Mechanical Design Lead - Custom Automation & Robotic Systems

Mechanical Design Lead – Custom Automation & Robotic Systems

Up to $120,000 • Brown Deer, WI Area • 100% Onsite • High-Growth Global OEM

The Opportunity: Join an elite, compact engineering group at a high-growth manufacturer designing ground-up, complex custom automation and robotic cells for a global market. As one of five Lead Engineers, you will have a massive technical impact on this organization's transition into an international OEM powerhouse. Operating in a 100% SolidWorks environment, you will have the unique privilege of watching your custom creations manufactured, wired, and assembled right on-site.

• EXPERIENCE DEPTH: 5–10 years of direct experience in heavy, custom machine design-build environments (industrial machinery, high-speed assembly, or automation—not consumer goods)
• SOFTWARE MASTERY: Advanced, expert-level fluency in SolidWorks for complex mechanical machine design and large assembly management
• TECHNICAL FOCUS: Deep competency in robotic work cell integration, high-speed pick-and-place, precision power transmission, pneumatics, and hydraulics
• EARNING POTENTIAL: Up to $120,000 annual base salary (fully scaling with custom machine design depth and project leadership experience) + Corporate Benefits
• PROJECT OWNERSHIP: High-autonomy role owning the entire design-to-build lifecycle, acting as the primary technical anchor from customer concept to shop floor release
• LOCATION: Greater Brown Deer / Northern Milwaukee County corridor (Must reside within a dependable daily driving radius of the design facility)
• COMPLIANCE: United States Citizens or Green Card holders only; corporate visa sponsorship is not available

If you are a veteran machine designer or BSME who is tired of being a nameless cog in a massive corporate machine—or designing minor variations of the same product over and over—this direct-hire track is a true career upgrade. Our client tackles highly complex, custom engineering challenges for major global giants across the US and Europe. Every single machine build is unique, ensuring you are constantly challenged and engaged.

The environment is entirely free of rigid corporate silos. Because the assembly floor is under the same roof as your engineering bay, you have an immediate feedback loop with the builders, machinists, and controls engineers. You aren't just pushing pixels; you own the profitability, mechanical integrity, and functional success of your systems. Backed by surging global demand and a clear path toward senior technical leadership, this position provides a permanent professional home for an ambitious designer.

What You Will Be Doing

• Design Architecture: Leading the mechanical design integrity, technical approach, and raw engineering accuracy for high-speed, multi-axis automated machinery.
• Conceptual Development: Partnering with Project Managers and cross-functional teams during early-stage quoting and concept reviews to brainstorm cost-effective, high-performance solutions.
• Task Structuring: Breaking down large-scale, complex design scopes into manageable milestones, overseeing internal detailers/designers and coordinating with external fabrication partners.
• Fluid & Power Transmission: Applying advanced engineering principles to integrate complex hydraulic, pneumatic, and servo-driven mechanical systems into custom frames.
• Risk & Safety Mitigation: Conducting rigorous early-stage design reviews to identify and eliminate safety concerns (pinch points, interlocking guard requirements, ergonomic access) before release.
• Global Client Liaison: Managing direct technical communications with international customers to ensure final machine cycle times and safety specifications meet global standards.
• Release & Revision Control: Managing strict engineering release schedules, tracking bills of materials (BOMs), and facilitating fast corrective actions for any floor assembly issues.

What We Are Looking For

• Custom Machine Pedigree: A Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) or 5–10 years of verifiable, ground-up custom equipment design experience. You must know how to design weldments, choose materials, and specify machine tools.
• SolidWorks Power User: Current, daily proficiency modeling large, complex assemblies, managing configurations, and creating production-ready manufacturing drawings within SolidWorks.
• Manufacturing Acuity: Strong foundational knowledge of fabrication processes, including structural welding methodologies (GMAW/GTAW) and precision machining tolerances.
• Project Leadership Habits: A proven ability to keep engineering timelines on schedule, budgets in check, and a small team of technical professionals aligned.
• Employment Stability: A reliable, progressive professional history that displays multi-year tenure and dedication to past employers; frequent job-hopping is a disqualifier.