Mechanical Design Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Mechanical Design Engineer | Direct Hire | Up to 115k | New Haven, CT | On-Site 

What Matters Most:

• Compensation: Based on experience and technical depth
• Schedule: Full-time, on-site
• Location: West Haven, Connecticut
• Experience: 1+ years of mechanical or product design experience within a manufacturing environment
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline preferred; equivalent technical education and strong hands-on experience may be considered
• Technical Focus: 3D CAD, mechanical components, sheet metal, weldments, molded parts, manufacturing drawings, GD&T, prototyping, and production support
• Technology: Demonstrated practical use of AI tools within engineering or professional workflows

Your New Role:

A Connecticut-based product manufacturer is seeking a Mechanical Design Engineer who enjoys turning mechanical concepts into physical products. This position goes well beyond sitting behind a CAD screen. You will develop components, build and evaluate prototypes, work directly with fabrication and manufacturing teams, resolve field-related engineering challenges, and collaborate with suppliers as designs move toward production. The environment is best suited for an engineer who enjoys variety and wants exposure to the complete product lifecycle rather than owning only one narrow portion of the design process.cYou will work on fabricated metal components, welded structures, molded plastic parts, mounting systems, brackets, adapters, fixtures, and mechanical assemblies used in real-world outdoor equipment applications.

What You Will Do:

• Develop mechanical parts and assemblies using parametric 3D CAD, including sheet metal, fabricated structures, weldments, and molded components
• Prepare detailed production drawings incorporating appropriate dimensions, tolerances, GD&T, materials, and manufacturing requirements
• Move designs from initial concept through prototype fabrication, testing, revision, and production release
• Perform mechanical calculations and basic structural or fatigue evaluations to validate designs before tooling or manufacturing
• Create brackets, mounting hardware, adapters, fixtures, gauges, and other mechanical solutions for varying equipment configurations
• Investigate product fitment, field performance, warranty, and customer application issues and develop practical engineering solutions
• Partner with manufacturing personnel to troubleshoot fabrication, assembly, quality, and producibility concerns
• Maintain engineering documentation including drawings, BOMs, revisions, part records, and engineering changes
• Support purchasing and supplier teams with quotations, first article reviews, tooling discussions, manufacturing questions, and quality concerns
• Identify opportunities to simplify designs, reduce component cost, improve manufacturability, and increase product reliability
• Use AI-based tools to accelerate technical research, analyze information, improve documentation, support engineering calculations, and identify recurring product or customer issues

What You Need:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Technology, or a related technical field preferred
• 1+ years of mechanical design, product development, or manufacturing engineering experience
• Experience using a parametric CAD platform such as SolidWorks, Onshape, Inventor, Creo, CATIA, or Fusion
• Ability to create clear manufacturing drawings and working knowledge of GD&T principles
• Understanding of manufacturing methods such as sheet metal fabrication, laser cutting, welding, machining, and plastic molding
• Hands-on mechanical aptitude with an interest in prototype assembly, testing, measurement, and shop-floor interaction
• Ability to evaluate mechanical problems and translate incomplete field information into workable engineering solutions
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts to manufacturing personnel, suppliers, customers, and non-engineering teams
• Comfortable balancing planned engineering projects with shorter-turnaround technical issues
• Demonstrated use of AI tools in engineering, technical, analytical, or professional work

Why This Opportunity:

This is an opportunity to develop into more than a traditional CAD-focused engineer. You will gain direct involvement in product development, manufacturing, customer applications, supplier collaboration, testing, and cost improvement while working in an environment where engineering decisions quickly translate into physical products.

Your New Organization:

You will join a hands-on Connecticut manufacturing organization that designs, develops, tests, and supports its own products. Engineers work closely with manufacturing, suppliers, customer-facing teams, and leadership, providing visibility into the entire product lifecycle.

The culture favors practical problem-solving, accountability, continuous improvement, and engineers who are comfortable getting involved beyond their immediate job description.

Your Career Partner:

The Reserves Network is a veteran-founded, family-owned talent solutions firm that partners with engineering and technical professionals nationwide. We are committed to thoughtful, high-quality career matches and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.