Mechanical Design Engineer

Actalent; St. Charles (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan

Life Insurance

Disability insurance

Health Spending Account (HSA)

Transportation benefits

Employee Assistance Program

Paid time off

Job summary

Actalent in St. Charles, IL is seeking a Mechanical Design Engineer to develop advanced mechanical designs for standard and custom plastic assembly products, balancing schedule, cost, and performance.

The role focuses on new product development (≈75%) with cross-functional collaboration and hands-on prototyping, testing, and DFMA-driven optimization.

Requires a BS in Mechanical Engineering and at least 3 years of experience designing industrial equipment, with strong 3D CAD skills.

Qualifications

• BSME degree preferred.
• At least 3 years designing industrial equipment.
• Hands-on 3D CAD design experience.
• Experience designing industrial equipment, machinery, or automation systems.

Responsibilities

• Develop advanced mechanical designs for standard and custom plastic assembly products that meet specifications, schedules, and cost targets.
• Spend about 75% of time on new product development activities, including concept generation, detailed design, and refinement.
• Evaluate and select components and materials to improve reliability, robustness, and overall design quality.
• Create, maintain, and update documentation required for product development and manufacturing, ensuring it conforms to established engineering standards and practices.
• Use 3D CAD tools to produce detailed models, assemblies, and drawings for industrial equipment and related machinery.
• Support engineering activities, including design reviews, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement of existing products.
• Plan and run lab experiments and tests to validate designs, document procedures and results, and analyze data to inform design decisions.
• Apply Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) principles to ensure designs are efficient to manufacture, assemble, and service.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure mechanical designs integrate effectively with motion control systems, electro-mechanical components, and automation elements.
• Contribute hands-on support in prototyping, testing, and problem-solving, including practical mechanical work when needed.

Skills

3D CAD design

Design for Manufacturing and Assembly

Industrial equipment design

Education

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME)

Job description

The Mechanical Design Engineer develops advanced mechanical designs for both standard and custom plastic assembly products that meet performance specifications, project schedules, and cost requirements. The role focuses primarily on new product development, with approximately three-quarters of the time dedicated to design and development work and the remaining time supporting engineering activities. This position offers the opportunity to work on a complex product line within a collaborative, family-oriented culture.

Responsibilities

• Develop advanced mechanical designs for standard and custom plastic assembly products that meet defined specifications, schedules, and cost targets.
• Spend the majority of time, approximately 75%, on new product development activities, including concept generation, detailed design, and design refinement.
• Evaluate and select components and materials to improve product reliability, robustness, and overall design quality.
• Create, maintain, and update documentation required for product development and manufacturing, ensuring it conforms to established engineering standards and practices.
• Use 3D CAD tools to produce detailed models, assemblies, and drawings for industrial equipment and related machinery.
• Support engineering activities, including design reviews, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement of existing products.
• Plan and run lab experiments and tests to validate designs, document procedures and results, and analyze data to inform design decisions.
• Apply Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) principles to ensure designs are efficient to manufacture, assemble, and service.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure mechanical designs integrate effectively with motion control systems, electro-mechanical components, and automation elements.
• Contribute hands-on support in prototyping, testing, and problem-solving, including practical mechanical work when needed.

Essential Skills

• Engineering degree, with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) preferred.
• At least 3 years of experience designing industrial equipment.
• Proven, hands-on 3D CAD design skills for mechanical components and assemblies.
• Demonstrated experience designing industrial equipment, machinery, or automation systems.
• Working knowledge of DFMA (Design for Manufacturing and Assembly) principles.
• Ability to plan, execute, and document lab experiments and testing, and to analyze results to guide design improvements.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of St. Charles, IL.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $90000.00 - $115000.00/yr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Medical, dental & vision

• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave) Workplace Type This is a fully onsite position in St. Charles,IL. Application Deadline This position is anticipated to close on Sep 8, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector:

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):

We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.