Lead Mechanical Engineer

Job Description
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Location: Shop-Based in Billerica with Nationwide (limited international) Travel

Compensation: $150,000 - $200,000 Base Salary + Bonus


Reports To: Owner

Mission of the Role

This role exists to bring structure, technical excellence, and operational discipline to a growing manufacturing business serving major food production companies.

The Lead Mechanical Engineer will own the integrity of our engineering systems while installing the processes that allow the organization to scale.

This is not simply a design role. It is a leadership seat.

You will be the technical authority in the room, the steward of engineering standards, and the operational stabilizer when complexity rises. Long-term, this position is designed to evolve into broader company leadership for the right individual.

Commander's Intent

We need someone who can:

• Be exceptional in SolidWorks and machine design.
• Clean up and standardize a disorganized drawing and PDM environment.
• Create repeatable engineering processes.
• Lead cross-functionally when the owner is out with customers.
• Firefight when necessary - and install the systems that prevent the next fire.

This role balances 50% hands-on engineering and 50% operational leadership influence.

6 Performance Objectives (What Success Looks Like)

1. Restore Engineering Integrity
   • Audit and restructure the existing drawing database.
   • Implement clear standards in SolidWorks and PDM.
   • Establish repeatable workflows for BOMs, revisions, and documentation.
2. Design the Next Generation of Equipment
   • Lead development of standardized machine platforms.
   • Improve manufacturability using stainless steel sheet metal best practices.
   • Reduce custom variability through modular design thinking.
3. Drive Operational Accountability
   • Ensure parts are ordered accurately and on time.
   • Coordinate between shop, service, and accounting.
   • Run after-action reviews post-build to improve future performance.
4. Install Process Discipline
   • Build SOPs that eliminate recurring inefficiencies.
   • Push adherence to engineering standards across departments.
   • Move the team from reactive firefighting to proactive system control.
5. Lead Through Influence
   • Provide daily direction to department heads (ops, shop, service/install).
   • Serve as the technical decision-maker when ownership is traveling.
   • Align engineering output with sales commitments.
6. Prepare for Scaled Leadership
   • Demonstrate capability to step into broader operational leadership over time.
   • Translate engineering decisions into business outcomes.

Why This Role Matters

Customers operate high-volume, perishable production environments. Downtime is costly. Reliability, precision, and responsiveness are non-negotiable.

The right engineer will not only design machines - they will build the systems that ensure those machines are delivered correctly, consistently, and profitably.

Long-Term Opportunity

For the right leader, this role offers:

• Direct mentorship from ownership.
• Increasing operational responsibility.
• Potential pathway into broader executive leadership.
• The chance to architect the engineering backbone of a growing manufacturing business.

If you are a hands-on SolidWorks expert who wants more than just design work - if you want ownership, influence, and the chance to build something lasting - this role is built for you.

Challenges You Will Inherit

• Inconsistent legacy drawings and database structure.
• Lack of standardized processes.
• Heavy reactive work due to customer urgency.
• Need for stronger enforcement of engineering discipline.

This is an opportunity to put your fingerprint on an organization - to build the systems that will define the next chapter of growth.

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Requirements

Education

• Mechanical Engineering degree strongly preferred (or equivalent demonstrated mastery).
• Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, or Systems Engineering backgrounds considered.

Technical Requirements

• Advanced SolidWorks proficiency (required).
• Experience with sheet metal and stainless steel machine design.
• PDM experience - workflow creation and process standardization.
• Experience designing industrial equipment or similar mechanical systems.

Leadership Profile

• Must have served in the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Space Force, U.S. Reserves, or U.S. National Guard.
• Engineering Manager or Senior Engineer ready for next-level responsibility.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and acting with incomplete information.
• Experienced in cross-functional coordination within small teams (10-20 employees).

Core Traits Required

• Ownership beyond job description.
• Systems thinker who eliminates root causes.
• Comfortable acting with 70% of the data.
• High accountability standard.
• Calm under operational pressure.
• Builder of standards, not just solver of problems.

Benefits

• Base Salary: $150,000 - $200,000 (commensurate with experience)
• Health benefits
• Paid time off
• Professional development and cross-training
• 401K with matching