Junior Mechanical Engineer - Hands-On Design & Production

All Jobs; Lake City (MN); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Valley Craft is seeking an entry-level Mechanical Engineer to support the design, development, and production of material handling, storage, and safety related products.

This role is ideal for a hands-on engineer early in their career who wants exposure to real production hardware, manufacturing support, and product lifecycle ownership. The position emphasizes practical engineering execution, collaboration with manufacturing, and continuous product improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• Familiarity with SolidWorks or similar 3D CAD software.
• Basic understanding of welding, machining, sheet metal, fabrication.
• Strong attention to detail and willingness to learn.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and engineer new products and custom solutions.
• Support existing product designs through design updates, documentation changes, and production support.
• Assist with engineering change requests (ECRs/ECOs) and implementation into production.
• Help diagnose production, quality, or field issues and support corrective actions.
• Work closely with fabrication, welding, assembly, and quality teams to ensure designs are manufacturable and buildable.
• Support fixture design and basic prototyping as needed.
• Identify potential pinch points, cut hazards, or ergonomic concerns early and help implement improvements.
• Participate in root-cause analysis and problem-solving efforts.

Skills

Attention to detail

Willingness to learn

Good written and verbal communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Job description

Valley Craft is seeking an entry-level Mechanical Engineer to support the design, development, and production of material handling, storage, and safety related products.

This role is ideal for a hands-on engineer early in their career who wants exposure to real production hardware, manufacturing support, and product lifecycle ownership. The position emphasizes practical engineering execution, collaboration with manufacturing, and continuous product improvement.