Phd Engineer Jobs in Wisconsin (NOW HIRING)

In this role, you will make an impact in the following ways:

• Ensure reliable test setups: Build and prepare test articles, fixtures, and rigs accurately so testing starts with a safe, repeatable, and well-configured setup.
• Enable high-quality data collection: Install instrumentation according to engineering standards to ensure test data is precise, traceable, and useful for engineering analysis.
• Support efficient test execution: Assist with running tests using established procedures, helping the team complete tests on schedule while maintaining accuracy.
• Improve test validity: Understand how both the product and the test equipment function so you can quickly recognize issues that might affect data quality.
• Troubleshoot test systems: Diagnose and resolve setup, instrumentation, or test stand issues to minimize downtime and keep testing operations moving.
• Maintain reliable lab operations: Perform upkeep and maintenance on laboratory equipment so tools and systems remain safe, calibrated, and ready for use.
• Contribute to continuous improvement: Provide feedback on fixtures, setups, and processes to help refine test procedures and increase efficiency over time.
• Support the full test lifecycle: Manage everything from initial build and setup to final teardown, ensuring test articles are handled properly and labs remain organized for future work.

Responsibilities
Do you like figuring out why things don't work?
If you're the person your friends call when their truck won't start, their boat has an electrical problem, their lawn equipment won't run, or their computer isn't working right, you might be a great fit for this role!
We're looking for someone who enjoys working with their hands, solving problems, and figuring out how things work.
You don't need to have worked in a research laboratory before.
You might be an automotive, diesel, aviation, marine, agricultural, small-engine, industrial maintenance, electrical, construction, or other skilled-trades professional. You might work in IT or another technical field and spend your free time working on cars, building computers, repairing electronics, racing, restoring vehicles, or working on RC equipment.
What matters most is that you're mechanically inclined, comfortable with technology, good at troubleshooting, and interested in learning.
What do we actually do?
We work in a research and development facility developing and testing new diesel emissions technology.
Our team tests systems designed to reduce emissions from diesel engines, including technologies such as diesel particulate filters, diesel oxidation catalysts, selective catalytic reduction systems, and diesel exhaust fluid systems.
You don't need to know all of that when you walk through the door.
We'll teach you what you need to know about our equipment and testing systems.
Your job is to help build the test setup, run the test, watch what's happening, collect good data, and figure out what to do when something doesn't work.
What will you actually do?
On a typical day, you may:

• Work on diesel engines and emissions equipment.
• Install engines and emissions systems into test cells.
• Build and modify mechanical test setups using tools, hoses, fittings, brackets, and other hardware.
• Install sensors, wiring, and other electrical equipment used to collect test data.
• Connect equipment to computers and data acquisition systems.
• Start and monitor tests.
• Watch equipment and test data to make sure everything is working correctly.
• Troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, computer, and equipment problems when something doesn't work.
• Work with engineers to figure out what went wrong and determine how to fix it.
• Repair and maintain test equipment so it is ready for the next test.
• Make improvements to equipment and test setups when you see a better way to do something.
• Tear down completed tests and prepare the equipment for the next project.
• Keep the test area clean, organized, and ready for the next job.

This is not an assembly-line job.
This is research and development.
Every test is different, and things don't always work the way they're supposed to.
That's part of the job.
You might spend one day working on an engine, another day chasing an electrical problem, and the next day figuring out why a sensor isn't giving the right reading.
Sometimes the problem is mechanical.
Sometimes it's electrical.
Sometimes it's a computer or communication problem.
Sometimes we don't know what the problem is.
That's where you come in!
We need people who can look at a problem and say:
"Something isn't right. Let me figure out what's going on."
You won't know everything when you start. We don't expect you to!
What we need you to bring is mechanical ability, troubleshooting skills, curiosity, good communication, and a willingness to learn.
You work with everyone
Our lab is a team environment, and our technicians work with just about everyone.
You may spend part of your day working with a PhD engineer discussing test results and troubleshooting a complicated technical problem. You may then work with another technician, an electrician, facilities, a contractor, or our janitorial team to get something done.
You need to be comfortable talking to everyone.
We need someone who can:

• Explain a problem clearly.
• Listen to what other people have to say.
• Ask questions when something isn't clear.
• Give clear updates on what you're working on.
• Communicate problems before they become bigger problems.
• Work through disagreements professionally.
• Adjust how you communicate depending on who you're talking to.
• Treat everyone with the same level of respect, regardless of their position.

You don't need to talk like an engineer.
In fact, one of the most valuable skills in this job is being able to take a complicated problem and explain it in simple terms.
Whether you're talking to a PhD, an engineer, another technician, a manager, a contractor, or someone cleaning the lab, everyone deserves the same level of professionalism and respect.
If you're the kind of person who can walk into a room, talk comfortably with anyone, work through a problem together, and keep people informed, you'll fit in well here.
You may be a great fit if...
You have professional or personal experience with things like:

• Cars, trucks, diesel equipment, motorcycles, boats, aircraft, farm equipment, or small engines.
• Automotive diagnostics and repair.
• Electrical troubleshooting or wiring.
• Mechanical repair or maintenance.
• Construction, fabrication, or other skilled trades.
• Computers, computer hardware, or electronics.
• Building or repairing PCs.
• RC cars, airplanes, boats, or similar equipment.
• Automotive performance, autocross, drag racing, or vehicle restoration.
• HAM radio or other technical hobbies.
• Troubleshooting equipment, machines, or systems.

These are examples, not requirements.
We're interested in people who have learned how to build, fix, troubleshoot, modify, or understand complicated things.
You may be a mechanic who is comfortable with computers.
You may be an IT or systems person who spends your weekends working on your car.
You may be an electrician who enjoys rebuilding engines.
You may be someone who has always been the person who fixes things when they break.
If that sounds like you, we want to hear from you!
What you'll need

• High school diploma, GED, or equivalent experience
• Hands-on mechanical or technical experience
• The ability to troubleshoot problems and figure out how things work
• Basic computer skills and the ability to learn new computer programs
• The ability to safely use common hand and power tools
• The ability to work safely around engines, machinery, electrical equipment, and laboratory equipment.
• The ability to communicate clearly with engineers, technicians, and other members of the lab
• The ability to work as part of a team
• The ability and willingness to operate or become qualified to operate PIVs, hoists, and cranes as required

Helpful experience
The following experience is helpful, but we can teach you our specific equipment and testing processes:

• Diesel engines
• Automotive electrical systems
• Wiring and electrical troubleshooting
• J1939/CAN communication
• Diesel emissions or aftertreatment systems
• Computers and data acquisition systems
• Mechanical test equipment
• Microsoft Office or similar computer programs

Safety matters!
We work around engines, high temperatures, pressurized systems, electrical equipment, heavy equipment, chemicals, and other laboratory hazards.
Safety is everyone's responsibility!
You must be willing to follow safety procedures, use the required personal protective equipment, ask questions when you're unsure, and speak up when you see something that isn't safe.
We want people who take safety seriously and look out for themselves and the people around them.
Qualifications
The bottom line-
We're looking for people who like to figure things out.
You don't have to be an emissions expert.
You don't have to have worked in an R&D laboratory.
You don't have to know everything about diesel engines, electronics, computers, or data acquisition when you start.
You do need to be someone who is comfortable getting your hands dirty, working with machines and technology, troubleshooting problems, communicating with people, and learning new things.
If you have a strong mechanical background and are interested in electronics and computers - or you're strong with computers and technology but have a passion for mechanical things - we'd like to talk to you.
If you are a problem solver who enjoys working with your hands, isn't afraid to ask questions, treats people with respect, and wants to learn, you may be exactly the person we're looking for!
About Us
Cummins is an equal opportunity employer. Our policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons without regard to race, sex, color, disability, national origin, age, religion, union affiliation, sexual orientation, veteran status, citizenship, gender identity, or other status protected by law.