Senior Mechanical Engineer

The Pond Guy; Armada (MI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Disability Insurance

401k with match

Paid Time Off

Holiday Pay

Job summary

The Pond Guy is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to own the design, development, and launch of physical products from concept to production. You will work in a fast-paced environment, building prototypes and moving designs into real products used by customers.

You will collaborate across departments, ensuring manufacturability and cost targets while driving design reviews and test plans. The role demands hands‑on prototyping in a true design‑build‑test culture.

Qualifications

• Proven experience applying mechanical engineering principles, knowledge of materials science, manufacturing processes, and tools in product engineering.
• Minimum of 5+ years of experience in product design/development within an engineering discipline.
• Experience creating and defining performance requirements on engineering drawings.
• Solid understanding of GD&T.
• Proficiency in SolidWorks and/or similar 3D‑modeling software.
• Inquisitive mindset with a passion for exploring new ideas and approaches.

Responsibilities

• Own multiple product development projects, leading designs from concept through prototype, testing, and production launch.
• Serve as technical lead for assigned projects, ensuring strong design execution, manufacturability (DFMA), and production readiness.
• Design mechanical components and assemblies in SolidWorks, ensuring performance, quality, manufacturability, and cost targets are met.
• Lead and facilitate design reviews, ensuring design alignment with performance, quality, and product requirements.
• Build and iterate prototypes using in-house equipment, including a full machine shop and multiple 3D printing machines, performing testing and validation through structured plans and real-world evaluation.

Skills

SolidWorks

DFMA

GD&T

Prototype development

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

3D printing

Machine shop equipment

Injection molding

Job description

Are you a Mechanical Engineer who enjoys designing real products, building prototypes, and seeing your work come to life? Do you like taking ownership of designs from concept through full production launch, building, testing, and improving your designs along the way? Do you thrive in a collaborative, true design-build-test environment where engineers are directly involved in building real products?

This role requires true end-to-end ownership of the product development lifecycle. If this sounds like you, we’d love to talk. Apply to join our team as a Senior Mechanical Engineer! See the details of the position below.

The Pond Guy / Airmax, Inc. is the leading manufacturer of pond, lake, and water garden products, including aeration systems, fountains, and water treatments. The Pond Guy sells nationwide to both end-users and a network of Airmax distributors.

Watch now to learn more about The Pond Guy: https://qrcodes.pro/sIkmTV

At The Pond Guy, this Senior Mechanical Engineer position is a product development role focused on designing, developing, and launching physical products, not just supporting designs or reviewing drawings.

In this role, you will own mechanical designs from concept through production, in a fast-paced environment where ideas quickly become prototypes and real-world products. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys solving practical engineering challenges and seeing their work move from design to prototype to production.

Collaboration is a key part of the role. You'll work with cross-functional teams across multiple departments to ensure designs are not only functional, but also manufacturable, cost-effective, and ready for production. You'll see your designs quickly move from CAD to real products used by customers.

Here’s what that looks like day-to-day:

• Own multiple product development projects, leading designs from concept through prototype, testing, and production launch
• Serve as technical lead for assigned projects, ensuring strong design execution, manufacturability (DFMA), and production readiness
• Design mechanical components and assemblies in SolidWorks, ensuring performance, quality, manufacturability, and cost targets are met
• Lead and facilitate design reviews, ensuring design alignment with performance, quality, and product requirements
• Build and iterate prototypes using in-house equipment, including a full machine shop and multiple 3D printing machines, performing testing and validation through structured plans and real-world evaluation
• Drive continuous improvement by solving design-related issues, using structured problem-solving and root cause analysis to optimize product performance
• Provide engineering and technical support across multiple business entities and intercompany operations as needed
• Demonstrate ownership, curiosity, and persistence while benchmarking competitive products and identifying opportunities for product or process innovation

Don’t know about ponds? That’s ok! You’ll be trained to be proficient in your job. We utilize an interactive combination of hands‑on and visual training to ensure everyone has a complete understanding of The Pond Guy’s proactive approach to pond management.

Job Requirements

To be successful in this role, you need to have a certain amount of knowledge and skills.

Because this position involves a variety of tasks, the physical requirements for both in‑office and in‑the‑field environments are necessary. This position requires manual dexterity for typing, sitting at a desk, and looking at a computer screen for long periods. This position also requires the ability to swim, perform repetitive motions for extended periods; demonstrate manual dexterity when working with small components; frequently bend, stoop, and stand for long durations; lift, lower, and carry packages typically weighing 25–50 lbs; and handle packages up to 150 lbs with assistance. In the field, expect adverse weather conditions including heat, cold, rain, etc. for portions of the position that may be completed in these circumstances.

• Proven experience applying mechanical engineering principles, knowledge of materials science, manufacturing processes, and tools in product engineering
• Minimum of 5+ years of experience in product design/development within an engineering discipline
• Experience creating and defining performance requirements on engineering drawings
• Solid understanding of GD&T
• Proficiency in SolidWorks and/or similar 3D‑modeling software
• Inquisitive mindset with a passion for exploring new ideas and approaches
• Demonstrated ability to build strong connections by seeking input and fostering open dialogue
• Creative thinking and persistence in finding solutions to complex problems
• Experience with various manufacturing processes such as machining, casting, metal forming, injection molding, welding/joining, extrusion, etc.

Availability

This is a full‑time, salaried position. Candidates must be available to work between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday – Friday, with the occasional Saturday work as needed.

Compensation

This is a full‑time salaried position with benefits. Benefits include:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthcare
• Blue Cross Blue Shield Dental Insurance
• Blue Cross Blue Shield Vision Insurance
• Short‑term Disability Insurance
• Long‑term Disability Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• Holiday pay effective immediately (8 holidays recognized)
• 401k with employer 4% match and revenue sharing
• Employee referral program
• Additional Training Programs: Career Development and Department Shadows