Mechanical Engineer IV

John Crane, a business of Smiths Group, is a global leader in mission-critical flow control solutions for energy and process industries that enable efficient and sustainable operations. Our products include mechanical seals and systems, couplings, filtration systems, and predictive digital monitoring technologies. 

We have a global network of more than 200 sites in over 50 countries and employ more than 6,000 people worldwide. We partner with our customers to help them keep their operations safe, reduce downtime, improve efficiency, and meet the latest environmental standards. 

John Crane is part of Smiths Group. For over 170 years, Smiths has been pioneering progress by engineering for a better future. We serve millions of people every year, helping to create a safer, more efficient, productive, and better-connected world across four global markets: energy, security & defence, space & aerospace, and general industrial. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, Smiths employs approximately 16,000 colleagues in over 50 countries. 

Duties & Responsibilities

Research, develop, and evaluate innovative gas seal, wet seal, and sealing system technologies to address current and future business and market needs.

Design and develop new seal components, assemblies, and related technologies with a focus on performance, reliability, manufacturability, and cost competitiveness.

Apply mechanical engineering principles to analyze rotating equipment, sealing systems, and component interactions.

Create, interpret, and maintain engineering drawings, specifications, and technical documentation for new product development projects.

Perform and interpret FEA and other engineering analyses to assess product performance, structural integrity, and design robustness.

Develop, execute, and document product verification and validation plans, including laboratory and rig testing.

Design, build, and evaluate prototype hardware to support concept development and product validation.

Correlate analytical predictions with test data and implement design improvements based on findings.

Conduct technical investigations of product performance, test results, and developmental failures to identify opportunities for improvement.

Generate and maintain engineering calculations, design records, test reports, and other documentation required to support the NPD process.

Collaborate with Product Management, Manufacturing, Materials, Test Engineering, and other cross-functional teams to advance technology and product development efforts.

Manage assigned development activities to achieve project objectives, schedules, and technical milestones.

Support the transition of new products and technologies from development to production through design validation and technical documentation.

Contribute to the continuous improvement of engineering tools, analytical methods, testing capabilities, and product development processes.

Perform additional duties as assigned.

Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering preferred; Chemical Engineering may be considered for a mechanically oriented candidate. Master’s acceptable; no certification specified.

At least 5 years of relevant engineering experience.

Strong mechanical aptitude and application of engineering fundamentals; FEA exposure and ability to interpret results; hands-on experience leading, developing, and executing engineering test plans and validation protocols; ability to support testing on site in Morton Grove. Project management experience.

Personally driven engineering projects involving design or material evaluation, analysis, and hands-on testing. Relevant R&D, field, refinery, petrochemical, and reliability experience considered when backed by actual troubleshooting.

Proficiency in interpreting and creating mechanical drawings, GD&T, and engineering specifications.

Experience with finite element analysis (FEA), including model development, result interpretation, and validation.

Knowledge of structured troubleshooting and root-cause analysis methodologies.

Capable of developing and executing engineering test plans and validation protocols.

Ability to correlate analytical predictions with physical test results and drive design improvements from data.

Strong technical documentation, communication, and project execution skills.

With colleagues stretching across the globe, we are proud of our diversity. To foster inclusivity, we run employee resource groups (ERGs) to provide a safe space for employees to connect and support each other. Our cross-business ERGs include Veterans, Pride Network, Black Employee Network, Women@Work Network, and Neurodiversity. 

Across our company, we recognize excellence, culminating in the Smiths Excellence Awards, our annual celebration of the most extraordinary activities, people, and projects that best showcase our strengths and help drive our business forward. We announce these on our annual Smiths Day, a global celebration of Smiths around our network. 

Join us for a great career with competitive compensation and benefits, while helping engineer a better future. 

We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity.

At no time during the hiring process will Smiths Group, nor any of our recruitment partners ever request payment to enable participation – including, but not limited to, interviews or testing. Avoid fraudulent requests by applying jobs directly through our career’s website (Careers - Smiths Group plc)