Senior Project Engineer

Senior Engineer - Mechanical Product Development (HVAC Compressors)

Location: Sidney, Ohio

Are you a Mechanical Engineer passionate about designing, developing, and validating complex mechanical systems? Do you enjoy applying principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, machine design, and materials engineering to solve challenging real-world problems?

Copeland is seeking a Senior Engineer - Mechanical Product Development to support the development of next-generation HVAC refrigerant compressors. In this role, you will lead the mechanical testing, analysis, and production launch of fixed-speed and variable-speed compressor technologies that improve performance, reliability, manufacturability, and sustainability.

This position is ideal for engineers who enjoy hands-on product development, mechanical system analysis, laboratory testing, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver innovative rotating equipment solutions.

This role supports a hybrid work model; however, project demands and laboratory activities require regular onsite presence. New hires should expect to work onsite during the initial onboarding period.

What You'll Do

Lead Mechanical Product Development

• Test, develop, and validate mechanical components and systems for HVAC compressor applications.
• Apply engineering fundamentals including thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, machine design, dynamics, mechanics of materials, and tribology to solve product design challenges.
• Evaluate and mature new compressor technologies, materials, and design concepts to improve product performance, durability, cost, and manufacturability.
• Support development activities related to environmentally friendly refrigerants and next-generation HVAC technologies.

Perform Engineering Analysis and Validation

• Develop and execute mechanical test plans to evaluate product performance, reliability, and design risk.
• Utilize engineering tools such as NX, SolidWorks, ANSYS, and Minitab to perform design, simulation, analysis, and data interpretation.
• Analyze test data and translate findings into actionable design improvements.
• Apply structured engineering problem-solving methodologies to identify root causes and implement robust solutions.
• Investigate and troubleshoot compressor hardware issues through hands-on laboratory testing, component evaluation, and root cause analysis.

Drive Products Into Production

• Partner with manufacturing, quality, application engineering, sourcing, and marketing teams to successfully transition products from concept through production launch.
• Support design reviews, risk assessments, and continuous improvement activities throughout the product development process.
• Apply Lean product development principles to improve engineering effectiveness and reduce development cycle time.

Provide Technical Leadership

• Present engineering analyses, test results, and technical recommendations to engineering and business leadership.
• Mentor developing engineers in mechanical design practices, engineering fundamentals, and disciplined problem-solving techniques.
• Serve as a technical resource within global product development teams.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering Technology.

Experience

• 5 years of relevant work experience; including internship, new product development, quality, sustainability, lifecycle, or product support.

Technical Skills

• Strong foundation in mechanical engineering fundamentals.
• Experience applying thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, machine design, mechanics of materials, dynamics, or related disciplines.
• Experience using 3D CAD software such as NX, SolidWorks, Creo, Inventor, CATIA, or similar platforms.
• Experience using engineering analysis tools such as ANSYS, Minitab, or equivalent.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze mechanical systems and solve complex engineering problems.
• Direct experience with compressors strongly preferred. Experience with rotating equipment such as pumps, motors, turbines, engines, gearboxes, or similar mechanical systems will also be considered

Professional Skills

• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple technical projects simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences and present engineering recommendations to leadership teams.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Preferred Qualifications

• 7 years of experience developing mechanical products, rotating equipment, compressors, pumps, motors, or similar equipment.
• Experience with HVAC, refrigeration, or thermal systems.
• Experience conducting laboratory testing and product validation.
• Familiarity with Lean product development and design-for-manufacturing methodologies.
• Experience working directly with manufacturing and production environments.

What Makes This Role Unique

• Design and develop industry-leading compressor technology.
• Work on challenging mechanical engineering problems involving thermodynamics, fluid flow, tribology, materials, and rotating machinery.
• Influence the next generation of environmentally responsible HVAC products.
• Collaborate with a global team of mechanical engineering experts.
• See your designs progress from concept to production.