Capital Equipment Mechanical Design Engineer

A day in the life

As a Capital Equipment Mechanical Design Engineer, you’ll turn customer needs into practical designs for new equipment and replacement parts. Your work spans concept through installation for mechanical and electromechanical products and plant systems. You’ll uphold engineering standards, backstop quality control, and keep deliverables precise, timely, and on budget.

Project leadership

• Plan engineering programs, mapping activities, milestones, and the support required to hit each one.
• Own schedules, checklists, and budgets—and keep them current.
• Report milestone progress to internal stakeholders and customers; adjust plans proactively as conditions change.
• Collaborate with the engineering team to share lessons learned and coordinate supporting assignments.
• Take accountability for your scope and keep work moving to completion.

Design and documentation

• Translate sketches, drawings, specifications, and engineering data into clear procedures, objectives, and solutions.
• Research prior designs and constraints, extend proven concepts, and originate new product solutions.
• Verify designs against engineering principles, company standards, customer contract requirements, and applicable specifications.
• Partner with research and service teams to clarify issues, resolve problems, and drive innovative outcomes.
• Build 3D models and construction details for new or modified components and assemblies.
• Produce detailed equipment drawings suitable for machine shops and sheet metal fabrication.
• Provide peer support, reviews, and documentation quality control for the engineering team.
• Record calculations and models to support, test, and validate designs.
• Apply software-driven design and modeling methods to strengthen engineering capability and product development.
• Develop, edit, and review bills of materials; enter jobs, operations, and materials in the ERP system.
• Author installation, operation, and maintenance manuals; write installation and maintenance procedures and instructions.
• Maintain engineering files for all equipment, tracking modifications and field changes for serialized units.

Engineering buyouts and sourcing

• Engage vendors to obtain detailed quotations for project deliverables.
• Prepare purchase requisitions for equipment, structural supports, and installation components.
• Write specifications for engineered buyouts covering projects, parts, and service needs.

Cross-functional support

• Support Sales, R&D, Production, and Customer Service/Parts with engineering expertise.
• Provide technical input on manufacturing methods, materials, properties, and process limitations to inform long-range planning.
• Help refine and document internal engineering standards and procedures.
• Travel, as needed, to alternate production facilities and customer locations to support projects and installations.

Continuous learning

• Pursue ongoing education and training aligned to evolving project needs.
• Focus on current and emerging products and markets served by the company.
• Build breadth in safety training, code standards, software and computer modeling, communication, and technical writing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university, or an equivalent blend of education and experience.
• Documentation: capture solutions and archive knowledge to build institutional memory.
• Language: interpret technical documents; write clear reports and correspondence; present effectively to customers and teammates using modern presentation tools.
• Mathematics: apply geometry, trigonometry, statistics, mechanical engineering models, and practical calculations.
• Reasoning: define problems, gather data, establish facts, and draw sound conclusions; interpret complex technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form; manage both abstract and concrete variables.

Tools and technical proficiency

• Drafting and solid modeling expertise with Autodesk Inventor/Vault; able to connect finished products, mathematical models, 3D models, and 2D detail drawings.
• Skilled with CAD Software (AutoCAD, Solidworks), 3D Modeling, and 2D Drawings.
• Competencies include Project Management, Machine Building/Assembling, Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA), Design for Assembly (DFA), Mechanical Design & Engineering, and Blueprint Reading.

Work environment

This role includes both office and field work. Field activities may involve exposure to moving mechanical parts, weather conditions, electrical hazards, heights, fumes, chemicals, vibration, and loud noise. Appropriate personal protective equipment—such as ear plugs—will be required.