Mechanical Design Engineer - CATIA V5

Senior CATIA V5 Mechanical Designer / Checker

Location: Southfield, MI Travel: 5–20% (Domestic & International as Required)

About the Role: We are seeking an experienced Senior CATIA V5 Mechanical Designer / Checker with a strong background in Body-in-White (BIW) tooling, transfer systems, and fixture design. This position is focused on automotive body shop automation and requires hands-on experience designing and checking tooling for production environments.

Responsibilities:

• Design and check Body-in-White (BIW) tooling using CATIA V5
• Develop detailed 3D models and 2D manufacturing drawings
• Design transfer systems and tooling fixtures for automotive body shops
• Modify existing tooling and develop new mechanical designs for simple to complex systems
• Create kit sheets illustrating design revisions and modifications
• Review customer specifications, sketches, and engineering data to ensure design accuracy
• Apply North American automotive standards and customer specifications throughout the design process
• Coordinate with Project Engineers, Technical Leaders, Mechanical Engineers, suppliers, and manufacturing teams
• Support supplier integration, purchased components, and imported CAD models
• Participate in installation, startup, debugging, and final equipment acceptance as needed

Required Qualifications:

• Approximately 8+ years of mechanical design experience
• Expert proficiency with CATIA V5
• Extensive experience with Body-in-White (BIW) tooling
• Strong background in Transfer System Design & Coordination
• Experience designing: GEO Systems Framing Lines Bodyside Systems Sub-Assembly Fixtures Tooling Fixtures Transfer Systems
• Knowledge of: North American automotive standards Body assembly geometry Fixture tooling Tool stack-up methodology Auto assembly strategies Part flow through body shops Pallet systems Robot systems
• Experience importing and coordinating purchased components including: Weld Guns End-of-Arm Tooling (EOAT) Switches Supplier Models
• Familiarity with: NAAMS Standards Customer CAD Standards CAD attributes CAD checking procedures
• Proficient with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Associate Degree in Mechanical Technology or equivalent experience
• Additional experience with Powertrain automation projects
• Understanding of mechanical design sequences and controls documentation
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills
• Ability to interpret customer specifications and technical documentation
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes and mechanical systems
• Ability to work independently and within cross-functional engineering teams

Travel: Domestic and international travel may be required (approximately 5–20%) to support equipment installation, startup, commissioning, and customer acceptance.

Ideal Backgrounds: Body-in-White (BIW) Automotive Tooling Automation Systems Transfer Systems Tooling Fixtures Machine Building Automotive Assembly Equipment CATIA V5 Mechanical Design