Senior Model Based CAD and Characterization Applications Engineer

Immediate need for a talented Senior Model Based CAD and Characterization Applications Engineer. This is a 06 months contract opportunity with long-term potential and is located in Costa Mesa, CA(Onsite). Please review the job description below and contact me ASAP if you are interested.

Job ID: 26-34787

Pay Range: $100/hr - $110/hour. Employee benefits include, but are not limited to, health insurance (medical, dental, vision), 401(k) plan, and paid sick leave (depending on work location).

Key Responsibilities:

• Author and maintain Siemens NX model structure, annotation, attribute, and presentation state standards aligned with ASME Y14.41, Y14.47, and Y14.5.
• Conduct technical working sessions with different engineering domains to understand model requirements and translate them into standardized procedures.
• Define model completeness criteria and develop automated conformance checks to ensure compliance.
• Develop and maintain characterization schemas covering product, manufacturing, assembly, service, and process characteristics.
• Define data formats and interfaces, including STEP AP242, QIF, and JT, to transfer characterization data from CAD models to downstream applications without manual data entry.
• Identify gaps in existing CAD tools and develop technical requirements for tool improvements.
• Evaluate domain maturity against the NSE MBE Maturity Index and develop roadmaps to achieve target maturity levels.
• Develop training materials for design, manufacturing, quality, and supplier engineering teams.
• Represent the technical function during design reviews, supplier assessments, and tool evaluations.
• Document technical findings, recommendations, and required actions.
• Continuously maintain and update modeling standards based on product, program, and technology changes.
• Role Scope – What This Position Does Not Own
• Product Design Authority: Establishes modeling standards but does not make product design decisions.
• Software Development: Does not develop Siemens NX, Teamcenter, or Forge software. Defines requirements for the responsible development teams.
• Physical Test Execution: Defines characterization schemas and data models; physical material and process testing belongs to Materials and Test Engineering.
• Program Management: Does not own program management or cross-functional dependency tracking.
• Engineering Management: This position does not have direct reports.

Key Requirements and Technology Experience:

• Key skills: CAD applications, Model-Based Definition, Siemens NX
• 8 years of experience in design engineering, manufacturing engineering, or CAD applications, with recent experience developing and governing Siemens NX modeling standards. Candidates with 5 years may be considered if they have exceptional characterization and multi-domain MBD experience.
• Strong hands-on proficiency in Siemens NX, including:
• Product Manufacturing Information (PMI) authoring.
• Model views and presentation states.
• Attribute schema management.
• Assembly structure development.
• Experience with CATIA or Creo may also be considered, but Siemens NX is strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of ASME Y14.5, Y14.41, and Y14.47 standards.
• Ability to determine when to use semantic versus graphical PMI and justify decisions based on applicable standards.
• Experience defining CAD/MBD standards across multiple engineering domains, including design, manufacturing, quality, or CAM.
• Understanding of model-based characterization, including how characteristics originate in CAD models and are traced through manufacturing and inspection.
• Experience creating and maintaining standard operating procedures, work instructions, method sheets, and technical documentation under change control.
• Working knowledge of Siemens NX integration with Teamcenter, including datasets, item revisions, release states, model attributes, and metadata management.
• Ability to conduct technical requirement-gathering sessions with domain experts and convert findings into structured technical documentation.
• Must be willing to work onsite in Costa Mesa, California. Remote exceptions may be considered at management's discretion for exceptional candidates.
• Background in manufacturing process engineering or production planning with experience transitioning into CAD applications and Model-Based Definition (MBD).
• Experience with NX CAM or Mastercam programming.
• Knowledge of downstream data formats, including STEP AP242, QIF, and JT, particularly how PMI and characteristic data are transferred for manufacturing and inspection.
• Familiarity with the DMSC Model Based Characteristics standard and its characteristic data model.
• Experience in shipbuilding, submarine construction, aerospace structures, or other large-scale discrete assembly manufacturing environments.
• Knowledge of complex, multi-level Bill of Materials (BOM) structures.
• Experience with aftermarket or sustainment MBD requirements, including service characteristics and production characteristics.
• Familiarity with the NSE MBE Maturity Index and practices associated with Level 4 and above model-based engineering maturity.
• Experience with NX Open or NX Check-Mate for automated model conformance checks.
• Exposure to physics-based modeling or digital twin methodologies where model data directly supports simulation and analysis.
• Experience working in defense or regulated manufacturing environments.
• Knowledge of export-controlled programs, AS9100, NIST 800-171, or CMMC requirements.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted document generation and technical requirements analysis workflows.

Our client is a leading Defense Industry, and we are currently interviewing to fill this and other similar contract positions. If you are interested in this position, please apply online for immediate consideration.

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