Senior Mechanical Design Engineer - Structures & Materials

Placements24; Gauteng; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary package

Health insurance

Retirement savings plan

Generous paid time off

Online training

Fully remote position

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a highly experienced Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to join a fully remote engineering team. You will design, analyze, and validate robust mechanical structures, leveraging material science and advanced CAD/FEA tools.

The role expects 8+ years in mechanical design with emphasis on structural analysis; familiarity with DFM/DFA and strong communication for remote collaboration is essential. Pretoria region preferred, but remote from anywhere in Gauteng is acceptable.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on structural mechanics and materials science.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive mechanical design experience with emphasis on structural analysis.
• Expertise in FEA software (ANSYS, Abaqus, NASTRAN) and 3D CAD (SolidWorks, CATIA).
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills suitable for remote collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Design and analyze complex mechanical structures and enclosures for strength, stiffness, and fatigue.
• Perform detailed FEA for static, dynamic, and thermal loads to validate performance.
• Select materials based on properties, environmental resistance, manufacturability, and cost.
• Create technical specifications, drawings, and BOMs using CAD software.
• Collaborate with manufacturing engineers to optimize for production and assembly.
• Troubleshoot issues, perform root-cause analysis, and implement design improvements.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Problem-solving

Communication skills

Education

Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering (structural mechanics & materials science)

Tools

ANSYS

Abaqus

NASTRAN

SolidWorks

CATIA

Job description

About the Role

Our client is looking for a highly experienced Senior Mechanical Design Engineer specializing in structures and materials to join their fully remote engineering team. This critical role will involve the design, analysis, and validation of robust mechanical structures that form the backbone of our client's innovative products. You will leverage your deep understanding of material science, structural mechanics, and advanced design tools to ensure the integrity, durability, and performance of components under various load conditions. This is an excellent opportunity for a meticulous and dedicated engineer to contribute significantly to high-impact projects while enjoying the benefits of a flexible, remote work setup, ideally based within reach of Pretoria .

Key Responsibilities

• Design and analyze complex mechanical structures, enclosures, and mechanisms, ensuring compliance with strength, stiffness, and fatigue requirements.
• Perform detailed Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for static, dynamic, and thermal loads to validate design performance and identify potential failure modes.
• Select appropriate materials based on mechanical properties, environmental resistance, manufacturability, and cost considerations.
• Develop comprehensive technical specifications , engineering drawings, and Bill of Materials (BOMs) using advanced CAD software.
• Collaborate closely with manufacturing engineers to ensure designs are optimized for production processes and assembly.
• Troubleshoot structural issues, conduct root cause analysis, and implement design improvements to enhance product reliability and performance.

Requirements

• Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field with a focus on structural mechanics and materials science.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in mechanical design, with a strong emphasis on structural analysis.
• Expertise in FEA software (e.g., ANSYS, Abaqus, NASTRAN) and 3D CAD modeling (e.g., SolidWorks, CATIA).
• In-depth knowledge of material behavior, failure modes (e.g., fatigue, fracture), and selection criteria for metals, polymers, and composites.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills for effective collaboration in a remote setting .
• Experience with design for manufacturing (DFM) and design for assembly (DFA) principles.

Benefits

• A competitive salary package, commensurate with your extensive experience and expertise.
• Comprehensive health insurance, retirement savings plan, and other employee benefits.
• Generous paid time off and flexible working hours to support work-life balance.
• Continuous learning opportunities through online training, conferences, and certifications.
• The substantial advantage of a fully remote position, providing ultimate freedom and flexibility for professionals in the Pretoria region and beyond.