Senior Mechanical Engineer

Actalent; Illinois; On-site; USD 59,000 - 76,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision

401(k)

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

HSA

Time off (PTO)

Job summary

Actalent in Wheeling, IL seeks a Sr. Mechanical Engineer to lead design, development, testing and support of advanced electro-mechanical and motion control systems.

You will translate requirements into robust specifications, perform statics, dynamics and thermal analyses, and guide projects from concept to production while ensuring manufacturability and reliability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or a related field is required.
• Experience with precision mechanical system design and motion control preferred.
• Strong analytical and hands-on engineering skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of precision mechanical and electro-mechanical systems for commercial, industrial, or defense-related applications.
• Translate customer requirements into detailed technical specifications, engineering requirements, and product architectures.
• Perform engineering analyses using statics, dynamics, thermal analysis, structural design, and motor sizing.
• Design, integrate, and validate motion control systems utilizing motors, encoders, bearings, sensors, actuators, and supporting mechanical structures.
• Conduct product testing, evaluation, and performance characterization to verify functionality, reliability, and compliance with requirements.
• Select motors, drives, sensors, encoders, and other motion-control components through analytical calculations, simulations, and hands-on validation.
• Develop detailed 3D CAD models, assemblies, manufacturing drawings, and engineering documentation using SolidWorks or equivalent CAD platforms.
• Perform finite element analysis (FEA) and other simulations to evaluate structural integrity, performance, and design optimization opportunities.
• Develop and refine control system parameters for stepper and servo-driven applications to achieve performance, accuracy, and reliability objectives.
• Plan and execute environmental and operational qualification testing in accordance with applicable industry and military standards, including MIL-STD-810.
• Lead engineering projects through the complete product lifecycle, from requirements definition and concept development to production release and sustaining support.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and supplier partners to ensure designs are manufacturable, cost-effective, and scalable.
• Support supplier qualification, component sourcing, and technical evaluations to optimize product performance and reliability.
• Investigate production and field-related issues, perform root cause analysis, and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on performance enhancement, reliability, manufacturability, and cost reduction.
• Provide ongoing technical support for released products, including sustaining engineering and customer-driven design modifications.

Skills

Mechanical design

Electro-mechanical systems

3D CAD (SolidWorks)

FEA

Control systems (stepper/servo)

MIL-STD-810 testing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

FEA software

Job description

Job Description

Job Description

Sr. Mechanical Engineer

Job Description

The Sr. Mechanical Engineer will lead the design, development, testing, and support of advanced electro-mechanical and motion control systems. This role is responsible for transforming customer and product requirements into robust engineering solutions while driving projects from concept through design validation, manufacturing implementation, and lifecycle support. The ideal candidate brings strong analytical capabilities, hands-on engineering experience, and expertise in precision mechanical system design.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of precision mechanical and electro-mechanical systems for commercial, industrial, or defense-related applications.
• Translate customer requirements into detailed technical specifications, engineering requirements, and product architectures.
• Perform engineering analyses using fundamental mechanical principles, including statics, dynamics, thermal analysis, structural design, and motor sizing.
• Design, integrate, and validate motion control systems utilizing motors, encoders, bearings, sensors, actuators, and supporting mechanical structures.
• Conduct product testing, evaluation, and performance characterization to verify functionality, reliability, and compliance with requirements.
• Select motors, drives, sensors, encoders, and other motion-control components through analytical calculations, simulations, and hands-on validation.
• Develop detailed 3D CAD models, assemblies, manufacturing drawings, and engineering documentation using SolidWorks or equivalent CAD platforms.
• Perform finite element analysis (FEA) and other simulations to evaluate structural integrity, performance, and design optimization opportunities.
• Develop and refine control system parameters for stepper and servo-driven applications to achieve performance, accuracy, and reliability objectives.
• Plan and execute environmental and operational qualification testing in accordance with applicable industry and military standards, including MIL-STD-810.
• Lead engineering projects through the complete product lifecycle, from requirements definition and concept development to production release and sustaining support.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and supplier partners to ensure designs are manufacturable, cost-effective, and scalable.
• Support supplier qualification, component sourcing, and technical evaluations to optimize product performance and reliability.
• Investigate production and field-related issues, perform root cause analysis, and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on performance enhancement, reliability, manufacturability, and cost reduction.
• Provide ongoing technical support for released products, including sustaining engineering and customer-driven design modifications.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Wheeling, IL.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $43.00 - $55.00/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, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Wheeling, IL.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 21, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to