3D Design, 3D Modeling, AutoCAD, Canvas, Communication Skills, Design Services, Detail Oriented, FDA (Food and Drug Administration), Food and Beverage Industry, Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing, Grinding, Industrial Design, Manufacturing, Mechanical Design, Multitasking, Partner Sales, Problem Solving Skills, Product Design, Product Development, Project Lifecycle, Project/Program Management, Research & Development (R&D), Sales, Small Company, SolidWorks, System Integration (SI), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Welding
Mechanical Designer – 3D and Process Design
Modern Process Equipment (MPE) · Chicago, IL · Full-time, On-site
About MPE
We're a family-owned Chicago manufacturer with 65+ years in the business - and over 90% of North American coffee runs through our grinders. Our customers include Starbucks, Nestlé, Purina, and Hershey's. Every product is designed and built right here in Chicago. Small-company culture, enterprise-level impact.
The Opportunity
If you want to see your designs get welded, machined, and shipped - this is the role. You'll take custom processing equipment from blank canvas to finished build: modeling integrated systems in 3D, drafting mezzanines and structural components, and working directly with customers, sales, and project managers. You'll also have real R&D bandwidth to invent product improvements and solve problems that don't have an existing playbook.
What You'll Do
- Build 2D and 3D models of grinding, conveying, and complete plant systems from concept through manufacturing
- Prepare approval, fabrication, and installation drawing packages
- Meet directly with customers to understand requirements and surface constraints early
- Partner with sales and project managers across the full project lifecycle
- Develop product improvements and iterate with the engineering team on open-ended R&D problems
What You Bring
- 2-year degree in mechanical drafting/design or a 4-year engineering degree - or equivalent hands-on experience
- 5+ years industrial design experience: you've worked on equipment that actually gets built
- Proficiency in SolidWorks and AutoCAD; working knowledge of GD&T, fabrication, and materials
- Process plant or food/beverage equipment experience is a plus; sanitary/USDA/FDA exposure is a bonus
- Comfortable in front of a customer and on the shop floor - you communicate clearly and close loops
- Inventive, detail-oriented, and able to juggle multiple active projects
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive salary plus bonus and profit sharing
- Major medical, 401(k)
- Hands-on training and a clear growth path
- Occasional travel
Ready to design equipment that actually gets built?
Send your resume and sample drawings or a portfolio to apply. We're more interested in what you've designed than where you went to school.
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Modern Process Equipment