Mechanical Design Engineer

Stellar Recruitment; Canterbury; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Stellar Recruitment is recruiting for a Mechanical Design Engineer in South Canterbury, NZ. You will own how products are built and developed, driving structure, consistency and clarity across production.

You will collaborate with engineering and production to review products, strengthen documentation, improve manufacturability and ensure designs are fit for manufacture. You'll design machines using CAD, support production with technical issues, and help drive continuous improvement across

Qualifications

• A relevant engineering qualification. Relevant fields include Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering or Materials and Process Engineering.
• Experience supporting production operations in a manufacturing environment
• Strong capability with 3D CAD tools, software and engineering documentation
• Proven experience creating SOPs, work instructions, and process documentation
• A practical, hands-on approach to problem solving
• Strong technical curiosity and a drive to fully understand how things work

Responsibilities

• Initially, your focus will be on existing product lines—bringing them up to a consistent, well-documented, production-ready standard.
• Designing machines on CAD
• Supporting production teams with technical and process-related issues
• Reviewing and improving engineering drawings, workflows, and manufacturing methods
• Ensuring designs and processes are fit for manufacture
• Identifying inefficiencies, waste, and failure points in production
• Analysing production data to drive improvement
• Working closely with production teams to ensure solutions are practical and adopted

Skills

3D CAD

SOPs

Documentation

Production improvement

Engineering analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Mechatronics/Materials and Process Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

AutoCAD

Job description

We are recruiting for the role Mechanical Design Engineer to join our client, a well-established and growing New Zealand manufacturer of agricultural equipment based in South Canterbury.

This is a pivotal role where you will take ownership of how products are built and developed, bringing structure, consistency, and clarity to production processes. You will work across engineering and production to:

• Review existing products
• Strengthen documentation and SOPs
• Improve manufacturability and process reliability
• Experience Designing machines on CAD
• NPD and product development for additional market sectors

Why This Role Will Appeal

You will not be one of many engineers. You will be a key contributor shaping how the business operates. This opportunity will suit someone currently in a larger corporate or structured manufacturing environment who wants:

• Greater ownership and visibility of their work
• The ability to implement ideas without layers of approval
• Direct impact on production, quality, and efficiency
• A role where outcomes are visible and measurable
• The satisfaction of building systems and leaving a lasting footprint

What You'll Be Doing

• Initially, your focus will be on existing product lines-bringing them up to a consistent, well-documented, production-ready standard.
• Designing machines on CAD
• Supporting production teams with technical and process-related issues
• Reviewing and improving engineering drawings, workflows, and manufacturing methods
• Ensuring designs and processes are fit for manufacture
• Identifying inefficiencies, waste, and failure points in production
• Analysing production data to drive improvement
• Working closely with production teams to ensure solutions are practical and adopted

What Success Looks Like

• Strengthening of current product lines
• Application of new product lines to production
• Improved consistency and repeatability in manufacturing
• Reduction in rework, downtime, and production issues
• Strong alignment between engineering and production
• A structured, documented approach that builds internal IP

About You

You are likely already working in a Production Engineering or Manufacturing Engineering role and are confident in your ability to step into a business and quickly assess how things can be improved.

You will bring:

• A relevant engineering qualification. Relevant fields include Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering or Materials and Process Engineering.
• Experience supporting production operations in a manufacturing environment
• Strong capability with 3D CAD tools, software and engineering documentation
• Proven experience creating SOPs, work instructions, and process documentation
• A practical, hands-on approach to problem solving
• Strong technical curiosity and a drive to fully understand how things work

What's in It for You

• Competitive hourly rate / salary based on experience
• High level of ownership and influence across production
• Variety and challenge across multiple product lines
• The opportunity to make a genuine, visible impact within an amazing team
• Leading to a long-term, stable opportunity in a fast-growing business