Mechanical Design Engineer

Job Title: Mechanical Design Engineer – Industrial Enclosures

Job Description

This role focuses on designing and delivering high-volume, shipping-container-sized industrial enclosures for power converters as part of a small, multidisciplinary engineering team. The Mechanical Design Engineer will use a first principles design approach to develop a wide range of parts and assemblies, including structural plastics, electrical insulators, seals, and various joint types. The position involves end-to-end ownership of designs from initial concept through high-volume production, combining CAD design, engineering analysis, prototyping, testing, and hands-on work. The engineer will collaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, test, manufacturing, reliability teams, and external suppliers to ensure robust, mass-manufacturable solutions for outdoor-rated industrial applications.

Responsibilities

• Design mass-manufacturable parts and assemblies for large industrial enclosures, including structural plastics, electrical insulators, seals, welded joints, riveted joints, bolted joints, and adhesive joints.

• Own mechanical parts and assemblies from initial concept through high-volume production, ensuring manufacturability, reliability, and performance in outdoor-rated environments.

• Apply a first principles design approach, optimizing parts and assemblies through structural analysis, tolerance analysis, and other engineering calculations.

• Create detailed 3D models and 2D drawings using CATIA V6 and 3DX to support manufacturing, assembly, and quality control.

• Perform hands-on work such as building prototypes, executing tests, and iterating designs based on test results and feedback.

• Collaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, test, and reliability engineering teams to integrate mechanical designs with electromechanical systems.

• Work with external partners and suppliers to align designs with manufacturing capabilities, cost targets, and quality requirements.

• Design and specify large sheet metal enclosures, including harnesses, fasteners, bolted joints, and structural elements, and perform stress and structural analysis as required.

• Incorporate high-volume manufacturing processes such as sheet metal bending, stamping, injection molding, diecasting, extruding, fastening, riveting, welding, and dispensing into design decisions.

• Design for ingress protection, including seals and coatings, to achieve appropriate ratings and durability for outdoor applications.

• Integrate composites, PCBAs, connectors, fuses, and other electronic components into mechanical designs for electromechanical assemblies.

• Apply GD&T and tolerance analysis to ensure proper fit, function, and manufacturability of components and assemblies.

• Support reliability and validation testing activities, including the development and use of DFMEAs, to identify and mitigate potential failure modes.

• Utilize product lifecycle management (PLM) systems and controlled release processes to manage design data and changes throughout the product lifecycle.

• Consider medium voltage and grid-related product requirements, such as converters, switchgear, circuit breakers, insulation, and shielding, when designing enclosures.

• Communicate effectively with cross-functional teams, present design concepts and trade-offs, and document design decisions and test results.

• Work both independently and collaboratively, demonstrating strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail in all aspects of design and testing.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, mechatronics, or a closely related discipline.

• 5+ years of full-time industry experience designing outdoor-rated industrial enclosures for electromechanical parts or assemblies.

• 5+ years of full-time industry experience working with 3D CAD tools, with bonus consideration for experience using CATIA V6 and 3DX.

• Strong engineering fundamentals, including a basic understanding of electronics and electromechanical systems.

• Proven experience with high-volume manufacturing processes such as sheet metal bending, stamping, injection molding, diecasting, extruding, fastening, riveting, welding, and dispensing.

• Experience designing for ingress protection ratings and seals in outdoor or industrial environments.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams and external partners.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, managing multiple tasks and projects in a dynamic environment.

• Strong problem-solving skills and meticulous attention to detail in design, analysis, and documentation.

• Experience working with large sheet metal enclosures, including harnesses, fasteners, bolted joints, and structural and stress analysis.

• Experience with high-voltage or medium-voltage applications, particularly in grid-related products such as converters, switchgear, circuit breakers, insulation, and shielding.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience using CATIA V6 and 3DX for 3D modeling and 2D drafting.

• Experience with electronics and electromechanical integration, including PCBAs, connectors, fuses, and other electronic components.

• Experience with composites and their application in structural and enclosure design.

• Familiarity with paints, coatings, and surface treatments appropriate for industrial and outdoor environments.

• Experience with finite element analysis (FEA), computational fluid dynamics (CFD), multi-physics modeling, or related simulation tools.

• Hands-on experience with engineering software such as Ansys, MATLAB, Python, Simulink, and StarCCM for analysis and modeling.

• Proficiency in GD&T and tolerance analysis to ensure robust and manufacturable designs.

• Experience with reliability and validation testing, including developing and using DFMEAs to improve product robustness.

• Experience with product lifecycle management (PLM) systems and controlled release processes for managing design data and changes.

• in medium-voltage (around 34.5 kV) or grid-related products, including converters, switchgear, circuit breakers, insulation, and shielding.

Work Environment

This position is based in an office environment, working closely with a small, multidisciplinary engineering team. The role involves regular use of 3D CAD and analysis software, participation in design reviews, and collaboration with manufacturing and reliability teams. While primarily office-based, the work includes hands-on activities such as prototyping and testing, requiring periodic access to lab or workshop areas. The environment supports close collaboration, technical problem-solving, and iterative design, with a focus on delivering high-volume industrial products for outdoor applications.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Scotts Valley, CA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $70.00 - $75.00/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)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Scotts Valley,CA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 2, 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 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 View email address on click.appcast.io 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.