Mechanical Engineer

Job Title: Mechanical Engineer

Job Description

This role supports a manufacturer of surface heaters, temperature controllers, and insulators whose products serve a wide range of industries to prevent freezing, maintain flow, and sustain critical process temperatures. The Mechanical Engineer will work on a contract-to-hire basis, focusing on custom heating solutions by translating customer requirements into manufacturable designs, performing heat transfer analyses, and collaborating closely with sales, application engineering, and manufacturing teams.

Responsibilities

• Review design specifications submitted by sales and application engineering to confirm technical feasibility and manufacturability of custom heating products.
• Recreate customer geometry in SolidWorks using provided hand sketches, 2D drawings, or 3D files, ensuring accuracy and alignment with design intent.
• Develop heating element layout designs that follow established design and manufacturing best practices for surface heaters and related products.
• Create and review detailed shop drawings, bills of materials (BOM), bills of operations (BOO), and product labels required to produce custom heating products.
• Assist application engineering and sales teams by clarifying application specifications and responding to technical customer questions.
• Perform heat transfer analyses for applications such as freeze protection, condensation prevention, and process heating, using appropriate simulation and analytical methods.
• Utilize ANSYS or comparable simulation tools to conduct FEA and other analyses related to heat transfer, flow, or structural behavior as needed.
• Work with manufacturing and testing lab personnel to troubleshoot issues, validate custom heating solutions, and support continuous improvement of products and processes.
• Communicate directly with customers to support application-related needs, clarify requirements, and ensure that design solutions meet performance expectations.
• Support simulation and FEA activities by explaining prior project experience, including types of projects, findings, and frequency of analysis work.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure accurate translation of designs into production and to resolve design or fabrication challenges.
• Perform any other related engineering duties as assigned.

Essential Skills

• Associate's degree in Mechanical Engineering.
• At least 1 internship or co-op experience in mechanical engineering within a manufacturing environment, with a focus on design.
• Proficiency in SolidWorks for 3D design and modeling.
• Experience with finite element analysis (FEA), including coursework or practical exposure to heat transfer and flow analysis.
• Ability to read, create, and interpret shop drawings and fabrication documentation.
• Experience developing bills of materials (BOM) and bills of operations (BOO).
• Knowledge of mechanical design principles related to heating elements, heat transfer, and fluid flow.
• Familiarity with ANSYS or similar simulation tools for mechanical and thermal analysis.
• Understanding of basic electrical circuit concepts as they relate to heating products.
• Strong problem-solving skills for troubleshooting design and manufacturing issues.
• Effective communication skills for collaborating with sales, application engineering, manufacturing, testing labs, and customers.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering is preferred.
• Mechanical Engineering Technology (M.E.T.) background is welcome, especially with strong FEA skills.
• Experience with ANSYS for simulation testing, including flow or structural analysis projects.
• Exposure to computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and heat transfer analysis.
• Experience using other 3D design tools such as Inventor; SolidWorks or Inventor experience will be considered.
• Familiarity with AutoCAD or similar drafting tools.
• Hands-on experience in a fabrication or manufacturing environment.
• Ability to clearly explain prior simulation and FEA projects, including project type, objectives, methods used, and results.

Work Environment

The role is based in a medium-sized manufacturing company with approximately 260 team members at its headquarters. The Mechanical Engineer will primarily work in an office setting at a dedicated desk, using tools such as SolidWorks and ANSYS to perform design and simulation tasks. The position requires occasional visits to the manufacturing floor to interact with products and equipment, collaborate with production and testing personnel, and support validation and troubleshooting activities. The environment combines engineering office work with hands-on exposure to a production setting, offering opportunities to see designs move from concept through manufacturing and testing.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Columbus, OH.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $28.85 - $33.65/hr.

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)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Columbus,OH.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jun 15, 2026.

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 30,000 consultants and more than 4,500 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500.

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 ... 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.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: 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): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.