Mechanical Design Engineer (Automation)

Location: Portland, TN, USA. Full-time onsite role with 10–20% travel.

Company

Flex-Tek, a division of Smiths Group, is a global manufacturing company serving aerospace, construction, thermal, industrial, and related manufacturing markets.

What you will do

• Design tooling, fixtures, guards, robot stands, material-handling devices, and custom machine components.
• Create and maintain 3D CAD models, assemblies, drawings, layouts, configurable design files, and CAM-ready details, primarily in SolidWorks.
• Perform engineering checks covering loads, force, torque, motion, clearances, tolerances, materials, ergonomics, and structural integrity.
• Integrate mechanical designs with automation and controls, including sensors, pneumatics, cable routing, electrical enclosures, robot tooling, guarding, and operator stations.
• Support prototyping, fabrication, installation, troubleshooting, startup, validation, testing, and production handoff.
• Coordinate with production teams, controls and electrical engineers, suppliers, and fabrication partners to deliver reliable and maintainable equipment.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Technology, or a related technical field.
• At least 3 years of experience in mechanical design, manufacturing equipment, custom tooling, fixtures, automation support, or machine design.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD, preferably SolidWorks, including assemblies, drawings, configurations, and revision control.
• Strong knowledge of machining, welding, sheet metal, fabrication, 3D printing, assembly, and purchased component selection.
• Experience with mechanical systems such as pneumatics, hydraulics, linear motion, conveyors, guarding, robotics support structures, or test equipment.
• Familiarity with GD&T, tolerance stack-up, mechanical drafting standards, automation components, and shop-floor equipment builds.

Nice to have

• Experience with machine safety, guarding design, ergonomic access, equipment serviceability, and robot or automated-equipment layouts.
• Knowledge of motion systems, robot integration support, controls integration, rapid prototyping, test rigs, and fixture trials.
• Experience coordinating with vendors on automation components such as grippers, encoders, sensors, pneumatics, framing systems, and electrical enclosure hardware.

Culture & Benefits

• Hands-on work across the shop floor, laboratory, equipment builds, and multiple Flex-Tek sites.
• Opportunity to improve safety, quality, throughput, reliability, cost, and innovation speed across manufacturing operations.
• Inclusive workplace grounded in equality, ethics, and respect for diverse backgrounds.
• Permanent employee position with 10–20% travel.