid-filled power or distribution transformers (tanks, radiators, core/coil structures, bushings).
• Track record of driving DFM or cost-reduction initiatives on the shop floor.
• Familiarity with relevant industry design standards and codes applicable to liquid-filled transformers.
• Experience mentoring junior engineers or drafters.