Design Engineer

About the role

The Design Engineer will develop material handling solutions for manufacturing and warehouse facilities, with a strong focus on conveyor systems and related machinery. This role combines hands-on mechanical and industrial design with project management, from initial concept and site layout through engineering design and handoff to execution.

Responsibilities

• Design material handling equipment, including conveyor belts and related machinery, to meet specific operational requirements within manufacturing and warehouse facilities.
• Develop site layouts and plant/warehouse configurations that support new equipment, increased capacity, and optimized material flow.
• Create design solutions for retrofitting existing areas to accommodate new equipment and for rearranging existing equipment within the facility.
• Define and document the scope of work for each project, ensuring alignment with facility needs, timelines, and budget constraints.
• Prepare and write Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and Requests for Quotations (RFQs) for vendors and partners involved in site selection and equipment procurement.
• Collaborate with vendors during site selection, equipment specification, and implementation planning.
• Produce detailed engineering designs, drawings, and documentation using CAD tools such as AutoCAD and SolidWorks.
• Manage projects from design through handoff to execution, tracking milestones and ensuring deliverables are completed on time.
• Travel to facility sites (up to approximately 50% of the time) to conduct site visits, gather requirements, validate layouts, and support implementation.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure that new layouts, retrofits, and equipment integrations support overall system performance and capacity goals.
• Consider upstream and downstream impacts when changing components within systems, ensuring that machines and processes function effectively together rather than as isolated units.
• Monitor project KPIs and performance, including meeting deadlines and achieving key milestones for assigned projects.
• Support continuous improvement efforts by identifying opportunities to enhance material handling efficiency, safety, and reliability through design changes.
• Participate in reviews and handoffs to execution teams, ensuring that designs are clear, feasible, and ready for installation and commissioning.

Essential Skills

• 5–7 years of experience in manufacturing or industrial design, with hands-on responsibility for equipment and layout design.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, such as mechanical, industrial, electrical, or manufacturing engineering.
• Demonstrated mechanical design experience in a manufacturing setting, with the ability to create practical, implementable solutions.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD for developing detailed layouts and engineering drawings.
• Experience using SolidWorks or similar 3D CAD tools for mechanical design.
• Strong experience in plant or warehouse layout design, including material handling systems.
• Project management skills, including planning, scheduling, and tracking milestones, combined with hands-on design responsibilities.
• Experience working with vendors, including creating RFPs and RFQs and collaborating during site selection and equipment procurement.
• Experience in designing conveyor systems and material handling solutions that increase capacity or support new equipment implementations.
• Experience in automation engineering or automation mechanical engineering, particularly involving design of new layouts, retrofits, and line implementations or launches.
• Ability to assess upstream and downstream impacts of design changes within systems engineering, ensuring coordinated operation of machines and processes.
• Familiarity with process design and automation systems related to material handling and conveyor equipment.
• Strong communication skills for coordinating with vendors, stakeholders, and cross-functional teams.
• Organizational skills to manage multiple projects, track KPIs, and meet deadlines and milestones.
• Interest in transitioning from contract to potential full-time employment, with openness to relocation if a permanent opportunity arises.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with mechanical design of warehouse systems, plant layouts, and material handling equipment is strongly preferred.
• Experience in designing conveyor systems and material handling solutions that increase capacity or support new equipment implementations.
• Experience in automation engineering or automation mechanical engineering, particularly involving design of new layouts, retrofits, and line implementations or launches.
• Ability to assess upstream and downstream impacts of design changes within systems engineering, ensuring coordinated operation of machines and processes.
• Familiarity with process design and automation systems related to material handling and conveyor equipment.
• Strong communication skills for coordinating with vendors, stakeholders, and cross-functional teams.
• Organizational skills to manage multiple projects, track KPIs, and meet deadlines and milestones.
• Interest in transitioning from contract to potential full-time employment, with openness to relocation if a permanent opportunity arises.