Lead Mechanical Engineer

YER; Randstad; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

YER Tech Solutions is seeking a Lead Mechanical Engineer for the Netherlands or Portugal. You will lead a mechanical engineering team, drive design decisions, and oversee the full lifecycle from concept through production.

The role requires deep expertise in mechanical design, CAD/CAE tools, and cross-functional collaboration. The ideal candidate has 8–10 years of experience, leadership exposure, and a strong network within the Dutch or Portuguese engineering sectors.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 8–10 years of relevant engineering experience, with 2–3 years in leadership roles.
• Experience managing full engineering lifecycle from concept to production/commissioning.
• Preferably experience across diverse engineering companies/domains.
• Networking in the Netherlands or Portugal is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of mechanical engineers and technicians.
• Coordinate cross-functional projects with electrical and system teams.
• Review and approve designs, drawings and specifications.
• Own technical decisions and act as escalation point for engineering issues.
• Manage project timelines, budgets and resource allocation.
• Liaise with clients, suppliers and internal stakeholders on technical requirements.
• Translate business and customer requirements into engineering specs.
• Demonstrate strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

Skills

Mechanical design

CAD/CAE

Standards knowledge

GD&T

Project management

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

AutoCAD

Creo

FEA software

Job description

Lead mechanical engineer – YER Tech Solutions- Location: The Netherlands OR Portugal

Education & experience

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering (or a closely related discipline);
• Minimum 8–10 years of relevant engineering experience, including at least 2–3 years in a technical leadership or team lead capacity;
• Demonstrated experience managing the full engineering lifecycle from concept design through production/commissioning.
• Preferably in a variety of Engineering companies/domains
• Brings a good network in the engineering domain in the Netherlands or Portugal

Technical skills

• Strong command of mechanical design principles (stress analysis, thermodynamics, materials science, tolerancing);
• Proficiency with CAD/CAE tools (SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Creo, or similar) and FEA/simulation software;
• Working knowledge of relevant industry standards and codes (ISO, ASME, DIN, or sector-specific equivalents);
• Experience with GD&T, DFMA (design for manufacture and assembly), and root-cause failure analysis;
• Familiarity with project management tools and methodologies (Agile, Stage-Gate, or similar).

Leadership & team responsibilities

• Proven ability to lead and mentor a team of mechanical engineers and technicians and experience coordinating cross-functional projects with electrical, system, and mechanical engineering teams;
• Skilled at reviewing and approving technical designs, drawings, and specifications produced by team members;
• Comfortable owning technical decision-making and being the escalation point for engineering issues.
• Track record of managing project timelines, budgets, and resource allocation;
• Experience liaising directly with clients, suppliers, and internal stakeholders on technical requirements;
• Ability to translate business and customer requirements into engineering specifications.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving mindset;
• Clear written and verbal communication, including presenting technical content to non-technical audiences; adaptable across projects and industries, given the broad/generalist nature of this role.