Freelance/ Mid-Level Mechanical/Product Development Engineer

RKS Design; Thousand Oaks (CA); On-site; USD 83,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

RKS Design is seeking a Mid-Level Mechanical/Product Development Engineer to join our multidisciplinary team in Thousand Oaks. You will contribute to the full product development lifecycle, from concept through production, applying Psycho-Aesthetics and collaborating with designers, researchers, and clients.

The role demands hands-on problem-solving across diverse products, strong CAD skills, and experience with manufacturing processes (injection molding, sheet metal, machining), enabling

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• Approximately 6–8 years of professional product development/mechanical engineering experience.
• Strong proficiency with parametric 3D CAD and experience creating production-ready mechanical designs.
• Working knowledge of sheet metal, machining, castings, additive manufacturing, and other common manufacturing processes.
• Experienced developing mechanical assemblies and integrating off-the-shelf components into product designs.
• Understanding of GD&T, tolerance analysis, engineering drawings, and design for manufacturing and assembly (DFMA).
• Experience working with prototypes and taking products through multiple design iterations.
• Ability to identify engineering problems, investigate root causes, and develop practical solutions.

Responsibilities

• Create high-quality mechanical, electro-mechanical, and assembly designs using parametric 3D CAD.
• Develop components and assemblies that balance engineering requirements, manufacturability, cost, aesthetics, and user experience.
• Participate in brainstorming sessions, design reviews, engineering reviews, and other cross-functional project meetings.
• Translate industrial design concepts into practical, manufacturable engineering solutions while maintaining the original design intent.
• Develop and maintain engineering documentation including drawings, specifications, bills of materials (BOMs), tolerance requirements, and supporting technical documentation.
• Build and evaluate prototypes and assist with testing and design verification.
• Perform tolerance analysis and identify potential mechanical, manufacturing, assembly, and reliability issues.
• Work with suppliers, prototype vendors, and contract manufacturers to obtain components, prototypes, tooling, and production parts.
• Review tooling and manufacturing designs to help ensure proper fit, finish, function, and production quality.
• Evaluate initial production samples for engineering and design intent and adherence to specifications and tolerances.
• Troubleshoot product and manufacturing issues, perform root-cause analysis, and recommend corrective actions.
• Assist with the design and review of manufacturing test fixtures and procedures.
• Support engineering efforts during design transfer and transition into manufacturing.
• Research and evaluate new materials, components, manufacturing technologies, and prototyping processes.
• Participate in client meetings and clearly communicate engineering recommendations, technical challenges, project progress, and potential solutions.
• Work with senior engineers and project leadership to maintain project schedules, identify risks, and meet project milestones.
• Contribute ideas for improving RKS engineering processes, tools, and best practices.

Skills

Parametric 3D CAD

Prototyping & testing

DFMA

Engineering problem solving

Project coordination

Cross-functional collaboration

Manufacturing knowledge

Communication skills

Product development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or related field

Tools

3D CAD software

Prototyping tooling

DFMA tools

Job description

Freelance/ Mid-Level Mechanical/Product Development Engineer

Thousand Oaks, United States | Posted on 11/10/2026

RKS Design is seeking a talented Mid-LevelMechanical/Product Development Engineer to join our multidisciplinary productdevelopment team.

In this role, you will work alongside Industrial Design,Research, Strategy, and Engineering teams to transform innovative concepts intothoughtfully engineered, manufacturable products. Your contributions will spanthe product development process—from early concept exploration and prototypingthrough detailed engineering, testing, manufacturing, and production.

We are looking for a hands-on problem solver who enjoysworking on a wide variety of products and technical challenges and whounderstands how great engineering supports both the design vision and theend-user experience.

You will apply Psycho-Aesthetics® (P/A), RKS’s proprietary human-centered design strategy methodology, alongside Eydora, our AI-powered strategy and decision-support platform, to turn research into clear design direction. This requires looking beyond usability to understand how an experience builds confidence, expresses identity, earns trust, and helps people achieve their goals.(eydora.ai)

Your Role

You will contribute to the development of complex mechanicaland electro-mechanical products while collaborating closely with designers,engineers, clients, suppliers, and manufacturing partners.

You should have solid experience developing products using3D CAD and a practical understanding of manufacturing processes includingplastic injection molding, sheet metal fabrication, machining, prototyping, andassembly.

You will be expected to take ownership of assignedengineering tasks and project work streams, identify potential technical risks,develop practical solutions, and help move products efficiently from conceptthrough production.

As part of a consulting environment, you will have theopportunity to work across different industries, technologies, and productcategories rather than focusing on a single product line.

Responsibilities

• Createhigh-quality mechanical, electro-mechanical, and assembly designs usingparametric 3D CAD.
  
• Developcomponents and assemblies that balance engineering requirements,manufacturability, cost, aesthetics, and user experience.
  
• Participatein brainstorming sessions, design reviews, engineering reviews, and othercross-functional project meetings.
  
• Translateindustrial design concepts into practical, manufacturable engineeringsolutions while maintaining the original design intent.
  
• Developand maintain engineering documentation including drawings, specifications,bills of materials (BOMs), tolerance requirements, and supportingtechnical documentation.
  
• Buildand evaluate prototypes and assist with testing and design verification.
  
• Performtolerance analysis and identify potential mechanical, manufacturing,assembly, and reliability issues.
  
• Workwith suppliers, prototype vendors, and contract manufacturers to obtaincomponents, prototypes, tooling, and production parts.
  
• Reviewtooling and manufacturing designs to help ensure proper fit, finish,function, and production quality.
  
• Evaluateinitial production samples for engineering and design intent and adherenceto specifications and tolerances.
  
• Troubleshootproduct and manufacturing issues, perform root-cause analysis, andrecommend corrective actions.
  
• Assistwith the design and review of manufacturing test fixtures and procedures.
  
• Supportengineering efforts during design transfer and transition intomanufacturing.
  
• Researchand evaluate new materials, components, manufacturing technologies, andprototyping processes.
  
• Participatein client meetings and clearly communicate engineering recommendations,technical challenges, project progress, and potential solutions.
  
• Workwith senior engineers and project leadership to maintain projectschedules, identify risks, and meet project milestones.
  
• Contributeideas for improving RKS engineering processes, tools, and best practices.
  

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor’sdegree in mechanical engineering or a related engineering discipline.
  
• Approximately6-8 years of professional productdevelopment/mechanical engineering experience.
  
• Strongproficiency with parametric 3D CAD and experience creatingproduction-ready mechanical designs.
  
• Workingknowledge of sheet metal, machining, castings, additive manufacturing, andother common manufacturing processes.
  
• Experiencedeveloping mechanical assemblies and integrating off-the-shelf componentsinto product designs.
  
• Understandingof GD&T, tolerance analysis, engineering drawings, and design formanufacturing and assembly (DFMA).
  
• Experienceworking with prototypes and taking products through multiple designiterations.
  
• Abilityto identify engineering problems, investigate root causes, and developpractical solutions.
  
• Strongorganizational skills and the ability to manage multiple assignments andpriorities in a fast-paced consulting environment.
  
• Strongwritten and verbal communication skills.
  
• Comfortablecollaborating directly with industrial designers, engineers, suppliers,manufacturers, and clients.
  

How We Work

At RKS, engineering does not happen in isolation. Ourengineers collaborate closely with Industrial Design, Research, Strategy, UserExperience, Technology, BusinessDevelopment, and Program Management tocreate products that are meaningful to users and successful in themarketplace..

You should be comfortable working in a highly creativeenvironment where projects and challenges can change quickly and whereengineers are encouraged to find innovative but practical solutions.

Most importantly, we are looking for someone who enjoysbuilding things, solving problems, and turning ambitious product ideas intoproducts that can actually be manufactured.

Requirements

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor’sdegree in mechanical engineering or a related engineering discipline.
  
• Approximately6-8 years of professional productdevelopment/mechanical engineering experience.
  
• Strongproficiency with parametric 3D CAD and experience creatingproduction-ready mechanical designs.
  
• Workingknowledge of sheet metal, machining, castings, additive manufacturing, andother common manufacturing processes.
  
• Experiencedeveloping mechanical assemblies and integrating off-the-shelf componentsinto product designs.
  
• Understandingof GD&T, tolerance analysis, engineering drawings, and design formanufacturing and assembly (DFMA).
  
• Experienceworking with prototypes and taking products through multiple designiterations.
  
• Abilityto identify engineering problems, investigate root causes, and developpractical solutions.
  
• Strongorganizational skills and the ability to manage multiple assignments andpriorities in a fast-paced consulting environment.
  
• Strongwritten and verbal communication skills.
  
• Comfortablecollaborating directly with industrial designers, engineers, suppliers,manufacturers, and clients.