Senior Mechanical Engineer

Ranger Aerospace Automation; Wade Hampton (SC); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Ranger Aerospace Automation is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to lead the design of advanced automation systems across aerospace, industrial, and energy landscapes. You will drive mechanical concepts, validate designs, and ensure scalable engineering standards are applied from concept through production.

Collaborate with engineering, controls, robotics, and customer teams to deliver right-sized, robust solutions while maintaining aggressive schedules and quality targets.

Qualifications

• Extensive mechanical engineering experience designing and deploying custom automation systems.
• Proven ability to own technical reviews and lead external design teams.
• Strong CAD skills with emphasis on SolidWorks and tolerance analysis.
• Experience in aerospace, industrial, or high-reliability manufacturing environments preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical design authority for automation systems from concept to production.
• Coordinate interfaces with controls, robotics, vision, and electrical teams.
• Support customer opportunities with technical scope, estimates, and proposals.
• Oversee subcontracted design resources and ensure design quality.

Skills

Project management

Technical leadership

Customer-facing communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

ERP software

CAD software

Job description

Role SummaryThe Senior Mechanical Engineer serves as RAIA’s mechanical design authority, combining high-level machine design and hands-on project execution with applications engineering, external engineering oversight, and development of scalable mechanical engineering standards. This is a foundational technical role intended to multiply the organization’s engineering capability rather than simply add design capacity.This role leads mechanical concepts and technical validation for custom automation systems across aerospace, industrial, energy, and advanced manufacturing environments. The engineer works directly with customers to understand manufacturing constraints, develop right-sized solutions, and support opportunity qualification, estimates, and proposals.Operating within a lean, execution-focused organization, the Senior Mechanical Engineer owns the technical quality of mechanical deliverables whether produced internally or by subcontract engineering partners. The position works closely with Engineering & Integration, Controls, Robotics, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and customer teams from initial assessment through deployment and production stabilization.Core ResponsibilitiesMechanical Design Authority & Technical ExecutionLead mechanical architecture, concept development, detailed design, and technical review of automation systems including robotic cells, assembly equipment, material handling, inspection, process equipment, and manufacturing support systems.Own mechanical design decisions involving functionality, cycle time, structural adequacy, motion, tolerances, safety, maintainability, manufacturability, cost, and long-term reliability.Produce and approve CAD models, layouts, manufacturing drawings, bills of material, calculations, and technical design packages; remain hands-on for complex or critical design work.Coordinate mechanical interfaces with controls, robotics, vision, pneumatics, electrical systems, and customer equipment; lead mechanical design reviews and risk resolution.Applications Engineering & New OpportunitiesParticipate in customer visits and operational assessments to identify actual production constraints and determine whether automation is justified and what level of solution is appropriate.Develop preliminary concepts, layouts, process approaches, equipment selections, feasibility assessments, cycle-time assumptions, and ROM budgets for new opportunities.Partner with commercial and project leadership on technical scope, estimating, supplier input, proposals, presentations, assumptions, exclusions, and execution risk.Communicate concepts and tradeoffs directly with customers; support fast, credible responses to opportunities of varying sizes, including retrofits and incremental improvements.Subcontract Engineering LeadershipDefine scopes of work, design inputs, standards, deliverables, milestones, and acceptance criteria for outsourced mechanical engineering.Direct and technically review subcontract design resources, resolve engineering questions, monitor technical progress, and verify design quality and completeness before release.Coordinate subcontract engineering capacity with Engineering & Integration leadership and Supply Chain while maintaining RAIA ownership of customer requirements, design authority, technical decisions, and final deliverables.Capture externally developed models, drawings, calculations, and lessons learned in RAIA-controlled libraries and revision systems so outsourced work increases lasting internal capability.Engineering Standards, Reuse & ScalabilityEstablish and maintain mechanical drawing standards, approved components, preferred design practices, reusable machine modules, design checklists, and reference architectures.Build a structured knowledge base of proven designs, engineering assumptions, historical project results, and application-specific expertise for use across future projects and technology groups.Work with internal systems and external technology partners to organize engineering content for progressively automated design generation, with expert review and approval retained.Identify repetitive engineering work that can be standardized, templated, outsourced, or automated without compromising engineering judgment or technical accountability.Manufacturing, Integration & Customer DeploymentCollaborate with Manufacturing and Supply Chain to ensure designs are practical to fabricate, assemble, source, service, and deploy.Support build, debug, installation, commissioning, cycle-time validation, acceptance testing, and production ramp as needed; resolve difficult mechanical and integration issues directly.Participate in customer design reviews, FAT/SAT activities, field troubleshooting, and operational improvement efforts while maintaining responsive customer relationships.Safety, Quality & Continuous ImprovementLead mechanical risk reviews and support machine safeguarding, ergonomic design, service access, quality verification, and appropriate engineering calculations and validation.Maintain disciplined documentation, revision control, design release, and technical change practices for internal and external engineering work.Use project outcomes and field performance to improve design standards, reduce rework, shorten execution time, and strengthen reliability across subsequent projects.Preferred Experience & CompetenciesExtensive mechanical engineering experience designing and deploying custom industrial automation, special-purpose machinery, or production equipment; demonstrated senior-level technical judgment.Strong proficiency in 3D CAD, mechanical detailing, tolerance analysis, machine elements, motion systems, and practical manufacturing methods.Experience owning technical reviews and directing external design houses or contract engineering teams while retaining final design accountability.Ability to develop automation concepts and support applications engineering, customer discovery, estimating, and technical proposals.Proven capability to build reusable engineering standards, design libraries, and scalable work methods rather than relying on one-off design approaches.Hands-on experience with machine builds, integration, troubleshooting, commissioning, and production support.Excellent customer-facing communication, technical leadership, prioritization, and cross-functional problem-solving skills.Experience in aerospace, automotive, industrial, energy, or high-reliability manufacturing environments preferred.You should be proficient in:Project ManagementIndustrial and Manufacturing EngineeringMachine Building/AssemblingMechanical Troubleshooting SkillsProcess EngineeringMechanical Design & EngineeringMachine Safety InspectionsEngineering DegreeProcess DevelopmentAutomationSolidworksMachines & technologies you'll use:Material Handling Systems3D Modeling (Solidworks)2D DrawingsIndustrial ControlsCAD Software (Solidworks)ERP Software