Automotive Mechanical Design Engineer – Soweto

Placements24; Soweto; On-site; ZAR 450,000 - 630,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health insurance

Retirement savings plan

Generous paid time off

Career development opportunities

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a Mechanical Design Engineer to contribute to the development of automotive components in Soweto, Gauteng. You will lead the complete design lifecycle from concept through prototyping to production support, ensuring performance, durability, and safety.

The role requires 2–4 years of automotive design experience, strong CAD skills (SolidWorks/CATIA/Inventor), and collaboration with manufacturing, QA, and R&D teams to deliver high-quality solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
• 2–4 years of mechanical design experience in automotive components.
• Proficiency in SolidWorks, CATIA or Inventor and PLM/PDM systems.
• Familiarity with automotive manufacturing processes.
• Knowledge of materials used in automotive applications.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Good communication and teamwork.
• Eagerness to learn in an automotive environment.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop mechanical components and sub-assemblies for automotive applications using 3D CAD software.
• Create detailed engineering drawings, specifications, and Bills of Materials (BOMs).
• Perform engineering analysis, including stress, thermal, and vibration simulations, to validate design performance and reliability.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including manufacturing, quality assurance, and R&D, to ensure design feasibility and manufacturability.
• Work closely with manufacturing engineers to optimize designs for efficient production processes (DFM - Design for Manufacturability).
• Oversee prototype development, testing, and validation processes, troubleshooting issues and implementing design improvements.
• Select appropriate materials and manufacturing processes for automotive components.
• Support production by addressing any mechanical design-related issues that arise post-launch.
• Stay current with automotive industry trends, standards, and emerging technologies.

Skills

3D CAD proficiency

Analytical thinking

Team collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

CATIA

Inventor

PLM/PDM systems

Job description

Placements24 seeks a Mechanical Design Engineer to contribute to the development of automotive components in Soweto, Gauteng. You will lead the complete design lifecycle from concept through prototyping to production support, ensuring performance, durability, and safety.

The role requires 2–4 years of automotive design experience, strong CAD skills (SolidWorks/CATIA/Inventor), and collaboration with manufacturing, QA, and R&D teams to deliver high-quality solutions.