Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

GAM Enterprises, LLC; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

GAM Enterprises, LLC is seeking an experienced Sr. Mechanical Design Engineer to lead the design and development of precision planetary and right-angle gearboxes and related mechanical components from concept through production.

The role involves collaborating with customers, Sales, Application Engineering, and Manufacturing to create manufacturable, cost-effective solutions for complex motion-control applications in a high-mix, low-volume environment.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in mechanical design or product development.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or closely related field.
• Experience designing gears, gearboxes, drivetrains, or precision assemblies.
• Proficient CAD skills; SolidWorks preferred and GD&T knowledge.
• Experience with gear sizing, torque and load calculations, tolerances.
• DFM and manufacturing process awareness.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of planetary and right-angle gearboxes from concept through production.
• Collaborate with customers, Sales, and Manufacturing to meet requirements and cost targets.
• Perform gear sizing, torque/load calculations, shaft/ bearing selection, tolerance analysis.
• Apply GD&T, stack-up analyses, and materials selection for manufacturability.
• Create and maintain drawings, BOMs, assembly docs, test reports, and changes.
• Support prototypes, testing, validation, and transition to production.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to engineers.

Skills

Gears

Gearboxes

CAD design

SolidWorks

GD&T

DFM

CNC machining

Materials tolerances

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

MITCalc

KISSsoft

MASTA

FVA Workbench

Job description

GAM Can, Just ASK! That is our passion. Our Mantra. The spirit of our entrepreneurial culture. We live and breathe our core values of teamwork, being action-oriented, building long-term relationships, professionalism, and having fun.

GAM manufactures precision mechanical components for the Motion Control Industry. Our manufacturing environment is high-mix, low-volume, and highly flexible, providing engineers the opportunity to work on challenging, custom applications and see designs move from concept to production.

The Opportunity

GAM is seeking an experienced Sr. Mechanical Design Engineer to lead the design and development of precision planetary and right-angle gearboxes, mechanical components, and other GAM products from concept through production.

This position will serve as a technical leader within the engineering team, working closely with customers, Sales and Application Engineering, and Manufacturing to develop reliable, manufacturable, and cost-effective solutions for complex motion-control applications.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of planetary and right-angle gearboxes, drivetrain components, and precision mechanical products from concept through production.
• Develop and modify designs to meet customer requirements, application needs, performance specifications, manufacturability, quality, and cost objectives.
• Collaborate directly with customers, Sales, Application Engineering, and Manufacturing to develop solutions for unique applications.
• Perform engineering analysis including gear sizing, torque and load calculations, shaft and bearing selection, tolerance analysis, and mechanical performance evaluation.
• Apply GD&T, tolerance stack-up, material selection, and Design for Manufacturability (DFM) principles to create reliable, production-ready designs.
• Create and maintain detailed engineering drawings, BOMs, assembly documentation, testing reports, and engineering change documentation.
• Support prototype development, testing, validation, and the transition of new and modified products into production.
• Investigate product, manufacturing, and field-related issues; perform root cause analysis and implement effective corrective actions.
• Work closely with Manufacturing to optimize CNC machining, assembly, quality, cost, and overall product performance.
• Lead and support engineering changes from design through implementation and validation.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to other engineers and engineering team members.
• Provide advanced technical support to Sales, Customer Service, Operations, and customers when required.
• Identify opportunities to improve existing products, engineering processes, manufacturing methods, quality, and cost.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in mechanical engineering, mechanical design, or product development, preferably in precision manufacturing, motion control, power transmission, automation, or a related industry.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Demonstrated experience designing gears, gearboxes, drivetrain components, or precision mechanical assemblies.
• Experience with gear design and analysis software such as MITCalc, KISSsoft, MASTA, FVA Workbench, or similar.
• Advanced practical CAD experience; SolidWorks preferred.
• Strong knowledge of mechanical design principles, materials, tolerances, GD&T, and CNC machining.
• Ability to independently analyze complex engineering problems and develop practical, reliable solutions.
• Experience with engineering drawings, BOMs, product documentation, and engineering change processes.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with customers, engineers, manufacturing personnel, and management.
• Organized, detail-oriented, adaptable, and capable of managing multiple priorities in a high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environment.

Preferred Experience

• Servo or precision gearboxes
• FEA or other mechanical engineering analysis
• Product testing and validation
• PDM/PLM systems
• Robotics, automation, or motion-control applications
• Experience taking products from concept through design, validation, production release, and continuous improvement

Why GAM?

At GAM, engineers have the opportunity to do more than design parts. You will work directly with customers, collaborate with Manufacturing, solve challenging mechanical problems, and see your designs become real products.

We are a growing, entrepreneurial organization where technical expertise, initiative, teamwork, and problem-solving are valued. If you are looking for an opportunity to make a meaningful impact while continuing to grow as an engineer and technical leader, we want to hear from you.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Our compensation package includes a competitive base salary, choice of medical plans, company-paid life and disability insurance, 401(k) with company match, paid time off, holidays, flexible work schedule, business casual environment, and more.

GAM Enterprises is an Equal Opportunity Employer.