Mechanical Fabricator

Michael Curry Design Inc; Scappoose (OR); On-site; USD 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Michael Curry Design Inc. is seeking a Mechanical Fabricator to create mechanical systems for custom puppets, kinetic objects, and scenic elements.

You will build from drawings, develop ideas into practical, buildable solutions, prototype mechanisms, and document results for review and approval. This role emphasizes fabrication know‑how, tolerances, and collaboration with designers and fabricators to ensure safe, lightweight, reliable builds that realize creative intent.

Qualifications

• Strong mechanical design and problem-solving abilities.
• Experience with metals, plastics, composites, machined components, fasteners, bearings, and commercially available mechanical components.
• Proficiency welding, machining, CNC fabrication, and general shop processes.
• Strong understanding of tolerances, fits, fasteners, mechanical interfaces, and moving assemblies.
• Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with both creative and technical team members
• Ability to manage multiple design problems and priorities within project schedules and budgets.

Responsibilities

• Develop mechanical concepts and systems for custom projects from initial idea through fabrication and testing.
• Translate creative and performance requirements into practical mechanical solutions.
• Understand, and be able to build and implement - mechanisms, frames, linkages, pivots, bearings, actuators, control interfaces, and related components.
• Evaluate material selection, tolerances, motion, wear, serviceability, weight, safety, and manufacturability.
• Develop prototypes and proof-of-concept mechanisms to test ideas before final fabrication.
• Work closely with designers and fabricators to ensure designs are efficient and practical to build.
• Propose design revisions in response to fabrication, testing, artistic, client, or operational feedback.
• Develop, and support the development of, bills of materials and assist with material sourcing and component specification.
• Maintain clear and accurate project documentation.
• Participate in design reviews and communicate technical information clearly to project managers, designers, fabricators, and other departments.
• Support troubleshooting, testing, commissioning, and installation as needed.
• Contribute to project estimating and help identify opportunities to reduce complexity, fabrication time, weight, and cost without compromising design intent.

Skills

Mechanical design

Problem solving

Materials & fabrication

Welding & CNC

Tolerances & fits

Collaboration

Project management

Education

Degree in mechanical design

Job description

The Mechanical Fabricator develops mechanical systems, structures, mechanisms, and fabrication solutions for custom puppets, kinetic objects, scenic elements, and other one-of-a-kind projects. This position bridges creative intent, mechanical design, engineering principles, and fabrication realities.

The role is responsible for building from drawings, as well as taking conceptual ideas and developing them into practical, buildable solutions through mechanical problem solving, prototyping, testing, documentation, and collaboration with fabrication teams.

This position is primarily focused on fabrication and requires a strong understanding of how things are fabricated, assembled, operated, maintained, and installed.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop mechanical concepts and systems for custom projects from initial idea through fabrication and testing.
• Translate creative and performance requirements into practical mechanical solutions.
• Understand, and be able to build and implement - mechanisms, frames, linkages, pivots, bearings, actuators, control interfaces, and related components.
• Evaluate material selection, tolerances, motion, wear, serviceability, weight, safety, and manufacturability.
• Develop prototypes and proof-of-concept mechanisms to test ideas before final fabrication.
• Work closely with designers and fabricators to ensure designs are efficient and practical to build.
• Propose design revisions in response to fabrication, testing, artistic, client, or operational feedback.
• Develop, and support the development of, bills of materials and assist with material sourcing and component specification.
• Maintain clear and accurate project documentation.
• Participate in design reviews and communicate technical information clearly to project managers, designers, fabricators, and other departments.
• Support troubleshooting, testing, commissioning, and installation as needed.
• Contribute to project estimating and help identify opportunities to reduce complexity, fabrication time, weight, and cost without compromising design intent.

Required Skills & Experience

• Strong mechanical design and problem-solving abilities.
• Experience working with materials and fabrication processes that include metals, plastics, composites, machined components, fasteners, bearings, and commercially available mechanical components.
• Proficiency welding, machining, CNC fabrication, and general shop processes.
• Strong understanding of tolerances, fits, fasteners, mechanical interfaces, and moving assemblies.
• Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with both creative and technical team members
• Ability to manage multiple design problems and priorities within project schedules and budgets.

Preferred Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent professional experience in mechanical design, industrial design, product development, robotics, mechatronics, mechanical engineering, theatrical engineering, or a related discipline.
• Experience working directly in a fabrication environment.
• Experience with prototyping and iterative design.
• Experience with basic electronics, motors, actuators, pneumatics, or control systems.

Success in This Role

A successful Mechanical Fabricator can be given a creative or functional challenge - “We need this character to make this movement, carry this load, and survive repeated operation” - and develop a durable, lightweight, safe, elegant, buildable mechanical solution while working collaboratively with our clients, who will operate and maintain it. Current staff include people from the worlds of: Theater and puppet building; Mechanical and Structural Engineering; fields of Art and Design; Kinetic Design; Aerospace industries; Digital automation; Metal fabrication, including machining, welding, casting/processing; Manufacturing, Automotive repair, and more. If you like working with your hands, finding innovative solutions that emerge from unique and challenging design constraints we would love to talk with you more about how you could join our team.