CAD Designer With Hands-On Fabrication Experience Kooks Headers & Exhaust is seeking a skilled CAD Designer with hands-on fabrication experience to join our Engineering and Manufacturing team. This position will be responsible for developing 3D models, production drawings, assemblies, fixtures, and manufacturing documentation for high-performance exhaust components and related products. The ideal candidate combines strong CAD skills with practical fabrication knowledge. We are looking for someone who understands not only how to design a part on a computer, but also how that part will actually be cut, bent, welded, fixtured, assembled, and manufactured on the shop floor. This position will work closely with Engineering, Production, Fabrication, Welding, and Quality to develop new products, improve existing designs, troubleshoot manufacturing issues, and ensure designs are practical and repeatable in production.
Key Responsibilities:- Create and modify 3D CAD models, assemblies, and detailed manufacturing drawings.
- Design exhaust components, tubing assemblies, brackets, flanges, fixtures, and related fabricated components.
- Develop designs with manufacturability, fitment, cost, quality, and production efficiency in mind.
- Create accurate drawings including dimensions, tolerances, weld information, material specifications, and other manufacturing requirements.
- Design and develop welding, assembly, inspection, and production fixtures.
- Work directly with fabricators, welders, laser operators, tube-bending personnel, and other production employees to bring designs into production.
- Build, modify, and evaluate prototypes during new-product development.
- Verify vehicle and component fitment using physical measurements, CAD data, scanning, or other available methods.
- Make design revisions based on prototype testing, fitment, fabrication requirements, and production feedback.
- Troubleshoot dimensional, fitment, welding, bending, and manufacturing issues.
- Support continuous improvement efforts to make products easier, faster, and more consistent to manufacture.
- Maintain accurate CAD files, drawings, revisions, BOMs, and engineering documentation.
- Reverse-engineer existing components when necessary to create accurate CAD models and manufacturing information.
- Assist Engineering and Quality with dimensional inspection and verification of components.
- Support the transition of new products from prototype development into repeatable production.
- Participate in design reviews and provide practical fabrication input before designs are released to production.
- Work directly on the manufacturing floor when necessary to solve problems and validate designs.
Requirements:- Experience with 3D CAD design and mechanical drafting.
- Strong understanding of mechanical drawings, dimensions, tolerances, and manufacturing documentation.
- Hands-on metal fabrication experience.
- Experience with MIG and/or TIG welding processes.
- Understanding of tube fabrication, bending, cutting, welding, and assembly.
- Understanding of sheet metal and fabricated component design.
- Ability to accurately measure and reverse-engineer physical components.
- Experience using common inspection and measurement equipment such as calipers, micrometers, height gauges, angle finders, and related tools.
- Strong mechanical aptitude and problem-solving ability.
- Ability to take a concept from initial design through prototype fabrication and into production.
- Ability to communicate effectively with both engineering personnel and shop-floor employees.
- Willingness to work hands-on in a manufacturing environment.
Preferred Qualifications:- Proficiency with SolidWorks.
- Experience designing automotive, motorsports, exhaust, or performance components.
- Experience with stainless steel fabrication and TIG welding.
- Experience designing tubular assemblies and bent-tube components.
- Experience with CNC laser cutting, tube laser cutting, press brakes, CNC machining, or similar manufacturing processes.
- Experience designing welding and assembly fixtures.
- Familiarity with GD&T and production tolerance requirements.
- Experience with 3D scanning, CMM equipment, or dimensional inspection software.
- Experience developing BOMs, work instructions, and manufacturing documentation.
- Previous experience in a production manufacturing environment. Skills and Characteristics The successful candidate should be:
- Mechanically minded and comfortable working with their hands.
- Capable of visualizing how CAD designs translate into physical components.
- Detail-oriented while still understanding practical manufacturing requirements.
- Comfortable moving between the engineering office and manufacturing floor.
- Able to identify potential fabrication problems before a design reaches production.
- Self-motivated and capable of managing multiple projects simultaneously.
- Willing to collaborate directly with production employees to develop practical solutions.
- Passionate about automotive performance, motorsports, fabrication, or manufacturing.
Physical / Work Environment
This position involves a combination of office-based CAD work and hands-on work in a manufacturing environment. The employee may be required to work around welding, fabrication, machining, tube bending, laser cutting, and other manufacturing operations.
The position may require standing for extended periods, working around vehicles, taking measurements in confined areas, handling fabricated components, and occasionally lifting components or tooling.
