Senior Mechanical Engineer, Custom Manufacturing Equipment

Vulcan Elements; North Carolina; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Vulcan Elements is building a massive 1 million square foot manufacturing facility to produce American rare-earth permanent magnets. As a Staff Mechanical Engineer, you will own the end-to-end mechanical and electrical design of custom production equipment, translating pilot processes into fully realized machinery.

This high-ownership role requires deep experience in CAD, FEM/CFD validation, and collaboration with external fabrication shops, with travel of up to 10% to support builds and reviews.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field; 7+ years experience (or Master’s with 5+ years).
• Expert CAD design and validation of complex equipment; strong GD&T.
• Lead mechanical and electrical design on equipment and panel layouts.
• Hands-on stress, thermal, and CFD validations before production.
• Experience with external fabrication shops and tight tolerances.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical and electrical design of custom manufacturing equipment.
• Collaborate with fabrication shops to source components, manage lead times, and oversee build quality.
• Provide on-the-floor support during assembly, wiring, and initial testing; troubleshoot issues.
• Conduct stress analysis (FEA), thermal analysis, and CFD to ensure durability.
• Work with Process, Quality, and Operations; apply DFM principles for easy build and maintenance.
• Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and ergonomic standards before production.
• Travel to fabrication shops for reviews and support (<10% travel).

Skills

CAD design

SolidWorks

Inventor

GD&T

Mechanical design leadership

Electrical design

Finite element analysis

Education

Bachelor’s in Mechanical Eng/Mechatronics

Master’s with 5+ years experience

Tools

SolidWorks

Inventor

Job description

Vulcan Elements is building a massive 1 million square foot manufacturing facility to produce American rare-earth permanent magnets. As a Staff Mechanical Engineer, you will own the end-to-end mechanical and electrical design of custom production equipment, translating pilot processes into fully realized machinery.

This high-ownership role requires deep experience in CAD, FEM/CFD validation, and collaboration with external fabrication shops, with travel of up to 10% to support builds and reviews.