Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

A growing custom automation and machine-building organization in the Grand Rapids area is seeking an experienced Mechanical Design Engineer to join its engineering team.

This is a hands-on position focused on designing custom automated machinery, robotic systems, tooling, and specialized manufacturing equipment. The engineer will take projects from initial concepts through detailed design and build, working closely with controls engineers, machine builders, and other technical disciplines.

The position is particularly suited to someone with broad machine-design experience who is comfortable working independently across varied automation applications.

Key Responsibilities

• Design custom automated machinery and specialized manufacturing equipment from concept through detailed design
• Develop mechanical assemblies, machine structures, tooling, fixtures, guarding, and related components
• Design equipment incorporating robotics and other automated manufacturing technologies
• Create detailed manufacturing drawings and documentation to support machine fabrication and assembly
• Specify mechanical components including pneumatics, actuators, sensors, and related machine hardware
• Design tooling and equipment for assembly, joining, material handling, and manufacturing applications
• Collaborate with controls engineers, machine builders, and other engineering disciplines throughout project execution
• Support equipment during fabrication, assembly, testing, troubleshooting, and final implementation
• Resolve mechanical design challenges that arise during machine build and startup
• Contribute to overall machine concepts and architecture while considering reliability, manufacturability, and serviceability
• Manage design responsibilities across multiple custom equipment projects and machine types
• Support continuous design improvements based on lessons learned during machine assembly and testing

Qualifications

• 5+ years of mechanical design experience, preferably within custom automation, machine building, or special-purpose equipment
• Demonstrated experience designing automated machinery, robotic equipment, tooling, fixtures, or comparable industrial systems
• Strong understanding of complete machine design and mechanical system integration
• Experience progressing equipment designs from initial concepts through detailed manufacturing drawings
• Ability to design mechanical assemblies, fabricated structures, tooling, and machine components
• Understanding of manufacturing methods and design-for-manufacturability principles
• Experience selecting and integrating mechanical and pneumatic components
• Broad exposure to different automation applications, machine types, or manufacturing environments strongly preferred
• Familiarity with robotics and automated assembly equipment is beneficial
• Exposure to controls hardware, sensors, or industrial networking is advantageous but not required
• Strong mechanical troubleshooting and problem-solving skills
• Ability to collaborate effectively with controls, manufacturing, and machine-build teams
• Ability to manage projects independently and contribute effectively within a fast-paced engineering environment

Experience with the following is beneficial:

• Custom Automation
• Robotic Integration
• Automated Assembly Equipment
• Machine & Tooling Design
• Pneumatic Systems
• Welding Equipment & Tooling
• Automated Fastening & Joining Systems
• Test Equipment
• CNC / Machining Fixtures
• High-Speed Manufacturing Equipment

Why Consider This Opportunity?

• Design complete custom machines rather than focusing on one repetitive product or component
• Take equipment from early-stage concepts through detailed design, fabrication, assembly, and implementation
• Work on a broad range of automated manufacturing and robotic applications
• Gain exposure to robotic integration, automated assembly, welding, testing, machining, fastening, and specialized tooling
• Maintain significant ownership over mechanical design decisions and machine functionality
• Collaborate directly with controls engineers and machine builders throughout the equipment development process
• See your designs physically built, tested, debugged, and placed into production
• Solve different engineering challenges from project to project
• Join a growing machine-building environment with a strong pipeline of custom automation work

This opportunity is particularly well-suited for an experienced Mechanical Design Engineer who enjoys complete machine design and wants to work on varied, technically challenging automation projects rather than supporting a repetitive product line.

Interested in Learning More?

For more information, please contact James Hanson at Engtal, who is managing the search:

[email protected]