Mechanical Project Engineer
About the role
... content from About the role paragraph ...
Responsibilities
- Own mechanical design of automation systems and assemblies — including palletizing systems, case packing systems, conveyor systems, material handling systems, and end of arm tooling (EOAT) — from concept through release ...
Requirements
- 3+ years of experience in Mechanical Design, Mechanical Systems Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, or a related field ...
Requirements
- ... from What makes you a great fit: ...
Skills
- ... from Bonus points if you have: ...
for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule)." It says e.g., not exclusive, but we should only include those headings when posting has real specific content. Could also include About the team as a heading? Not in list; better to stick to list. So we omit About the team and Who we are? The instruction says do NOT repeat the job title as a heading (the page already shows it) and do NOT put Job ID / requisition numbers as headings — fold minor metadata into a short
or drop it. It doesn't forbid other headings not in list, but they gave examples. Safer to stick to those headings. Thus we need to include About the role (we have). Responsibilities (we have). Requirements (we have). Skills (we have). Benefits (we have). Pay (we have). Possibly also Qualifications? Not present. We must preserve all substantive information. So we need to include the About the role paragraph content exactly (or close). Also include the About the team? Not required but maybe considered substantive. However instruction says prefer a few substantive sections over many thin ones. Could include About the team as a paragraph under About the role? But it's separate. Might be considered part of About the role? The posting has separate sections: Who we are, About the team, About the role. The instruction says use headings for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities...). It didn't list About the team or Who we are. So we could drop them? But that would lose substantive info about the company and team. However maybe they consider that as minor metadata? Not sure. The instruction: "Do NOT repeat the job title as a heading (the page already shows it) and do NOT put Job ID / requisition numbers as headings — fold minor metadata into a short
or drop it." Who we are and About the team could be considered minor metadata? But they are substantive about the company and team. However the instruction says "Prefer a few substantive sections over many thin ones." Could combine them into About the role? Might be okay to include a brief paragraph about the company and team under About the role heading. But we must preserve all substantive information; we can include them as part of the About the role section's prose. Thus we can create About the role section that includes the who we are, about the team, and about the role description. That preserves all. Let's extract the relevant text: Who we are: "Formic is on a mission to reshape American manufacturing by making automation accessible to every factory. As labor constraints rise, costs increase, and global competition intensifies, automation is no longer optional for manufacturers that want to stay competitive. We deliver automation through a Robotics-as-a-Service model that combines industrial robotics, proprietary software, and full-service support into a single, integrated solution. By removing the traditional barriers of cost, complexity, and risk, we enable manufacturers to deploy automation quickly and realize measurable gains in throughput, safety, and operational efficiency without large upfront capital investment. Backed by leading investors including Lux Capital, Initialized Capital, Blackhorn Ventures, and Mitsubishi HC Capital North America, Formic is scaling rapidly and building the foundation for a new era of high-performance, Made in America production." About the team: "The Project Engineering team is a multidisciplinary engineering group within Automation Engineering Group, bringing mechanical, electrical, and controls engineering together under a single organization. The team serves as the engineering escalation path for the deployed fleet, taking on problems that exceed field-level troubleshooting and converting them into scoped, engineered, and standardized solutions. The team's work spans three connected areas. The first is the troubleshooting of complex problems: diagnosing multi-discipline failures across deployed robotic systems and engineering permanent, root-cause fixes rather than repeat repairs. The second is continuous improvement: converting recurring issues and field data into reliability upgrades and fleet-wide standardization. The third is support for existing and new product development and enhancements, in partnership with teams across the organization, to improve equipment currently in the field and to bring new capability online. Positioned at the intersection of design, commissioning, and field support, the team operates as a cross-functional unit, with engineers at the Bolingbrook hub working alongside field implementation resources across North America. The work is a deliberate blend of reactive support and proactive engineering, and each role on the team contributes to uptime, performance consistency, and long-term customer outcomes across the fleet." About the role: "As a Mechanical Project Engineer, you will own the mechanical design, documentation, and commissioning of electromechanical systems and assemblies as they are developed, productized, and brought into Formic's automation portfolio. You will lead mechanical design efforts - from concept through SolidWorks modeling, drawing release, and BOM management - while also driving hands-on system integration and floor commissioning to ensure automation systems are proven and production-ready before they scale across Formic's fleet. This is a hands-on, end-to-end role that blends mechanical design, EOAT development, and floor implementation with proactive product engineering. Working in close collaboration with Project Engineering and Software teams, you will design and release mechanical systems and end of arm tooling (EOAT), maintain organized model and drawing release structures, support the build and commissioning of automation systems on the floor, and develop the training and enablement material that equips Formic's fleet operations and deployment teams. Your work directly impacts mechanical design quality, deployment readiness, and the continued evolution and enhancement of Formic's automation portfolio." Then responsibilities list. We'll combine all three paragraphs into About the role section's
maybe multiple
tags. Now Responsibilities: list items from "In this role you will:" each bullet. Let's list them: - Own mechanical design of automation systems and assemblies — including palletizing systems, case packing systems, conveyor systems, material handling systems, and end of arm tooling (EOAT) — from concept through release - Design, prototype, assemble, and test automated end-of-line automation systems using SolidWorks 3D CAD - Develop and maintain organized SolidWorks model structures, assembly hierarchies, and controlled model/drawing release processes, including revision control and release documentation - Create and maintain detailed mechanical design documentation, including CAD models, drawings, exploded diagrams, BOMs, schematics, SOPs, and work instructions - Design EOAT and implement designs on the floor for build, integration, and commissioning of automation systems - Implement and integrate electrical, mechanical, and control subsystems, ensuring high performance, reliability, manufacturability, and repeatability - Rapidly iterate and validate mechanical designs and concepts to ensure exceptional product development delivery timelines - Lead and manage technical aspects of assigned automation projects within the product roadmap, ensuring milestones, technical specifications, and delivery timelines are met - Configure, validate, and troubleshoot electromechanical automation systems & assemblies on the floor during build and commissioning - Support design for manufacturability (DFM) and design for assembly (DFA) practices in collaboration with internal and external resources - Provide equipment support for Formic's Product & Software teams and technical operations teams - Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure cohesive product delivery and product sustainment - Troubleshoot & optimize; support debugging of system issues across software and hardware domains and recommend improvements to mechanical design and implementation - Participate in iterative development cycles by incorporating learnings from field deployments into mechanical design improvements - Perform root cause analysis, troubleshooting, and resolution of hardware and mechanical system-level issues - Develop and execute test plans to validate functionality, performance, and compliance with mechanical design requirements - Engage with external vendors to identify and scope necessary equipment and components - Interface with external system integrators and OEMs to ensure alignment on mechanical, electrical, and control design specifications - Continuously collect, aggregate, and assess Deployment and Production Optimization feedback for necessary mechanical design and Continuous Improvement enhancements - Prepare and deliver weekly internal reporting on progress for key initiatives Now Requirements: from "What makes you a great fit:" list: - 3+ years of experience in Mechanical Design, Mechanical Systems Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, or a related field - 3+ years of experience designing mechanical systems, machine assemblies, or equipment for industrial automation and robotic applications - Experience owning mechanical designs from concept through manufacturing release, including full 3D assemblies, detailed drawings, component selection, and BOMs - Strong proficiency in 3D CAD, ideally SolidWorks, with experience designing complete machine or system assemblies, not just individual parts - Strong drafting and GD&T skills, with the ability to produce fabrication- and assembly-ready drawings, exploded diagrams, and BOMs - Familiarity with industrial robotic systems and their integration, including robotic arms such as FANUC, KUKA, ABB, Yaskawa, Universal Robots, or similar platforms - Strong understanding of how mechanical systems interface with robotics, EOAT, conveyance, sensors, actuators, guarding, and other automation components