Automation Design Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Design Engineer – Custom Automated Machinery

Job Description

This role seeks a talented, self-motivated Mechanical Engineer to lead the design of custom automated machinery for a wide range of manufacturing industries and applications. You will manage mechanical engineering responsibilities and deliverables from initial concept through detailed design, machine build, debug, and commissioning at customer facilities. The position offers the opportunity to deepen expertise in complex machine design, robotics, and automation while serving as a technical specialist and mentor within the engineering team.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical design of custom automated machinery projects from conceptual phase through final design, build, debug, and commissioning at customer sites.
• Develop deeper knowledge and skills in complex machine design, including robotics, grippers, servo control, and automated machine development and design.
• Evaluate, select, and apply standard and advanced engineering techniques, procedures, and methods to ensure on-time and on-budget delivery of engineering outputs.
• Work collaboratively with peers and cross-functional team members to meet project contractual requirements and technical objectives.
• Participate actively in engineering design reviews, providing constructive feedback on team members’ technical work and documentation.
• Influence and guide team members in the maturation and refinement of mechanical designs throughout the engineering lifecycle.
• Represent the organization professionally in client-facing meetings and presentations, clearly communicating design concepts and project status.
• Exercise sound independent judgment in decision-making and work effectively with minimal supervision.
• Identify and resolve common engineering problems quickly, including reviewing and critiquing the work of others to improve quality and reliability.
• Serve as a technical specialist within the department and may act as a mentor or coach for developing engineers.
• Seek opportunities to challenge the status quo by proposing ideas and initiatives that improve efficiency, safety, and overall workflow.
• Apply CAD tools such as SolidWorks, Creo, or NX to create accurate 3D models, assemblies, and detailed drawings for machine components and systems.
• Ensure that mechanical designs comply with applicable standards, best practices, and engineering principles.
• Support integration, testing, and debug of automated machinery, working closely with controls and other engineering disciplines.
• Provide occasional on-site support at customer facilities during installation, commissioning, and acceptance of automated equipment.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or a closely related discipline, or an associate’s degree from an accredited ABET/EAC program combined with relevant experience.
• 5+ years of work experience as a Mechanical Engineer, preferably in machine or automation design.
• Strong proficiency with CAD software such as SolidWorks, Creo, or NX, including SolidWorks 3D modeling for mechanical components and assemblies.
• Demonstrated experience in mechanical design and machine design, particularly for custom automated machinery projects.
• Proficient in applying standard and advanced engineering principles, practices, and procedures to complex mechanical systems.
• Ability to supervise and guide the work of others based on sufficient technical knowledge and experience.
• Extensive experience and sound judgment in solving engineering problems and making design decisions.
• Ability to quickly recognize, troubleshoot, and resolve common engineering issues, including review and critique of others’ work.
• Viewed as a technical specialist within an engineering department, with the capability to serve as a mentor or coach for developing engineers.
• Experience in the automation industry, strongly preferred, including exposure to robotics, robots, grippers, servo control, and automated machine development and design.
• Strong oral and written communication skills to interact effectively with internal teams and external clients.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision while maintaining accountability for project deliverables and timelines.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with robotics, robotic systems, and end-of-arm tooling such as grippers in automated machine applications.
• Experience in servo control systems and motion control integration within automated machinery.
• Experience designing and developing custom automated machine solutions for diverse manufacturing environments.
• Engineering-in-Training (EIT) certification is desirable but not mandatory.
• Broad and deep experience in enterprise-level engineering problems and complex projects.
• Demonstrated ability to influence design maturation and drive continuous improvement within engineering teams.
• Interest in challenging existing processes and proposing improvements that enhance efficiency, safety, and workflow.
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 5%, including occasional overnight and international trips to support project needs.

Work Environment

The role is based in a professional engineering environment focused on the design and development of custom automated machinery. You will work with modern CAD tools such as SolidWorks, Creo, and NX, and collaborate closely with multidisciplinary teams including mechanical, controls, and manufacturing professionals. The position involves primarily office and engineering lab work, with periodic visits to customer facilities for machine commissioning and support. Travel of up to approximately 5%, including overnight and international trips, may be required to oversee installation, debug, and acceptance of automated systems. The culture emphasizes technical excellence, collaboration, continuous learning, and proactive improvement of safety, efficiency, and workflow.

This is a Permanent position based out of Greenville, SC.

The pay range for this position is $40.00 - $45.00/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)

This is a fully onsite position in Greenville,SC.

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 5, 2026.

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 withoutregard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protectedby law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification oradjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,please email View email address on ziprecruiter.com for other accommodation options.

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

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as acondition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this lawshall 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 applicationsand qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, youacknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.