Mechanical Design Engineer
Actalent
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Actalent is seeking a Mechanical Design Engineer in Torrance, CA to create accurate, parametric CAD models and detailed drawings for complex hardware across naval, aerospace, and automotive applications. The role involves converting legacy drawings to robust 3D models, managing PLM data, and collaborating with manufacturing, tooling, programming, and inspection teams to enable rapid design changes.
The ideal candidate has 3+ years of professional mechanical design experience, strong GD&T
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field.
- 3+ years of professional mechanical design experience with production CAD models.
- Proficient in at least one parametric CAD platform (NX, CATIA, Creo, SolidWorks).
- Strong GD&T knowledge per ASME Y14.5.
- Experience with PLM-based release and change control.
Responsibilities
- Build precise 3D CAD models from naval, aerospace, and automotive data for manufacturability.
- Create internal models and drawings for each manufacturing state (M-state).
- Own PLM data structure, release workflows, and documentation configuration.
- Implement design changes across part families with updated geometry.
- Convert incomplete 2D drawings to robust 3D parametric models.
- Collaborate with manufacturing, tooling, programming, and inspection teams.
- Provide fast design updates in response to production needs and QA feedback.
- Apply GD&T and drawing standards to define tolerances and features.
- Manage release schedules and priorities across multiple products.
- Support NPD initiatives for aerospace, automotive, naval hardware.
- Contribute to reverse engineering of legacy components.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
The Mechanical Design Engineer creates accurate, parametric CAD models and detailed drawings for complex manufactured hardware across naval, aerospace, and automotive applications. This role converts legacy and 2D drawings into robust 3D models, manages product lifecycle data and release workflows, and partners closely with manufacturing, tooling, programming, and inspection teams to enable efficient production and rapid design changes.
The Mechanical Design Engineer creates accurate, parametric CAD models and detailed drawings for complex manufactured hardware across naval, aerospace, and automotive applications. This role converts legacy and 2D drawings into robust 3D models, manages product lifecycle data and release workflows, and partners closely with manufacturing, tooling, programming, and inspection teams to enable efficient production and rapid design changes.
- Build precise 3D CAD models from naval prints, aerospace drawings, legacy drawings, and other customer technical data, ensuring accuracy and manufacturability.
- Create internal CAD models and detailed drawings for each manufacturing state (M-state) of a part, supporting in-process operations and production needs.
- Own and manage the PLM data structure for assigned parts, moving parts through the release workflow and maintaining accurate configuration and documentation.
- Execute customer and internal design changes across entire part families, updating customer geometry and all related M-states consistently and efficiently.
- Convert complex 2D drawings into robust 3D parametric models, including cases where drawings are incomplete or missing, using reverse engineering and model-based design practices.
- Collaborate closely with manufacturing, tooling, programming, and inspection teams to deliver clean, parametric models and drawings that downstream functions can build on.
- Provide fast, high-quality design updates and change implementations in response to production needs, schedule changes, and quality or inspection feedback.
- Apply GD&T and engineering drawing standards to define tolerances and features clearly, supporting machining, welded assemblies, tooling, and inspection processes.
- Manage your own release schedule and priorities across multiple products, balancing customer requirements, internal change processes, and production timelines.
- Support new product development initiatives by creating and refining mechanical designs suitable for aerospace, automotive, and naval hardware.
- Contribute to reverse engineering efforts for legacy components, translating existing physical parts and legacy prints into modern, model-based design documentation.
- Coordinate with inspection teams, including CMM or scan-based inspection, to ensure models and drawings align with measurement strategies and quality requirements.
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
- 3+ years of professional mechanical design experience, including creating production CAD models and drawings for manufactured hardware.
- Proficiency in at least one parametric 3D CAD platform such as Siemens NX, CATIA, Creo, or SolidWorks, including building models from complex 2D drawings and from incomplete or missing drawings.
- Working knowledge of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) in accordance with ASME Y14.5.
- Strong understanding of engineering drawing standards and best practices for production documentation.
- Experience with PLM-based release and change control, including managing part structures and workflows.
- Experience working directly with manufacturing teams to support production, resolve design issues, and align designs with manufacturing capabilities.
- Ability to manage personal release schedules and priorities across multiple products and projects.
- Experience in mechanical design for manufactured hardware in aerospace, automotive, naval, or related industries.
- Capability to perform reverse engineering and model-based design using customer technical data packages and legacy drawings.
- Experience using Siemens NX for production parts, including advanced parametric modeling and drawing creation.
- Familiarity with Teamcenter or similar PLM systems for managing product data, release workflows, and change control.
- Experience working with naval or shipyard drawings, customer technical data packages, and legacy prints.
- Experience in both naval and aerospace hardware, with an understanding of industry-specific standards and requirements.
- Experience creating in-process (M-state) models and drawings to support each stage of manufacturing.
- Experience running customer and internal change processes in parallel, ensuring alignment and traceability across part families.
- Exposure to machining processes and the design of components suitable for precision machining.
- Experience with welded assemblies, including designing for weldment fabrication and inspection.
- Experience in tooling design, supporting manufacturing and inspection with fixtures, gauges, and other tooling solutions.
- Experience collaborating with CMM or scan-based inspection teams and designing models and drawings that support advanced measurement techniques.
- Knowledge of new product development processes in mechanical design, particularly for aerospace and automotive applications.
- Familiarity with SAE standards and practices related to mechanical design and documentation.
The Mechanical Design Engineer works in a collaborative engineering environment that is closely integrated with manufacturing, tooling, programming, and inspection functions. Daily work centers on parametric 3D CAD platforms such as Siemens NX, CATIA, Creo, or SolidWorks, supported by PLM tools like Teamcenter for managing product structures, release workflows, and change control. The role involves frequent interaction with naval, aerospace, and automotive technical data, including shipyard drawings, customer technical data packages, and legacy prints, as well as support for machining, welded assemblies, tooling design, and CMM or scan-based inspection. The environment emphasizes accurate, model-based design, clear documentation, and responsive support to production schedules and priorities, fostering a culture of precision, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
This is a Permanent position based out of Torrance, CA.
The pay range for this position is $150000.00 - $220000.00/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.
Benefits for Full-time Employees Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees 401k Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need. Flexible vacation policy Equity
This is a Permanent position based out of Torrance, CA.
This position is anticipated to close on Nov 13, 2026.
This is a fully onsite position in Torrance,CA.
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 actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.
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.
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.
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.
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