Mechanical Project Engineer

Actalent; Kentucky; On-site; USD 56,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision

Critical Illness insurance

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a Mechanical Project Engineer to oversee the full lifecycle of material handling systems from PO to customer acceptance. The role blends mechanical design, project management, and hands-on manufacturing involvement to deliver on time and within budget.

You will design systems using AutoCAD 2D and Inventor, manage BOMs, coordinate with electrical/controls teams, and lead installation drawings and documentation. Travel ~10-20% to customer sites is expected.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of engineering experience focusing on equipment, machinery, or conveyor design.
• 3+ years of project management experience leading technical or engineering projects.
• Strong mechanical design experience in a manufacturing or industrial environment.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD 2D for mechanical drawings and layouts (1-3 years).
• Proficiency with Autodesk Inventor for 3D design and modeling (1-3 years).
• 1-3 years of experience creating and managing BOMs.
• Hands-on manufacturing experience on the production floor.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering.
• Ability to travel 10-20% to customer sites.
• Strong communication across engineering, manufacturing, and customers.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical material handling projects from purchase order through customer acceptance and sign-off.
• Develop mechanical system designs based on customer requirements and sales concepts, taking projects from initial plan to practical implementation.
• Collaborate with the electrical and controls team to define and coordinate the overall operation scheme for each system.
• Produce and oversee the creation of bills of material (BOMs) for assigned projects, ensuring accuracy and completeness.
• Lead a project team in producing installation drawings, detail drawings, and all required engineering documentation.
• Serve as a primary liaison between engineering and manufacturing, ensuring designs are manufacturable and aligned with production capabilities.
• Monitor project progress, track deadlines and cost targets, and take corrective action to keep projects on schedule and within budget.
• Coordinate activities across engineering, manufacturing, and installation teams to maintain an accurate and realistic project schedule.
• Identify and resolve project issues and technical problems, escalating as needed to keep projects moving forward.
• Assist with on-site installation of material handling systems at customer facilities and provide engineering supervision during installation.
• Participate in floor activities within the manufacturing environment to support builds, troubleshoot issues, and validate designs.
• Travel to customer sites as needed, approximately 10-20% of the time, to support installation, commissioning, and customer acceptance.

Skills

Engineering experience

Project management

Mechanical design

AutoCAD 2D

Autodesk Inventor

BOM management

Hands-on manufacturing

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Travel 10-20%

Cross-functional communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD 2D

Autodesk Inventor

NetSuite ERP

Job description

Job Description

Job Title: Mechanical Project Engineer

Job Description

This Mechanical Project Engineer role oversees the complete lifecycle of material handling systems, from purchase order through customer acceptance. You will transform customer and sales concepts into fully designed, manufactured, and installed mechanical systems, working closely with cross-functional teams. The position combines mechanical design, project management, and hands-on involvement in a manufacturing environment to ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical material handling projects from purchase order through customer acceptance and sign-off.
• Develop mechanical system designs based on customer requirements and sales concepts, taking projects from initial plan to practical implementation.
• Collaborate with the electrical and controls team to define and coordinate the overall operation scheme for each system.
• Produce and oversee the creation of bills of material (BOMs) for assigned projects, ensuring accuracy and completeness.
• Lead a project team in producing installation drawings, detail drawings, and all required engineering documentation.
• Serve as a primary liaison between engineering and manufacturing, ensuring designs are manufacturable and aligned with production capabilities.
• Monitor project progress, track deadlines and cost targets, and take corrective action to keep projects on schedule and within budget.
• Coordinate activities across engineering, manufacturing, and installation teams to maintain an accurate and realistic project schedule.
• Identify and resolve project issues and technical problems, escalating as needed to keep projects moving forward.
• Assist with on-site installation of material handling systems at customer facilities and provide engineering supervision during installation.
• Participate in floor activities within the manufacturing environment to support builds, troubleshoot issues, and validate designs.
• Travel to customer sites as needed, approximately 10-20% of the time, to support installation, commissioning, and customer acceptance.

Essential Skills

• 5+ years of engineering experience focused on equipment, machinery, or conveyor design.
• 3+ years of project management experience leading technical or engineering projects.
• Strong mechanical design experience in a manufacturing or industrial environment.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD 2D for mechanical drawings and layouts, with 1-3 years of hands-on experience.
• Proficiency with Autodesk Inventor for 3D mechanical design and modeling, with 1-3 years of hands-on experience.
• 1-3 years of experience creating and managing bills of material (BOMs).
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to be hands-on in a manufacturing environment, including time spent on the production floor.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining quality and meeting deadlines.
• Strong communication skills to effectively coordinate between engineering, manufacturing, and customers.
• Capability to travel approximately 10-20% of the time to customer sites.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• PMP (Project Management Professional) certification.
• Experience with ERP systems such as NetSuite or similar platforms.
• Experience in material handling equipment design, industrial construction, or manufacturing environments.
• Knowledge of metal fabrication processes, including laser cutting, press brakes, and welding.
• CNC knowledge related to lathe and mill operations.
• CNC programming experience.
• FEA (Finite Element Analysis) knowledge and experience using tools such as ANSYS, NASTRAN, or similar.
• Prior experience designing material handling equipment or systems.
• Ability to thrive in a hands-on, go-getter culture where collaboration and initiative are highly valued.
• Interest in long-term growth within a close-knit engineering and manufacturing team.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Fairfield, OH.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $40.87 - $52.89/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms.

If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Ac