Sr. Mechanical Engineer - New Product Development

Pregis•Aurora, IL

2d•$120,000 - $140,000•Onsite

About The Position

As a Senior Mechanical Engineer within the New Product Development (NPD) team, you will lead the design, development, prototyping, and deployment of innovative packaging systems. This role is critical in transitioning early-stage concepts into scalable, manufacturable solutions, working closely with cross-functional teams from category manager, manufacturing, procurement, and electrical engineering. Responsibilities and projects include technology development and application to machine and system design from concept through commercialization. The candidate will work in a dynamic and collaborative environment as part of a team and will be held directly accountable for delivering results quickly and continually. The position requires a self-motivated and enthusiastic individual that is driven to directly contribute to beating the competition. This role focuses on early-stage development encompassing rapid concept generation, prototyping, and analysis at our Aurora, IL location and close collaboration with engineering teams across sites.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Mechanical Engineering
10+ years’ experience in machine design; packaging machinery preferred.
Electro-mechanical machine design experience required.
Pneumatics machine design experience preferred.
Hands-on prototyping in R&D lab/manufacturing environment is required.
Advanced 3D CAD modelling skills for part design, assemblies, and tolerance analysis. SolidWorks preferred.
High proficiency with engineering drawing creation and standard best practices, including GD&T.
Experience with rapid prototyping methods (3D print, quick turn metal fab, internal shop fab) and proof of concept model creation.
Ability to work hands on with projects in a research and development environment.
Problem solving mentality with ability to think creatively to troubleshoot machine issues, design constraints, and other roadblocks.
Must be detail orientated, have strong organizational skills, and the ability to prioritize.
A self-starter with excellent communication skills.
Must have a strong working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.

Nice To Haves

Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to partner with internal customers.
Prior experience with tools, fixtures and data acquisition devices is a plus.
Experience with firmware, software is a plus.
Experience with packaging consumables such as poly and paper is a plus.

Responsibilities

Design and develop advanced packaging machinery using SolidWorks and ePDM, ensuring safety, performance, reliability, and cost-efficiency.
Generate unique concepts that solve customer challenges followed by execution of prototyping and field testing to validate customer needs.
Develop proof of concept prototypes to quickly assess design feasibility.
Engage directly with customers and internal teams to uncover challenges and identify opportunities for innovation.
Generate and review detailed drawings, assemblies, and BOMs, and manage data within ERP systems. This requires complete proficiency for both execution and oversight of work.
Strong command of first principles of engineering including heat transfer, material selection, force/load analysis.
Collaborate with electrical engineers on system integration, component selection (motors, sensors), and sequencing.
Work with engineering directors and category managers to translate customer needs into measurable design requirements based on critical to success factors.
Design for relevant safety and compliance standards (CE)
Present and release design documentation, analysis, and layouts for internal and external stakeholder review.
Ability to work with machinery in the field, troubleshoot and implement long-term design solutions.
Drive continuous improvement by analyzing field feedback, competitive equipment, and emerging technologies.