Mechanical & Product Development Engineer - Hands-On

RKS Design, Inc.; Thousand Oaks (CA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

RKS Design in Thousand Oaks is seeking a Mid-Level Mechanical/Product Development Engineer to advance multi-disciplinary projects from concept through production. You will work with industrial design, research, strategy, and engineering teams to transform ideas into manufacturable products.

You will own engineering tasks, conduct tolerance analysis, and collaborate with suppliers and clients to deliver robust mechanical solutions across industries.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or related discipline.
• Approximately 6-8 years of professional product development/mechanical engineering experience.
• Strong proficiency with parametric 3D CAD and experience creating production-ready mechanical designs.
• Working knowledge of sheet metal, machining, castings, additive manufacturing, and other common manufacturing processes.
• Experienced developing mechanical assemblies and integrating off-the-shelf components into product designs.
• Understanding of GD&T, tolerance analysis, engineering drawings, and design for manufacturing and assembly (DFMA).
• Experience working with prototypes and taking products through multiple design iterations.
• Ability to identify engineering problems, investigate root causes, and develop practical solutions.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple assignments and priorities in a fast-paced consulting environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfortable collaborating directly with industrial designers, engineers, suppliers, manufacturers, and clients.

Responsibilities

• Create high-quality mechanical, electro-mechanical, and assembly designs using parametric 3D CAD.
• Develop components and assemblies that balance engineering requirements, manufacturability, cost, aesthetics, and user experience.
• Participate in brainstorming sessions, design reviews, engineering reviews, and other cross-functional project meetings.
• Translate industrial design concepts into practical, manufacturable engineering solutions while maintaining the original design intent.
• Develop and maintain engineering documentation including drawings, specifications, bills of materials (BOMs), tolerance requirements, and supporting technical documentation.
• Build and evaluate prototypes and assist with testing and design verification.
• Perform tolerance analysis and identify potential mechanical, manufacturing, assembly, and reliability issues.
• Work with suppliers, prototype vendors, and contract manufacturers to obtain components, prototypes, tooling, and production parts.
• Review tooling and manufacturing designs to help ensure proper fit, finish, function, and production quality.
• Evaluate initial production samples for engineering and design intent and adherence to specifications and tolerances.

Skills

Parametric 3D CAD

Prototypes

DFMA

Manufacturing know-how

GD&T

Cross-functional collaboration

Documentation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering

Tools

Sheet metal fabrication

Machining

Additive manufacturing

Plastic injection molding

Job description

RKS Design in Thousand Oaks is seeking a Mid-Level Mechanical/Product Development Engineer to advance multi-disciplinary projects from concept through production. You will work with industrial design, research, strategy, and engineering teams to transform ideas into manufacturable products.

You will own engineering tasks, conduct tolerance analysis, and collaborate with suppliers and clients to deliver robust mechanical solutions across industries.