Senior Design Engineer in Schweinfurt

Senior Design Engineer (m/f/d) – Gearbox Development

Location: Schweinfurt, Germany

Overview

Design and develop high-quality, robust gearbox systems for SRAM eBike and bicycle drivetrain applications. As a key technical contributor in a small, fast-moving team, you will own gearbox design from concept through series release, combining deep gear-design expertise with a hands-on, self-driven approach to getting things done.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Own the design and development of gearbox solutions for eBike and bicycle drivetrain applications, including gear stages, shafts, bearings, freewheels, and housing interfaces.
• Evaluate and develop different gearbox concepts and select the best-fit solution based on package, efficiency, noise, weight, and cost targets.
• Perform gear and drivetrain calculations and optimization using KISSsoft/KISSsys, including load capacity, service life, micro-geometry, efficiency, and NVH.
• Define gearbox architecture and key design parameters in close alignment with system architects, motor, electronics, and software teams.
• Independently create and maintain 3D models and production-ready 2D drawings with complete GD&T and tolerance stack-ups.
• Plan and build prototypes and samples hands-on; support test bench setup, validation testing, and failure analysis.
• Work directly with gear suppliers and manufacturing partners on design for manufacturing, sampling, quality issues, and cost optimization.
• Mitigate technical risks through proactive design analysis, including FEA, DFMEA, and tolerance analysis.
• Drive problem resolution within the design team and at factories and suppliers.
• Effectively document design specifications using SRAM engineering best practices and standard documentation procedures.
• Provide input for the development of manufacturing processes, heat treatment, and inspection methods for gear components.
• Contribute to building up gearbox development methods, design guidelines, and tools within the team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or an equivalent engineering discipline.
• Extensive, proven experience in gear and transmission design (typically 10+ years), ideally for e-mobility, automotive, industrial, or other high-volume applications.
• Expert-level proficiency in KISSsoft (KISSsys a plus) for gear and shaft calculation and optimization.
• In-depth knowledge of gear geometry, micro-geometry, gear load capacity, bearing selection, lubrication, and gear noise (NVH).
• Solid understanding of gear manufacturing processes such as hobbing, grinding, powder metallurgy, and injection-molded plastic gears, as well as related heat treatment processes.
• Extensive CAD experience required; Creo Parametric strongly desired.
• Experience applying engineering tools such as GD&T, FEA, FMEA, statistics, and tolerance analysis.
• Proven ability to work autonomously and self-structured in a small team without established processes; highly self-motivated with a strong hands-on mentality.
• Willingness to independently handle all aspects of the work, from concept and calculation to drawings, prototype builds, and supplier communication.
• Exceptional communication, teamwork, and relationship skills; fluent in English (German a plus).
• Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) experience, such as Windchill, a plus.

Supervisory Responsibilities

None

Scope

Global

Working Conditions

• Regular on-site presence at our Schweinfurt location
• Ability to work in an open-plan office environment as well as in lab and workshop settings.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally multiple times per year for one to two weeks at a time, including visits to suppliers and manufacturing sites.
• Meetings and phone calls outside regular hours to align with other locations and time zones (AM/PM).