The Mechanical Engineer is a hands-on engineer embedded with the Operations team. This role spends most of its time on the shop floor: building and troubleshooting sub-assemblies and systems alongside the assembly team, keeping in-house fabrication equipment (3D printers, laser cutter, fixtures and tooling) running and productive, and solving the day-to-day technical problems that slow production down.
This is not a desk design role. Where Product Development owns new product design, this engineer owns making things get built well, consistently, and efficiently in Operations: fixtures and jigs, process fixes, work instructions, equipment uptime, and root-cause problem solving. The ideal candidate is a mechanical engineer who would rather be at the bench with a part in hand than behind a screen, and who can take ownership of problems from first report to verified fix.
Primary Responsibilities:
Hands-on assembly and production support
- Work alongside assemblers, the lead tech, and the test engineer to build, inspect, and test sub-assemblies and systems, including wiring, plumbing, and mechanical assembly
- Step in on complex or first-article builds, and help clear production bottlenecks when the schedule demands it
- Read and interpret drawings, schematics, P&IDs, and BOMs; flag drawing or BOM errors back to Product Development
- Support membrane production and the warehouse with technical problem solving as needed
Troubleshooting and root cause
- Be the first technical responder when a build, test, or piece of equipment isn’t working
- Diagnose mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and basic electrical issues on products and shop equipment
- Lead root-cause investigations for defects, nonconformances, and repeat failures, and implement corrective actions in line with the ISO 9001 quality system
Fabrication equipment ownership
- Own setup, operation, maintenance, and calibration of in-house fabrication equipment, including 3D printers and the laser cutter
- Design and produce fixtures, jigs, gauges, tooling, and replacement or prototype parts using CAD, 3D printing, laser cutting, and basic machining
- Maintain equipment maintenance schedules, consumables, and spare parts; coordinate with outside service vendors when needed
- Train operators on safe and correct equipment use, including laser safety requirements
Process improvement and documentation
- Identify and execute improvements that reduce assembly time, scrap, rework, and errors, using Lean and continuous improvement methods (e.g., kaizen, 5S, mistake-proofing)
- Create and maintain work instructions, SOPs, assembly aids, and test procedures that assemblers can follow at the bench
- Keep routings, BOMs, and item data accurate in NetSuite (ERP) for the products and processes this role supports
- Track simple production metrics (cycle time, first-pass yield, rework) to show where improvements are needed and whether they worked
Cross-functional technical support
- Act as the Operations technical liaison to Product Development on manufacturability, design changes, and new product introduction
- Support Purchasing with technical input on parts, materials, substitutions, and new equipment
- Support Quality with inspections, first-article checks, and supplier part issues
- Help scope, install, and commission new manufacturing equipment
Job Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or a related field, or equivalent hands-on experience
- 2+ years of experience in a manufacturing or hands-on engineering environment
- Proficient in 3D CAD (SolidWorks or similar); able to read drawings, schematics, and BOMs
- Strong mechanical aptitude with hand and power tools, assembly, basic wiring, and plumbing
- Structured, persistent approach to troubleshooting and root-cause analysis
- Experience operating and maintaining 3D printers and laser cutters preferred
- Familiarity with fluid or hydraulic systems, filtration, NetSuite, or ISO 9001 a plus
- Clear communicator who can write work instructions shop-floor staff can follow
Sterlitech is an industry leader focused in unique micro and sub-micron filtration products. We strive to support our customers by keeping them at the forefront of their industries, tailoring solutions to individualized needs, responding to the demands of emerging technologies and aligning with their visions including:
*Membrane filters to improve workers’ environments
*Systems to recover and reuse high value waste streams
*Disease detection devices and diagnostic tools
*Desalination and water resource conservation
