Mechanical Engineer

Position: Mechanical Engineer ( Subsea and Surface Equipment Development)

Location: Houston, TX (Onsite)

Exp: 5-8 Yrs

Essential Responsibilities

Product Development and Project Execution

• Translate customer, operational, and industry-standard requirements into verifiable product requirements and a documented design basis covering loads, operating conditions, interfaces, design margins, and acceptance criteria.
• Generate and compare concepts through engineering analysis, trade studies, risk assessments, and prototyping. Define product performance envelopes, intended applications, and limitations.
• Plan and execute assigned development work, including scope, deliverables, schedules, resource needs, and technical risks; coordinate cross-functional activities and communicate progress and required decisions.
• Lead design and technical reviews, document decisions and actions, and verify closure before progression to testing or product release.
• Document novel design features and technical findings and support intellectual-property reviews as appropriate.

Casing Connector Development

• Develop casing connectors for structural capacity, sealability, fatigue resistance, makeup performance, and manufacturability.
• Evaluate thread geometry, torque shoulders, sealing interfaces, interference, tolerances, surface finish, materials, coatings, and lubrication under applicable combinations of axial load, internal and external pressure, bending, torque, temperature, and cyclic loading.
• Establish connection qualification plans using applicable ISO 13679 and API 5C5 provisions, including the intended application level, specimen configurations, test matrix, and makeup/breakout requirements.
• Apply fatigue-assessment principles from DNV-RP-C203 where applicable; identify fatigue-sensitive features, evaluate stress concentrations, and correlate predictions with measured test results. Coordinate specialist fatigue or fracture-mechanics support as needed.

Subsea/Surface Wellhead Equipment and Seal Development

• Develop wellhead components, casing hangers, seals, lockdown mechanisms, connectors, and associated running and test tools, applying relevant API 6A and API 17D requirements.
• Coordinate API 6X design-analysis methods where required or permitted by the governing product requirements, and API 17TR8 guidance for applicable high-pressure, high-temperature development programs.
• Evaluate metal and nonmetallic sealing concepts for pressure direction and differential, energization, preload, temperature, contact behavior, extrusion, manufacturing tolerances, surface condition, debris, cycling, and installation damage.
• Evaluate equipment load paths and interfaces under casing loads, pressure, bending, thermal effects, and installation conditions. Incorporate field experience, running procedures, retrieval needs, and credible contingencies into designs.

Engineering Analysis and Documentation

• Perform and document calculations addressing statics, mechanics of materials, pressure containment, stress, deflection, contact loading, threaded and bolted connections, fatigue, and dimensional relationships. Verify significant conclusions using independent calculations or test evidence.
• Create and review SolidWorks models, assemblies, manufacturing drawings, and bills of materials in accordance with company design standards, drafting and tolerancing practices, and inspection requirements.
• Maintain traceable calculation packages, specifications, design records, qualification documentation, assembly procedures, and product-release records through controlled engineering-change processes.

Verification and Qualification Testing

• Develop verification and validation plans, test procedures, instrumentation and data-acquisition requirements, and measurable acceptance criteria appropriate to the product and applicable standards.
• Design and document test equipment and fixtures, including calculations verifying suitability for the intended loads and operating conditions.
• Lead test-readiness reviews and coordinate pressure, structural, sealability, thermal, fatigue, functional, and combined-load testing as applicable. Confirm specimen traceability, configuration, calibration, and safety controls.
• Evaluate test data against analytical predictions and acceptance criteria; investigate anomalies and failures, assess deviations, and determine corrective actions and additional analysis or testing needs.
• Prepare qualification reports establishing test validity, results, conclusions, qualified performance limits, and remaining restrictions.
• Travel will be required periodically and may include international locations.
• A valid drivers license is required.

Manufacturing and Product Introduction

• Support prototype manufacture and transfer to production by resolving material, process, tolerance, inspection, assembly, and supplier issues with manufacturing and quality personnel.
• Evaluate nonconformances and proposed changes for their effects on structural integrity, sealing, fatigue, interchangeability, compliance, and qualification status.
• Support initial field deployment and incorporate lessons learned into product improvements. Perform all activities in accordance with company health, safety, environmental, and quality requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from an accredited institution.
• Significant relevant engineering experience in mechanical product design, development, analysis, testing, or qualification.
• Demonstrated design or qualification experience in at least one target product area: casing or tubing connections, subsea wellhead equipment, or pressure-sealing systems.
• Experience progressing mechanical equipment through design, prototype manufacture, testing, and release, with independent responsibility for assigned technical deliverables.
• Strong understanding of statics, mechanics of materials, pressure and structural loading, fatigue, mechanical interfaces, materials, manufacturing processes, and dimensional tolerancing.
• Ability to prepare traceable engineering calculations, interpret drawings and 3D models, apply relevant codes and standards, and document technical conclusions and limitations.
• Experience developing test procedures, interpreting results, investigating failures, and relating measured performance to design requirements and analytical predictions.
• Experience leading structured technical reviews and coordinating engineering or qualification work with manufacturing, quality, testing, and other functions.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and experience using parametric CAD and engineering-calculation or analysis software.
• Sound engineering judgment, clear written and verbal communication, and the ability to manage competing priorities and recognize when specialist support is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ten or more years of product-development experience in the energy, oil-and-gas, subsea, wellhead, tubular, pressure-equipment, or closely related industry.
• Experience across multiple target product areas, including casing connectors, wellhead systems, and metal-to-metal or nonmetallic pressure seals.
• Working knowledge of ISO 13679 and API 5C5 connection qualification, including connection performance envelopes, thread and seal design, makeup response, and galling prevention.
• Working knowledge of API 6A and API 17D product requirements, API 6X analysis methods, and API 17TR8 guidance.
• Understanding of DNV-RP-C203 fatigue assessment, including S-N curves, stress concentration factors, cumulative damage, and correlation of analysis with testing.
• Experience leading full-scale qualification testing, developing test fixtures and instrumentation, and preparing reports for customer or third-party review.
• Experience with SolidWorks, Mathcad, ASME Y14.5 dimensioning and tolerancing practices, and SolidWorks PDM or comparable engineering document-control systems.
• Experience with structured development methods, including design verification planning, risk and failure analysis, stage-gate reviews, and root-cause analysis.
• Basic programming or scripting skills using Python, VBA, MATLAB, C#, or a similar language for calculations, test-data processing, or engineering automation.
• Fundamentals of Engineering examination completed or Professional Engineer licensure.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

• Work is performed in engineering-office, manufacturing, assembly, laboratory, and testing environments, with regular hands-on involvement in prototype and test activities.
• Travel to suppliers, external laboratories, manufacturing facilities, customers, or field locations may be required.
• Testing may occasionally require extended hours. Required personal protective equipment and site-specific training must be used or completed as applicable.
• A valid driver's license.
• International travel as needed.