Mechanical Design Engineer

Job Title: Mechanical EngineerJob Description

The Mechanical Engineer designs, develops, and improves mechanical and electro-mechanical products while collaborating closely with engineering and cross-functional teams. This role works directly with manufacturing to transition designs into production, supports prototyping and testing activities, and drives ongoing product improvements. The position offers significant autonomy and the opportunity to lead prototype design projects and provide coaching and project guidance within a small, highly collaborative organization.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with engineers and cross-functional teams to design, develop, and improve mechanical and electro-mechanical products.
• Create and refine mechanical designs using CAD tools, ensuring robustness, manufacturability, and alignment with project requirements.
• Work directly with manufacturing teams to move designs into production, including resolving design-for-manufacturing issues and supporting production ramp-up.
• Lead and support prototype development, including building, evaluating, and iterating on prototype designs.
• Plan and execute testing activities to validate product performance, reliability, and safety, and incorporate test results into design improvements.
• Perform finite element analysis (FEA) and other engineering calculations to evaluate structural integrity and optimize designs.
• Contribute to structural and hydraulic design aspects of custom equipment, particularly for agricultural and related applications.
• Provide technical guidance and informal leadership to team members, helping to coach and support project execution.
• Collaborate with stakeholders across engineering, manufacturing, and other functions to ensure project goals, timelines, and quality standards are met.
• Participate in continuous product improvement initiatives, identifying opportunities to enhance performance, reduce cost, and improve manufacturability.
• Prepare and maintain detailed engineering documentation, including drawings, models, specifications, and test reports.
• Support troubleshooting and problem-solving activities for products in development and in production.

Essential Skills

• Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or Agricultural Engineering.
• 5+ years of mechanical design experience using SolidWorks.
• Strong background in mechanical engineering and mechanical design, including structural design principles.
• Hands-on experience working with manufacturing environments and processes.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, such as leading projects or guiding engineering activities.
• Previous experience performing FEA (finite element analysis) for structural and mechanical components.
• Proficiency with CAD tools, including SolidWorks; familiarity with additional platforms such as AutoCAD and Creo is highly beneficial.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with engineers and cross-functional teams.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to translate requirements into practical design solutions.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with hydraulic systems design and integration.
• background or interest in agricultural engineering and custom agricultural equipment.
• Experience in aerospace engineering or related industries.
• Ability to lead prototyping efforts and manage design projects with a high degree of autonomy.
• Comfort working in a smaller, fast-paced organization where engineers see the full project lifecycle.
• Strong communication skills for conveying technical concepts and providing coaching to others.
• Adaptability and willingness to support ongoing product development and improvement initiatives.

Work Environment

This role is fully onsite at the plant, with the engineering team located in a dedicated building adjacent to the production facility. The Mechanical Engineer will work in a cubicle within the engineering area and regularly interact with manufacturing on the plant floor. The schedule is Monday through Friday, typically 4045 hours per week on a first shift. Dress is business casual. The company offers a family-oriented culture with a high level of flexibility around time off and scheduling. As a smaller organization focused on custom agricultural equipment, engineers gain exposure to entire projects rather than just isolated components, and the role starts as a contract position with potential for extension or transition to a full-time opportunity as business needs grow.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Nevada, IA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $40.86 - $45.67/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Nevada, IA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Nov 20, 2026.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Nevada,IA.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.