Machine Design Engineer

About the role

The Machine Design Engineer designs and develops custom automated equipment, primarily for the automotive industry. This role uses FEA, GD&T, and 3D CAD tools to concept, design, and test complex machinery that integrates both mechanical and electrical components such as gearboxes, electric motors, and load cells.

Responsibilities

• Concept, design, and develop custom automated equipment for automotive industry applications using 3D CAD, FEA, and GD&T.
• Collaborate with customers to understand project requirements and translate them into practical machine concepts and detailed designs.
• Design systems that incorporate mechanical and electrical components, including gearboxes, electric motors, load cells, hydraulics, and pneumatics.
• Perform analysis and validation of designs using FEA and GD&T to ensure performance, reliability, and manufacturability.
• Research, quote, and select appropriate components for automated equipment, balancing performance, cost, and availability.
• Create and maintain accurate engineering documentation, including bills of materials and design specifications, for each project.
• Support the manufacturing and assembly process by working closely with shop floor teams to monitor progress and address design-related issues.
• Visit the manufacturing floor daily to review build status, verify design intent, and make necessary design adjustments to keep projects on schedule.
• Cook up with suppliers to evaluate component options and ensure that selected parts meet project requirements.
• Coordinate with suppliers to evaluate component options and ensure that selected parts meet project requirements.
• Participate in project reviews and provide technical input to help ensure successful execution of automation projects.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of design standards, processes, and tools within the engineering team.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) with 3+ years of machine design experience, or 5–10 years of machine design experience without a degree.
• Hands-on experience in machine design for custom automation equipment.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD software such as SolidWorks or Inventor.
• Experience performing finite element analysis (FEA) on mechanical components and assemblies.
• Strong knowledge and practical application of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T).
• Experience with hydraulics or pneumatics in machine and automation system design.
• Background in designing custom automation equipment for industrial applications, ideally including automotive.
• Experience creating and managing bills of materials (BOM) for complex machinery.
• Able to work on multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining quality and meeting timelines.
• Strong communication skills for interacting with customers, suppliers, and internal manufacturing teams.

Qualifications

• Experience using SolidWorks for mechanical design and modeling.
• Experience creating detailed and structured bills of materials for automated systems.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license in engineering is a plus.
• Master’s degree in engineering or a related field is a plus.
• Familiarity with electric motors, gearboxes, and load cells in automation applications.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced environment with a growing engineering team.
• Interest in overseeing projects from concept through manufacturing and assembly.

Skills

• Experience with electric motors, gearboxes, and load cells in automation applications.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced environment with a growing engineering team.
• Interest in overseeing projects from concept through manufacturing and assembly.

Benefits

If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $43.00 - $50.00/hr. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment.