Staff Mechanical Engineer

Vulcan-Elements; Benson (NC); On-site; USD 95,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Vulcan Elements, a US manufacturer of rare‑earth magnets, seeks a Staff Mechanical Engineer to lead the design of custom production equipment for a new 1 million square foot facility. You will translate pilot‑line processes into fully engineered machinery and own the mechanical and electrical design.

This high‑impact role requires CAD leadership (SolidWorks, Inventor), GD&T, and CAE analyses, with close collaboration to fabrication shops. Travel is <10% as we scale magnet manufacturing for defense, aerospace, and automotive markets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field with 7+ years experience or a Master’s with 5+ years.
• Expert-level experience creating and validating highly complex equipment assemblies in CAD (SolidWorks, Inventor) and creating 2D drawings with GD&T.
• Proven experience leading equipment design on both mechanical (frames, mechanisms, actuators) and electrical (panel layouts, basic schematics, sensor integration) sides.
• Hands-on experience performing stress, thermal, and fluid flow simulations to validate designs before production.
• Direct experience working with external fabrication shops, specifying weldments, finishes, and maintaining tight tolerances.

Responsibilities

• Lead ground-up mechanical and electrical design of custom, proprietary manufacturing equipment for magnet production.
• Collaborate with fabrication shops to turn digital designs into hardware; source components, manage lead times, oversee quality.
• Provide on-the-floor support during assembly, wiring, and testing; troubleshoot fitment or functional issues.
• Conduct stress, thermal, and CFD analyses to ensure equipment withstands harsh environments.
• Work with Process, Quality, and Operations teams to review designs and apply DFMA principles.
• Ensure equipment complies with safety, environmental, and ergonomic standards before production.
• Travel to fabrication shops for build reviews (estimated <10%).
• Develop and manage deliverables: 2D drawings, 3D CAD assemblies, electrical/pneumatic drawings, BOMs, and maintenance manuals.

Skills

CAD design

GD&T proficiency

Mechanical design leadership

Electrical panel layouts

Stress/thermal/CFD simulations

Vendor coordination with fabrication

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering or Mechatronics

7+ years experience or Master +5 years

Tools

SolidWorks

Inventor

CAD software

FEA software (e.g., ANSYS)

CFD software

Electrical CAD

Job description

Vulcan Elements is manufacturing American rare-earth permanent magnets for a secure, resilient future. With a focus on national security and economic resiliency, we serve critical industries such as defense, aerospace, and automotive powering a high-technology future. Vulcan Elements is building a team of ambitious professionals committed to Mission Focus, Technical Excellence, and Transparency.

As a Staff Mechanical Engineer, you will contribute to the full lifecycle of a massive 1million square foot manufacturing facility expansion—focusing on the custom, in-house design and development of specialized machinery. You will be responsible for translating complex pilot-line processes into fully realized, custom-engineered production equipment. This is a high-impact, high-ownership role requiring deep mechanical and electrical design expertise.

Responsibilities

• Lead the ground-up mechanical and electrical design of custom, proprietary manufacturing equipment tailored to our unique magnet production needs.
• Work closely with local fabrication shops and machine shops to turn your digital designs into physical hardware. Source components, manage lead times, and oversee quality during the build process.
• Provide active, on-the-floor support during the assembly, wiring, and initial testing of designed equipment, quickly troubleshooting fitment or functional issues.
• Conduct rigorous stress analysis (FEA), thermal analysis, and fluid flow simulations (CFD) to ensure custom machinery can withstand aggressive industrial environments.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams (Process, Quality, and Operations) to gather feedback, conduct design reviews, and incorporate DFM principles to ensure equipment is easy to build, operate, and maintain.
• Ensure all custom-designed equipment complies with rigorous safety, environmental, and ergonomics standards before it hits the production floor.
• This position will require some interaction and local travel to fabrication shops to review builds and support equipment development (estimated at <10% travel).

You will also be responsible for developing, reviewing, or managing the following deliverables:

• Detailed 2D manufacturing drawings, complex 3D CAD assemblies, Electrical Drawings, Pneumatic Drawings, and highly accurate tolerance stack-up analyses.
• Stress Analysis reports, Thermal Analysis models, Fluid Flow simulations, and core Electrical & Pneumatic Calculations.
• Risk Assessments, Ergonomic Assessments, and equipment‑level PFMEA inputs.
• Detailed Bills of Materials (BOM), Spare Parts Lists, and drafting technical inputs for Maintenance Manuals and Calibration Procedures.
• Direct inputs to Line Layouts and Station Cycle Times based on physical machine constraints.

Responsibilities and tasks outlined are not exhaustive and may change as determined by the needs of the business.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related technical discipline with 7+ years of experience OR a Master’s degree with 5+ years of experience.
• Expert-level experience creating and validating highly complex equipment assemblies in CAD (e.g., SolidWorks, Inventor). Proven ability to create flawless, detailed 2D manufacturing drawings with proper GD&T.
• Proven experience leading equipment design on both the mechanical side (frames, mechanisms, actuators) and electrical side (panel layouts, basic schematics, sensor integration).
• Direct hands‑on experience performing stress, thermal, and fluid flow simulations to validate custom designs before physical production.
• Direct experience working with external fabrication shops, specifying weldments, finishes, and holding vendors accountable to tight engineering tolerances.

Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export‑controlled information or facilities.

Desired Skills

• Experience specifically in heavy industrial manufacturing equipment, high‑vacuum systems, or high‑temperature processing equipment.
• Hands‑on manual machining or welding experience (understanding what it takes to actually build the parts you draw).
• Familiarity with motion control hardware, servos, and basic PLC integration.
• Experience in highly regulated industries such as Defense (DoD), Aerospace (AS9100), or Automotive (IATF 16949).

Physical and Environmental Requirements

The position requires regular presence on the production floor and the ability to navigate all areas of the facility. Candidates must be able to climb stairs, stand and walk for extended periods, and work in environments that may be hot, humid, or noisy. The role also requires the use of personal protective equipment, including respirators, and adherence to all applicable safety policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements. Employees must be able to complete required fit testing, wear appropriate PPE for the duration of assigned tasks, and respond safely to changing conditions within the production environment.

As set forth in Vulcan Elements’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

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