Design Engineer

The Design Engineer will develop material handling solutions for manufacturing and warehouse facilities, with a strong focus on conveyor systems and related machinery. This role combines hands-on mechanical and industrial design with project management, from initial concept and site layout through engineering design and handoff to execution. The engineer will translate facility requirements into practical designs that increase capacity, support new equipment, and optimize existing layouts, while collaborating closely with vendors and internal stakeholders. Responsibilities

• Design material handling equipment, including conveyor belts and related machinery, to meet specific operational requirements within manufacturing and warehouse facilities.
• Develop site layouts and plant/warehouse configurations that support new equipment, increased capacity, and optimized material flow.
• Create design solutions for retrofitting existing areas to accommodate new equipment and for rearranging existing equipment within the facility.
• Define and document the scope of work for each project, ensuring alignment with facility needs, timelines, and budget constraints.
• Prepare and write Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and Requests for Quotations (RFQs) for vendors and partners involved in site selection and equipment procurement.
• Collaborate with vendors during site selection, equipment specification, and implementation planning.
• Produce detailed engineering designs, drawings, and documentation using CAD tools such as AutoCAD and SolidWorks.
• Manage projects from design through handoff to execution, tracking milestones and ensuring deliverables are completed on time.
• Travel to facility sites (up to approximately 50% of the time) to conduct site visits, gather requirements, validate layouts, and support implementation.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure that new layouts, retrofits, and equipment integrations support overall system performance and capacity goals.
• Consider upstream and downstream impacts when changing components within systems, ensuring that machines and processes function effectively together rather than as isolated units.
• Monitor project KPIs and performance, including meeting deadlines and achieving key milestones for assigned projects.
• Support continuous improvement efforts by identifying opportunities to enhance material handling efficiency, safety, and reliability through design changes.
• Participate in reviews and handoffs to execution teams, ensuring that designs are clear, feasible, and ready for installation and commissioning., The role offers a hybrid work schedule, typically with three days in the office and two days remote each week, providing a balance between collaborative on-site work and focused remote tasks. During the first few weeks, the engineer should be comfortable working in the office five days a week to integrate with the team and become familiar with processes and systems. The position is structured as an 11-month contract, with the possibility to extend up to two years; when full-time openings become available, contract engineers may interview for those opportunities. The engineer can work remotely for up to 11 months of the contract but should be open to relocating to the Nashville area if a full-time offer is accepted. The work involves regular site visits to manufacturing and warehouse facilities, using tools such as AutoCAD and SolidWorks to develop layouts and designs. The environment emphasizes collaboration, professional growth, and access to competitive benefits, including strong stock and health benefits upon conversion to permanent employment. Dress code is typically aligned with a professional office and industrial site setting, with appropriate attire for both office-based work and facility visits. Job Type & Location

Planning Machinery Timelines Visionary Scheduling Management Automation Innovation Warehousing Reliability 3D Modeling Communication Site Selection Process Design Conveyor Systems SolidWorks (CAD) Material Handling Mechanical Design Industrial Design Project Management Automation Systems Systems Engineering Request For Proposal Mechanical Engineering Artificial Intelligence Ability To Meet Deadlines Automation Systems Design Engineering Design Process Material Handling Equipment Request For Quotation (RFQ) Continuous Improvement Process Milestones (Project Management), * 5-7 years of experience in manufacturing or industrial design, with hands-on responsibility for equipment and layout design.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, such as mechanical, industrial, electrical, or manufacturing engineering.
• Demonstrated mechanical design experience in a manufacturing setting, with the ability to create practical, implementable solutions.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD for developing detailed layouts and engineering drawings.
• Experience using SolidWorks or similar 3D CAD tools for mechanical design.
• Strong background in plant or warehouse layout design, including material handling systems.
• Project management skills, including planning, scheduling, and tracking milestones, combined with hands-on design responsibilities.
• Experience working with vendors, including creating RFPs and RFQs and collaborating during site selection and equipment procurement.
• Ability to design and optimize warehouse or plant layouts and material handling solutions, particularly conveyor systems.
• Willingness and ability to travel up to approximately 50% of the time for site visits and project work.
• Capability to consider system-level interactions, ensuring that equipment and processes function effectively together within a larger system.
• Comfort working in a hybrid environment that includes both office-based collaboration and remote work, as well as on-site facility visits., * Experience with mechanical design of warehouse systems, plant layouts, and material handling equipment is strongly preferred.
• background in designing conveyor systems and material handling solutions that increase capacity or support new equipment implementations.
• Experience in automation engineering or automation mechanical engineering, particularly involving design of new layouts, retrofits, and line implementations or launches.
• Ability to assess upstream and downstream impacts of design changes within systems engineering, ensuring coordinated operation of machines and processes.
• Familiarity with process design and automation systems related to material handling and conveyor equipment.
• Strong communication skills for coordinating with vendors, stakeholders, and cross-functional teams.
• Organizational skills to manage multiple projects, track KPIs, and meet deadlines and milestones.
• Interest in transitioning from contract to potential full-time employment, with openness to relocation if a permanent opportunity arises., 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., Seattle, WA*Remote

AutoCAD Planning Machinery Timelines Visionary Scheduling Management Automation Innovation Warehousing Reliability 3D Modeling Communication Site Selection Process Design Conveyor Systems SolidWorks (CAD) Material Handling Mechanical Design Industrial Design Project Management Automation Systems Systems Engineering Request For Proposal Mechanical Engineering Artificial Intelligence Ability To Meet Deadlines Automation Systems Design Engineering Design Process Material Handling Equipment Request For Quotation (RFQ) Continuous Improvement Process Milestones (Project Management)

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