Mechanical Designer

Actalent; Dakota City (IA); On-site; USD 54,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k

Health, dental, vision

Job summary

Actalent in Dakota City, IA is seeking a Mechanical Designer to provide drafting and design support using CAD tools such as SolidWorks and AutoCAD to develop equipment models and detailed manufacturing and assembly drawings. You will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team, follow drafting standards, and participate in peer reviews to ensure quality.

The role involves site visits, project tracking from concept to shop floor, and a Monday–Friday schedule.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years of experience as a mechanical designer.
• Two-year drafting and design technical certificate, degree, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Fluent user of AutoCAD and SolidWorks, or highly transferrable CAD software experience.
• Strong mechanical design and drafting skills, including creating detailed models and drawings for manufacturing and assembly.
• Experience working with engineering change notices and related documentation processes.
• Knowledge of PDM and ERP software in an engineering or manufacturing environment.
• Ability to take initiative and work effectively with minimal supervision while managing multiple design tasks.
• Demonstrated productivity, dependability, resourcefulness, efficiency, and professionalism in a design or engineering setting.

Responsibilities

• Provide drafting and mechanical design work using SolidWorks and AutoCAD for a range of equipment and machinery.
• Develop accurate equipment models and detailed manufacturing and field assembly drawings in accordance with established drafting standards and best practices.
• Understand the function and design of existing product lines to support improvements and new designs.
• Participate in the design of new and current equipment in cooperation with a multidisciplinary design team.
• Review models and drawings created by others as part of the peer review process and provide constructive feedback.
• Update and revise drawings created by others, accurately incorporating required changes and engineering change notices.
• Apply company drafting standards and best practices consistently across all design work.
• Collaborate with engineering and shop floor personnel to verify design intent and ensure manufacturability of parts and assemblies.
• Support documentation processes within PDM and ERP systems related to design and engineering changes.
• Occasionally travel to job sites to support equipment design, installation, or troubleshooting as needed.
• Perform other related mechanical design and drafting duties as assigned.

Skills

AutoCAD

SolidWorks

Drafting standards

Manufacturing drawings

ERP

PDM

Collaboration

Documentation

Multitasking

Problem solving

Education

Two-year drafting and design certificate

Equivalent experience

Tools

AutoCAD

SolidWorks

PDM

ERP

Job description

Mechanical Designer | Dakota City, IA

Job Description

The Mechanical Designer provides drafting and design support using CAD tools such as SolidWorks and AutoCAD to develop equipment models and detailed manufacturing and assembly drawings. This role collaborates closely with a design team to create and improve machinery, applies established drafting standards and best practices, and participates in peer reviews to ensure accuracy and quality. The position offers the opportunity to follow projects from concept through to the shop floor, occasionally visiting job sites and performing other related duties as assigned.

Responsibilities

• Provide drafting and mechanical design work using SolidWorks and AutoCAD for a range of equipment and machinery.
• Develop accurate equipment models and detailed manufacturing and field assembly drawings in accordance with established drafting standards and best practices.
• Understand the function and design of existing product lines to support improvements and new designs.
• Participate in the design of new and current equipment in cooperation with a multidisciplinary design team.
• Review models and drawings created by others as part of the peer review process and provide constructive feedback.
• Update and revise drawings created by others, accurately incorporating required changes and engineering change notices.
• Apply company drafting standards and best practices consistently across all design work.
• Collaborate with engineering and shop floor personnel to verify design intent and ensure manufacturability of parts and assemblies.
• Support documentation processes within PDM and ERP systems related to design and engineering changes.
• Occasionally travel to job sites to support equipment design, installation, or troubleshooting as needed.
• Perform other related mechanical design and drafting duties as assigned.

Essential Skills

• Minimum of 3 years of experience as a mechanical designer or in a closely related design role.
• Two-year drafting and design technical certificate, degree, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Fluent user of AutoCAD and SolidWorks, or highly transferrable CAD software experience.
• Strong mechanical design and drafting skills, including creating detailed models and drawings for manufacturing and assembly.
• Experience working with engineering change notices and related documentation processes.
• Knowledge of PDM (Product Data Management) and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software in an engineering or manufacturing environment.
• Ability to take initiative and work effectively with minimal supervision while managing multiple design tasks.
• Demonstrated productivity, dependability, resourcefulness, efficiency, and professionalism in a design or engineering setting.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience in any of the following industries: agriculture, material handling, material blending, or fertilizer.
• Familiarity with shop floor processes and the ability to collaborate with production teams to validate designs.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to maintaining high-quality design standards.
• Effective communication skills to work within a design team and participate in peer reviews.

Work Environment

This is a primarily office-based role supporting computer-aided design work within an engineering department. The standard schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM. The designer works upstairs alongside the engineering team, with occasional trips to the shop floor to review parts and see designs in operation. The environment features a relaxed, people-focused culture where casual attire such as jeans and T-shirts is common. Team members have opportunities to see their designs progress from concept to completed machinery, including starting up machines before they ship to customers. The workplace emphasizes collaboration, a friendly atmosphere, and periodic social activities such as informal tournaments and catered lunches.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Dakota City, IA.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $60000.00 - $60000.00/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.

401k, health, dental, vision

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Dakota City,IA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 6, 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.