Manufacturing / Mechanical Engineering

Job Title: Mechanical Engineer

Our Client is seeking an experienced Mechanical Engineer to lead detailed mechanical design and full product lifecycle development for power distribution, data center, and industrial equipment applications. You will design complex mechanical systems using SolidWorks and AutoCAD, ensure designs meet strict safety and performance standards, and collaborate closely with manufacturing and operations to deliver robust, cost-effective, and manufacturable solutions. This role offers the opportunity to work on new products from concept through commissioning, expand product lines in high-growth markets such as data centers and microgrids, and support customers directly in the field when needed.

Perform detailed mechanical design using SolidWorks, including creating 3D models, 2D drawings, schematics, finite element analyses (FEAs), engineering calculations, and testing documentation.

• Develop complete mechanical documentation packages, including assembly drawings, bills of materials (BOMs), and design change documentation.
• Ensure all mechanical designs meet applicable specifications, industry standards, safety requirements, and overall project scope.
• Lead mechanical design efforts on assigned projects, acting as the primary mechanical engineering resource and supporting other engineers and designers as needed.
• Review, check, and approve mechanical designs, drawing libraries, and related documentation to maintain accuracy, consistency, and quality.
• Identify mechanical and technical risks early in the design process and clearly communicate them to engineering leadership and project stakeholders.
• Coordinate closely with operations, manufacturing, production engineering, and other internal teams to ensure design-for-manufacturing principles are applied and information flows efficiently.
• Support onsite customer technical needs, including troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and resolution of mechanical issues in the field.
• Select mechanical components and materials with careful consideration of cost, availability, lifecycle, and obsolescence to ensure long-term product supportability.
• Track design and engineering costs as projects progress and report status and variances to engineering and project management teams.
• Contribute to new product development efforts by designing from scratch and expanding existing product lines for applications such as skids, pumps, generators, oil field equipment, and modular data center solutions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support full product lifecycle activities, from concept and prototyping through manufacturing, testing, and commissioning at customer sites.
• Engage directly with clients in a customer-facing capacity to understand technical requirements, support commissioning activities, and address service-related engineering needs.
• Adapt to working on one to two projects at a time, managing priorities and maintaining high-quality deliverables across all assignments.

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering.

• 7+ years of experience in mechanical engineering, with a focus on detailed mechanical design and product development.
• 5+ years of experience working in a manufacturing environment.
• Expertise in design for manufacturing (DFM), including close collaboration with production and operations teams.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience with SolidWorks for 3D modeling and 2D drafting.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD for mechanical drawings and layouts.
• Demonstrated experience creating 3D models, 2D drawings, schematics, FEAs, engineering calculations, and testing documentation.
• Strong experience in mechanical engineering for applications related to power distribution, power generation, and industrial equipment.
• Experience with new product development, including designing products from scratch and supporting full lifecycle development.
• Ability to ensure mechanical designs comply with specifications, standards, safety requirements, and project scope.
• Proven ability to review, check, and approve mechanical designs and drawing libraries for accuracy and completeness.
• Experience coordinating with operations, manufacturing, and production engineering to ensure design-for-manufacturing and efficient production.
• Ability to perform troubleshooting and root cause analysis for mechanical issues in the field.
• Experience tracking design costs and reporting project status to engineering and project management.
• Strong communication skills to identify and clearly communicate mechanical and technical risks to stakeholders.

Experience with mechanical systems and equipment used in data centers, microgrids, and power distribution applications.

• Experience working with product lines such as skids, pumps, generators, fracking and oil field equipment, blenders, data bands, and sand conveyors.
• Familiarity with protective relay systems and power generation environments.
• Experience working with modular data centers and understanding their unique mechanical and power distribution requirements.
• Ability to work effectively in client-facing roles, including on-site support, commissioning, and service-related engineering activities.
• Comfort managing one to two projects simultaneously while maintaining high standards of quality and documentation.
• Interest in contributing to high-growth product lines and markets, particularly in data center and microgrid applications.
• Capability to work across the full product lifecycle, from concept and design through manufacturing, testing, and field support.

Work Environment

The role follows a Monday through Friday schedule and combines both office and shop-floor work. You will spend approximately 60% of your time in an office environment focused on design, documentation, and collaboration, and about 40% of your time on the shop floor supporting builds, reviewing prototypes, and working closely with manufacturing teams. Time in the shop may occur in extended periods, such as up to three weeks at a time, depending on the design phase and project needs, so you should be comfortable adapting between office and hands-on environments. You will typically manage one to two projects at a time, allowing for focused attention on complex mechanical systems. The position is client-facing and may require less than 20% travel, including occasional trips to locations such as West Texas for commissioning activities, service support, or on-site engineering requirements related to modular data centers and associated equipment. The work environment emphasizes collaboration between engineering, operations, and production, with access to modern design tools such as SolidWorks and AutoCAD, and a culture that supports full lifecycle engineering from concept through field deployment.

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Houston, TX.

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.

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)

Application Deadline

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.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 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.