Direct Hire Engineering Machine Design Lead

Behm Consulting LLC; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Paper Machinery Corporation seeks a Machine Design Team Lead to drive mechanical design of high-speed automated machinery from concept through production release. You will establish standards, validate designs with FEA and testing, and collaborate across functions to meet performance and cost targets.

You will mentor a small team, applying engineering rigor and structured validation while ensuring manufacturability and field support. This role is on-site in Milwaukee, WI.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or related field.
• 5+ years in a design lead role within OEM machinery/packaging/automation.
• Proven experience with high-speed machinery (200-300 cycles/min).
• Strong CAD proficiency in Inventor or SolidWorks.
• Experience with FEA, design validation, testing, and documentation.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and project management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical design and development of high-speed automated machinery from concept to production release.
• Establish and maintain design standards, reviews, and best practices.
• Ensure designs meet performance, safety, manufacturability, and cost goals.
• Mentor a small team to improve performance and growth.
• Collaborate with Operations, Sales, and Product Management to ensure successful integration.

Skills

3D CAD

FEA analysis

Engineering validation

Project management

Leadership/mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering

Tools

Inventor

SolidWorks

Job description

Paper Machinery Corporation (PMC) is a global leader in designing and manufacturing advanced paperboard cup and container forming equipment, helping customers around the world produce high-quality, sustainable packaging solutions. For more than 70 years, PMC has built its reputation on engineering excellence, innovation, and exceptional customer support, serving some of the world's most recognized foodservice and consumer packaging brands. With a commitment to quality, advanced manufacturing, and continuous improvement, PMC offers employees the opportunity to build rewarding careers while making a meaningful impact. Behm Consulting, LLC is proud to partner with Paper Machinery Corporation in the search for talented professionals who are ready to grow with an innovative and respected global manufacturer.

Job Overview:

The Machine Design Team Lead is responsible for leading the design, development, and validation of high-speed industrial machinery. This role combines technical leadership, people development, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver innovative, reliable, and manufacturable machine solutions. The Machine Design Team Lead partners closely with the Tooling and Controls Leads, Operations, Sales, and Product Management to ensure projects meet performance, quality, cost, and schedule objectives while maintaining rigorous engineering standards.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the mechanical design and development of high-speed automated machinery from concept through production release.
• Establish and maintain engineering design standards, best practices, and design review processes.
• Ensure designs meet performance, reliability, safety, manufacturability, and cost objectives.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a small team to enhance performance and professional growth.
• Apply engineering rigor through analytical methods, calculations, simulations, and structured validation activities.
• Utilize Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and other engineering tools to validate designs and improve performance.
• Develop and execute design verification and validation plans to ensure product requirements are met.
• Partner with operations to ensure efficient manufacturing processes.
• Collaborate with sales, engineering, and service teams to ensure successful machine integration and support in the field.
• Provide regular status updates and technical recommendations to engineering leadership.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or related engineering field.
• High speed (200-300 cycles/minute) machine design experience in a design lead role within an OEM machinery, packaging, automation, or related manufacturing environment. Would expect 5+ years in a similar role but actual experience, responsibility, and ownership will take precedence.
• Strong proficiency with 3D CAD software (Inventor or SolidWorks)
• Experience performing and interpreting FEA analysis.
• Experience with design rigor, validation, testing, and documentation.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and project management skills.

Preferred Skills:

• Excellent relationship and team building skills.
• Demonstrated success mentoring and developing team members.