NOW HIRING: Mechanical Design EngineerWe are seeking an experienced Mechanical Design Engineer to support the design, development, validation, and release of industrial Ethernet networking products designed for harsh and demanding environments.This is a long-term contract opportunity, with a project pipeline expected to support approximately 3+ years of work. The engineer will join a small, highly collaborative engineering team and take ownership of mechanical design activities spanning 1U rack-mount chassis, compact electronics packaging, DIN-rail enclosures, PCB integration, thermal management, prototype validation, and sustaining engineering.This role is ideal for an engineer with experience designing networking, computing, automotive, or industrial electronic products, particularly those requiring passive cooling and compact PCB packaging.Key ResponsibilitiesMechanical Design & Product Development
- Design mechanical components and assemblies for industrial Ethernet networking products used in harsh environments.
- Develop 1U rack-mount chassis ("pizza box" designs), DIN-rail enclosures, pluggable modules, and compact electronic enclosures.
- Support highly compact products requiring efficient integration of PCB board stacks and electronic components.
- Support both fiber and Power over Ethernet (PoE) product configurations.
- Design products capable of operating in approximately -40°C to 75°C ambient environments.
- Develop passive cooling solutions for products operating without internal fans.
- Integrate aluminum extrusions and heatsinks into chassis designs to effectively dissipate heat.
- Design for mechanical requirements including shock, vibration, thermal performance, manufacturability, and long-term reliability.
Thermal Design & Analysis
- Perform thermal calculations and simulations to validate enclosure and heatsink designs.
- Evaluate heat transfer paths and determine how to efficiently remove heat from densely packaged electronics without fans.
- Support product designs where internal temperatures may reach approximately 85°C to 95°C.
- Utilize FLOEFD or similar thermal simulation software when applicable.
- Review thermal results during prototype and design validation testing and make mechanical modifications as necessary.
PCB & Mechanical Integration
- Collaborate closely with electrical engineers and PCB layout resources to integrate electronics into mechanical designs.
- Define PCB board outlines, keep-out areas, component clearances, and mechanical constraints.
- Provide recommendations for component placement based on heatsinking and thermal requirements.
- Transfer and review EMN and DXF files between PCB layouts and 3D mechanical models.
- Verify component heights, placement, PCB stacking, keep-out areas, heatsink interfaces, and chassis interference.
- Support PCB and layout changes identified during prototype development and design validation.
Prototype, Validation & Product Release
- Support products as they move through Design Validation Testing (DVT) and into production release.
- Review prototype units and engineering checklists to identify required mechanical design cleanup or modifications.
- Troubleshoot new mechanical and thermal issues discovered during validation.
- Update designs and documentation based on DVT results.
- Support multiple products at different stages of development, including existing rack-mount designs and new DIN-rail platforms.
CAD, Documentation & Manufacturing Support
- Develop 3D models and detailed engineering drawings using PTC Creo 10.
- Maintain CAD models, drawings, and product information within PTC Windchill.
- Generate manufacturing drawings and STEP/STP files for product release.
- Develop assembly drawings and Bills of Materials (BOMs).
- Support engineering documentation and releases within Agile PLM.
- Develop drawing packages that can be effectively communicated to external manufacturing partners.
- Collaborate with manufacturing resources, including international factory teams, to support design transfer and production.
Sustaining Engineering
- Provide ongoing mechanical engineering support for products already in production.
- Support Engineering Change Requests (ECRs) related to alternate components, supplier issues, manufacturing challenges, and product improvements.
- Evaluate the mechanical and thermal impact of component substitutions.
- Troubleshoot manufacturing and vendor-related issues and implement appropriate design changes.
Top Technical Qualifications The strongest candidates will bring experience in three key areas:1. Thermal Management & Passive Cooling
- Strong understanding of heat transfer and thermal properties within electronic products.
- Experience designing systems that efficiently dissipate heat without fans.
- Experience with heatsinks, aluminum extrusions, thermal interfaces, and compact electronics packaging.
- FLOEFD experience is preferred but not required.
- Mechanical Chassis & Electronics Packaging
- Experience designing chassis, enclosures, rack-mount products, or DIN-rail products.
- Understanding of shock and vibration considerations for industrial electronics.
- Experience packaging PCBs and electronic components into space-constrained mechanical designs.
- Ability to create detailed manufacturing drawings and work directly with manufacturing partners.
- PCB Integration
- Experience collaborating with electrical engineers and PCB layout designers.
- Understanding of PCB board outlines, keep-out zones, component placement, mechanical clearances, and heatsinking requirements.
- Ability to integrate PCB layouts into 3D mechanical CAD models and identify potential interference issues.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
- Professional experience designing mechanical enclosures, chassis, or electronic products.
- Strong proficiency with PTC Creo or comparable 3D CAD software.
- Experience with thermal management and heat transfer in electronic products.
- Experience integrating mechanical designs with PCBs and electronic components.
- Experience creating detailed engineering drawings, assembly drawings, and BOMs.
- Understanding of shock, vibration, tolerance, and manufacturability considerations.
- Ability to support products from design and prototyping through validation, release, and production.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with PTC Creo 10.
- Experience with PTC Windchill.
- Experience with FLOEFD or another thermal simulation platform.
- Experience with Agile PLM.
- Experience designing industrial Ethernet, networking, telecommunications, computing, automotive electronics, or other ruggedized electronic products.
- Experience with 1U rack-mount and DIN-rail chassis designs.
- Experience with fiber or Power over Ethernet (PoE) products.
- Familiarity with EMN, DXF, and STEP/STP file formats.
- Experience collaborating with international manufacturing or factory teams.
Project Scope The engineer will initially support rack-mount Ethernet products currently entering validation, including mechanical design cleanup and any issues identified during DVT. Following those releases, the engineer will transition into additional new-product designs, including DIN-rail industrial Ethernet products.The current development roadmap extends into 2027 and 2028, creating a substantial long-term project pipeline for this position. Work Environment & Schedule
- Long-term contract opportunity, with projects expected to provide approximately 3+ years of work.
- Hybrid schedule, with approximately 23 days per week onsite.
- Small, collaborative engineering environment with close interaction between mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, lab, PCB layout, and manufacturing resources.
- Collaboration with both U.S.-based engineering resources and international manufacturing teams.
- ASAP start preferred due to active prototype, validation, and new-product development schedules.
Job Type & LocationThis is a Contract position based out of Raleigh, NC. Pay and BenefitsThe pay range for this position is $60.00 - $75.00/hr. 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.Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. 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) Job Type & LocationThis is a Contract position based out of Raleigh, NC. Application DeadlineThis position is anticipated to close on Nov 20, 2026. Workplace TypeThis is a hybrid position in Raleigh,NC.About Actalent
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.S., 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 actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.
San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
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It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
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