Design Engineer — Commercial Foodservice Equipment

Job Juncture; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

PTO

10 paid holidays

Job summary

Job Juncture in Chicago seeks a Design Engineer to own its commercial cooking equipment line. You will take products from concept through CAD, prototype, lab testing, agency approval and into production — reporting directly to the COO. In a company this size that means the person running the business sees your work, and decisions do not take six weeks.

You would not be doing it alone. There is drafting support and lab support, so you are the engineer — not also the draftsman and the test

Qualifications

• 5+ years of product design experience.
• Experience with products combining mechanical and electrical systems.
• Designed real parts for sheet metal forming, welding, manual and CNC machining.
• Comfortable running your own laboratory testing.
• Combustion experience and UL 197 / NSF familiarity are a bonus.

Responsibilities

• Develop new products and improve the existing line.
• Run complete testing, including extended lab programs on your own designs.
• Drive cost reduction into both new and current products.
• Coordinate manufacturing launches alongside production and sales.
• Document inventions to support patent applications.
• Write engineering and laboratory test reports.

Skills

Product design

Mechanical systems

Electrical systems

Sheet metal forming

Welding

Manual machining

CNC machining

Lab testing

Combustion knowledge

NSF familiarity

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

CAD software

Job description

Salary: $120,000 - $130,000 per year

Location: Chicago, IL

Posted: September 29 2026

Relocation Assistance: Not Available

An 85-year-old, family-owned Chicago manufacturer is looking for a Design Engineer to own its commercial cooking equipment line.

Own is the word. You would take products from concept through CAD, prototype, lab testing, agency approval and into production — reporting directly to the COO. In a company this size that means the person running the business sees your work, and decisions do not take six weeks.

You would not be doing it alone. There is drafting support and lab support, so you are the engineer — not also the draftsman and the test technician.

A new product roadmap is launching now, with several new products planned per year. Patent work is part of the job.

What you would do

Develop new products and improve the existing line

Run complete testing, including extended lab programs on your own designs

Drive cost reduction into both new and current products

Coordinate manufacturing launches alongside production and sales

Document inventions to support patent applications

Write engineering and laboratory test reports

What you need

5+ years of product design experience; Bachelor's degree in Engineering or equivalent

Experience with products combining mechanical AND electrical systems — this is the requirement that matters most

Designed real parts for real fabrication: sheet metal forming, welding, manual and CNC machining

Comfortable running your own laboratory testing

Combustion experience and UL 197 / NSF familiarity are a bonus, not a requirement

Details

$120,000–$130,000 depending on experience

Standard hours are 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday, fully onsite in Northwest Chicago. There is some flexibility on start time — as early as 7:00 a.m.

401(k), medical, dental and vision, PTO and 10 paid holidays

Relocation: No relocation expenses covered. Candidates should be within 1-1.5 hour drive of NW Chicago.

Target start: early October