Sr. Mechanical Design Engineer

Nihon Kohden OrangeMed, LLC; Santa Ana, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Nihon Kohden Orange Med, LLC in Santa Ana, CA is seeking a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to lead mechanical design and development of medical device products, ensuring reliability and regulatory compliance.

You will work with cross-functional teams to produce manufacturable designs, manage DHF and design controls, and support 510(k) submissions when applicable.

The role requires 7+ years of experience, SolidWorks expertise, and strong leadership with a focus on quality and process improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or related field.
• 7+ years in mechanical design for medical devices or regulated industry.
• 5+ years with SolidWorks or similar CAD.
• Experience with design controls, V&V, and regulatory submissions.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical design and development for medical device components and systems.
• Maintain design documentation across product lifecycle per FDA and quality systems.
• Perform analyses, simulations, prototyping, and testing to support decisions.
• Lead design verification and validation, including test methods and reports.
• Collaborate with QA, RA, manufacturing, and suppliers to meet regs.
• Provide technical leadership and mentor junior engineers.
• Resolve production, supplier, and field issues with root-cause analysis.

Skills

Risk management

DFM

GD&T

Analytical skills

Technical documentation

Verbal communication

Project collaboration

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

SolidWorks

3D CAD

Job description

Career Opportunities with Nihon Kohden Orange Med

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The Senior Mechanical Design Engineer is responsible for independently leading and executing mechanical design and development activities for new and existing medical device products. This position applies advanced mechanical engineering expertise to the design, development, verification, and lifecycle support of high-reliability critical care medical devices.

The Senior Mechanical Design Engineer will work closely with cross-functional teams to develop robust, manufacturable, and compliant product designs. The position is expected to exercise independent judgment, provide technical leadership within assigned projects, and ensure mechanical engineering activities are completed in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements and the company’s design control processes.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead and execute mechanical design and development activities for medical device components, assemblies, and systems using SolidWorks and established engineering methodologies, including plastic, pneumatic, sheet metal, machined, molded, and other mechanical components.
• Independently develop and maintain mechanical engineering documentation throughout the product lifecycle, including design specifications, drawings, engineering analyses, design reviews, change orders, and Design History File (DHF) records, in accordance with established design controls, FDA requirements, and applicable quality system procedures.
• Conduct engineering analyses, calculations, simulations, prototyping, and testing to support design decisions and evaluate product performance, reliability, safety, manufacturability, serviceability, and compliance with applicable requirements.
• Lead and execute design verification and validation activities, including development of test methods, protocols, reports, and analysis of results, while applying risk management principles to identify and mitigate design-related risks.
• Collaborate with Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs, Manufacturing, suppliers, and other cross-functional teams to ensure mechanical designs and supporting documentation meet applicable regulatory and quality requirements and support regulatory submissions, including 510(k) submissions where applicable.
• Provide technical leadership through design reviews, engineering changes, product improvements, and production support activities; proactively resolve technical challenges and provide recommendations based on sound engineering judgment.
• Support investigation and resolution of production, supplier, quality, and field-related mechanical issues, including root cause analysis and implementation of corrective actions.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to less-experienced mechanical engineers and contribute to the development of engineering best practices and processes.
• Adheres to all company policies, procedures and business ethics codes.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications
Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or a related engineering discipline; master’s degree preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive mechanical engineering design and development experience, including experience designing and developing products within the medical device or other highly regulated industry.
• 5+ years of hands‑on experience with SolidWorks or comparable 3D CAD software, with demonstrated proficiency in complex mechanical design and product development.
• Demonstrated experience in mechanical design of Plastic and Pneumatic components for use in Class 2 medical devices.
• Demonstrated experience with design controls, design verification, and design validation within a regulated product development environment.
• Experience developing and executing mechanical engineering verification testing, including test methods, protocols, reports, and analysis of results.
• Working knowledge of FDA medical device requirements, ISO and IEC standards, and applicable quality system requirements.
• Experience supporting regulatory documentation and submissions, including 510(k) submissions, where applicable.

Skills & Abilities

• Strong understanding and practical application of risk management principles in product design and development.
• Strong knowledge of design for manufacturability (DFM), tolerance analysis, and GD&T principles.
• Ability to evaluate mechanical designs for performance, reliability, safety, manufacturability, serviceability, and compliance with applicable requirements.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, decision-making, communication, and technical documentation skills.
• Strong written communication skills, with the ability to prepare clear and concise technical summaries and reports, and excellent verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage engineering activities, prioritize multiple projects, resolve technical challenges, and meet established project timelines.
• Ability to effectively collaborate with Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs, Manufacturing, suppliers, and other cross-functional teams throughout the product development and lifecycle process.
• Ability to provide technical guidance and mentorship to less experienced engineers and contribute to continuous improvement of engineering processes and practices.

Compensation

The anticipated range for this position is $120,000 to $150,000 at an annual base. Actual placement within the range is dependent on multiple factors, including but not limited to skills, education, experience and location.

Working Conditions

• The Senior Mechanical Design Engineer primarily works in an office and engineering environment and may occasionally be required to work in laboratory, manufacturing, or testing areas. Domestic travel may be required on an occasional basis.
• The Senior Mechanical Design Engineer generally works a standard business schedule; occasional evening or weekend work may be required to support project deadlines, testing activities, production needs, or other business requirements.

Physical requirements

• Sit and work at a computer for extended periods of time.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in person, by telephone, and through written communication.
• Perform visual inspection of engineering drawings, CAD models, prototypes, components, and test equipment.
• Work safely in laboratory, manufacturing, and testing environments and comply with applicable safety requirements.
• Must be able to lift and carry up to 30 lbs.