Sr. Mechanical Engineer

Senior Mechanical Engineer (Fabrication Equipment & Plant Reliability)

Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Position Type: Direct Hire | Full-Time | Salaried

$120,000 – $150,000+ (DOE)

A well-established steel processing and fabrication operation in the Fort Worth area is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to support equipment performance, reliability, and production efficiency across a large industrial manufacturing facility. The company operates a high-volume steel service center that processes heavy plate and structural steel for customers in construction, energy, infrastructure, and industrial equipment markets. The facility utilizes a wide range of advanced fabrication and processing equipment including plate lasers, plasma cutting systems, press brakes, decoiling and leveling lines, and large material handling systems. This role plays a key part in ensuring critical plant equipment operates safely, efficiently, and reliably while also supporting continuous improvement efforts across production operations.

Position Summary

The Senior Mechanical Engineer serves as a hands-on technical leader responsible for improving the performance, reliability, and uptime of critical fabrication and processing equipment throughout the facility. This role bridges the gap between engineering and plant maintenance, requiring both strong mechanical engineering knowledge and practical troubleshooting skills in a heavy industrial environment. The ideal candidate is comfortable working directly on the production floor, collaborating with technicians and operators, diagnosing complex equipment issues, and implementing engineering-driven improvements that increase machine reliability, production throughput, and operator safety. This position is particularly well suited for engineers with experience supporting steel processing, fabrication equipment, heavy manufacturing machinery, or industrial production systems.

Key Responsibilities

Fabrication Equipment Engineering Support

• Provide mechanical engineering support for steel processing and fabrication equipment including fiber lasers, plasma cutting systems, press brakes, tube lasers, and plate processing machinery
• Support performance optimization and reliability improvements across production equipment
• Assist with equipment modifications, upgrades, and engineering-driven process improvements

Equipment Troubleshooting & Reliability

• Serve as a technical resource for diagnosing equipment failures, mechanical issues, and production downtime events
• Perform root cause analysis related to mechanical failures, alignment issues, wear patterns, vibration, and material handling challenges
• Identify long-term reliability improvements and implement corrective actions that reduce recurring equipment failures

Mechanical Systems & Machine Components

• Support troubleshooting and improvement of industrial mechanical systems including:
• Gearboxes and drive systems
• Bearings, rollers, and motion systems
• Hydraulic assemblies and forming equipment
• Pneumatic systems and actuators
• Conveyors, material handling equipment, and structural machine components

Fabrication Process Optimization

• Work directly with operations and maintenance teams to improve production flow, machine performance, and cut quality
• Assist with troubleshooting issues related to material feed consistency, forming accuracy, and equipment alignment
• Identify opportunities to improve uptime, throughput, and process efficiency

Equipment Installation & Capital Projects

• Support installation, commissioning, and startup of new fabrication and processing equipment
• Work with OEM vendors and service providers during equipment upgrades or major repairs
• Assist with planning and implementation of capital equipment improvements

Maintenance & Engineering Integration

• Collaborate with maintenance teams to improve preventive maintenance programs and reliability practices
• Develop mechanical documentation, maintenance procedures, and equipment standards
• Provide technical mentorship and guidance to maintenance technicians and plant personnel

Safety & Operational Support

• Ensure equipment modifications and repair activities follow safety standards and machine guarding requirements
• Support safe plant operations while working directly on or around operating industrial equipment

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related discipline

7+ years of experience supporting industrial production equipment in manufacturing or heavy industrial environments

Strong hands-on troubleshooting experience with mechanical systems in production machinery

Experience working directly with plant equipment, maintenance teams, or fabrication operations

Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings, schematics, equipment manuals, and fabrication prints

Preferred Qualifications

Experience supporting steel processing, fabrication, or metal manufacturing operations

Familiarity with equipment such as press brakes, laser cutting systems, plasma cutting tables, decoiling lines, leveling systems, or plate processing equipment

Experience working with OEM fabrication machinery or capital equipment installation projects

Exposure to CNC-controlled production equipment or industrial automation systems

Professional Engineer (PE) license is a plus but not required