Mechanical Engineer

Sterlitec; Auburn (WA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Sterlitec in Washington state is seeking a hands-on Mechanical Engineer to support our Operations team on the shop floor. You will build, test, and troubleshoot sub-assemblies and systems, keeping in-house fabrication equipment like 3D printers and the laser cutter running smoothly.

The ideal candidate will prefer bench work over desk design, own problems from report to fix, read drawings and BOMs, and contribute to lean improvements, work instructions, and ISO 9001 quality practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or equivalent hands-on experience.
• 2+ years in a manufacturing or hands-on engineering environment.
• Proficient in 3D CAD (SolidWorks or similar).
• Able to read drawings, schematics, and BOMs.
• Experience operating 3D printers and laser cutters preferred.
• Familiarity with fluid or hydraulic systems, NetSuite, or ISO 9001 a plus.
• Clear communicator who can write work instructions shop-floor staff can follow.

Responsibilities

• Hands-on assembly and production support with the assembly team to build, inspect, and test sub-assemblies and systems.
• Read and interpret drawings, schematics, P&IDs, and BOMs; flag errors to Product Development.
• Own setup, operation, maintenance, and calibration of in-house fabrication equipment (3D printers, laser cutter).
• Identify and execute Lean improvements to reduce time, scrap, and errors; document procedures.
• Provide cross-functional technical support to Product Development, Purchasing, and Quality.

Skills

3D CAD

SolidWorks

Reading drawings

Troubleshooting

Lean / CI

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering

Equivalent hands-on experience

Tools

3D printers

Laser cutter

NetSuite

Job description

The Mechanical Engineer is a hands-on engineer embedded with the Operations team. This role spends most of its time on the shop floor: building and troubleshooting sub-assemblies and systems alongside the assembly team, keeping in-house fabrication equipment (3D printers, laser cutter, fixtures and tooling) running and productive, and solving the day-to-day technical problems that slow production down.

This is not a desk design role. Where Product Development owns new product design, this engineer owns making things get built well, consistently, and efficiently in Operations: fixtures and jigs, process fixes, work instructions, equipment uptime, and root-cause problem solving. The ideal candidate is a mechanical engineer who would rather be at the bench with a part in hand than behind a screen, and who can take ownership of problems from first report to verified fix.

Primary Responsibilities:

Hands-on assembly and production support

• Work alongside assemblers, the lead tech, and the test engineer to build, inspect, and test sub-assemblies and systems, including wiring, plumbing, and mechanical assembly
• Step in on complex or first-article builds, and help clear production bottlenecks when the schedule demands it
• Read and interpret drawings, schematics, P&IDs, and BOMs; flag drawing or BOM errors back to Product Development
• Support membrane production and the warehouse with technical problem solving as needed

Troubleshooting and root cause

• Be the first technical responder when a build, test, or piece of equipment isn’t working
• Diagnose mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and basic electrical issues on products and shop equipment
• Lead root-cause investigations for defects, nonconformances, and repeat failures, and implement corrective actions in line with the ISO 9001 quality system

Fabrication equipment ownership

• Own setup, operation, maintenance, and calibration of in-house fabrication equipment, including 3D printers and the laser cutter
• Design and produce fixtures, jigs, gauges, tooling, and replacement or prototype parts using CAD, 3D printing, laser cutting, and basic machining
• Maintain equipment maintenance schedules, consumables, and spare parts; coordinate with outside service vendors when needed
• Train operators on safe and correct equipment use, including laser safety requirements

Process improvement and documentation

• Identify and execute improvements that reduce assembly time, scrap, rework, and errors, using Lean and continuous improvement methods (e.g., kaizen, 5S, mistake-proofing)
• Create and maintain work instructions, SOPs, assembly aids, and test procedures that assemblers can follow at the bench
• Keep routings, BOMs, and item data accurate in NetSuite (ERP) for the products and processes this role supports
• Track simple production metrics (cycle time, first-pass yield, rework) to show where improvements are needed and whether they worked

Cross-functional technical support

• Act as the Operations technical liaison to Product Development on manufacturability, design changes, and new product introduction
• Support Purchasing with technical input on parts, materials, substitutions, and new equipment
• Support Quality with inspections, first-article checks, and supplier part issues
• Help scope, install, and commission new manufacturing equipment
• Other duties as assigned

Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or a related field, or equivalent hands-on experience
• 2+ years of experience in a manufacturing or hands-on engineering environment
• Proficient in 3D CAD (SolidWorks or similar); able to read drawings, schematics, and BOMs
• Strong mechanical aptitude with hand and power tools, assembly, basic wiring, and plumbing
• Structured, persistent approach to troubleshooting and root-cause analysis
• Experience operating and maintaining 3D printers and laser cutters preferred
• Familiarity with fluid or hydraulic systems, filtration, NetSuite, or ISO 9001 a plus
• Clear communicator who can write work instructions shop-floor staff can follow