Automation Design Engineer Jobs in Utica, MI (NOW HIRING)

About MPI

Magnetic Products, Inc. (MPI) has spent over 45 years designing and manufacturing magnetic separation, and material-handling equipment that protects products, equipment, and people across food, pharma, plastics, and recycling. We're a family-owned company with an engineer-to-order culture, a full manufacturing operation under one roof, and ambitious growth plans — which is exactly why this role exists.

The Opportunity

Most engineering roles here design individual machines. This one designs how the whole department works.

MPI runs on an engineer-to-order model — which has built a lot of great custom equipment, but also means every order, standard or not, tends to route through engineering. We're looking for a Systems Engineer to change that: someone who can build the parametric models, specifications, and processes that let standard orders flow straight from sales to the shop floor, freeing engineering to focus on the custom work that actually needs it.

This is a systems-level ownership role, not a project-by-project execution role. You'll be the architect of scalable engineering infrastructure — Configure-Price-Quote, parametric modeling, specifications, and process — built to remove bottlenecks as MPI grows.

Core Purpose

Build leverage in the engineering department so MPI has a scalable, consistent platform for growth — one that lets the company grow without creating engineering bottlenecks, sales friction, or production issues.

What You'll Own

•      CPQ & Configuration Systems — take ownership of our configure-price-quote (CPQ) and CAD systems, driving full adoption across both sales and engineering.

•      Parametric Modeling — build scalable parametric models that let standard designs flow straight from sales to the floor without engineering having to touch them.

•      Product Standardization & Optimization — use parametric models to standardize design, features, components, materials, and fasteners, and apply design-for-manufacture optimization that makes assembly easier and more intuitive.

•      Engineering Process Definition — help define and implement engineering processes, manage the Engineering Change Request (ECR) process, and establish best practices for communicating build instructions to manufacturing.

•      Specification Architecture — define and implement a clear distinction between customer-facing specifications and engineering/production specifications, working toward one consistent specification standard.

•      Paperless Transition — lead the department's transition from paper-based to paperless engineering documentation.

•      Tool Implementation — lead implementation of new software tools adopted by the engineering department.

What Success Looks Like

This is a role built to grow in scope over time. You'll start by learning our products and engineer-to-order workflow, then move quickly into standardizing and modeling our product lines. As you build fluency with our systems and processes, you'll take on full ownership of our CPQ and CAD platforms, expand parametric modeling across more product families, and help lead our transition to a paperless engineering environment — with the long-term goal of a meaningfully higher share of standard orders flowing from sales to the shop floor without engineering intervention.

What We're Looking For

•      Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field; equivalent experience considered

•      3+ years of experience in a manufacturing or engineer-to-order environment, ideally with exposure to process, systems, or design engineering

•      Hands-on experience with 3D CAD and PDM systems (Autodesk Inventor/Vault or comparable)

•      Experience with parametric or rules-based modeling, and comfort working across both engineering and sales-facing systems

•      Experience with, or strong aptitude for, CPQ (configure-price-quote) platforms

•      Understanding of engineering change management (ECR/ECN) and how build instructions should flow to manufacturing

•      Strong process-improvement mindset — you see repeatable structure where others see one-off projects

•      Excellent cross-functional communication skills; able to translate between sales, engineering, and production

•      Self-directed and comfortable owning a system end to end, from process definition through rollout

•      Comfortable using AI tools (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot) to speed up modeling, documentation, and process work — we actively support and encourage this

Bonus Points

•      Experience implementing or administering a CPQ system in a manufacturing setting

•      Programming/scripting ability (e.g., iLogic, VBA, Python) for automating parametric models

•      Background in Lean, Six Sigma, or other structured process-improvement methodology

•      Experience with design-for-manufacture (DFM) optimization in sheet metal or fabricated assemblies

•      Familiarity with conveyors, magnetics, or similar industrial equipment

•      Experience leading a paper-to-paperless transition in an engineering department

What This Role is NOT

•      Not a project-by-project design execution role

•      Not a role where you wait to be told what to standardize next

•      Not an IT helpdesk or software-administration-only position — this is systems architecture with real engineering ownership

Why MPI

•      A family-owned company that thinks long term — we invest in our people, our products, and our future. You're not just filling a role; you're helping build something that lasts.

•      Engineering-driven at our core — engineering is central to how we innovate and win in the market. Your work will directly shape how the whole department operates.

•      Access and impact from day one — you'll work directly with sales, engineering, and leadership, with a clear mandate to fix real bottlenecks.

•      A high-trust, high-accountability environment — we give people ownership and the freedom to execute, with accountability to match.

•      AI-forward, not AI-resistant — we actively support the use of AI tools to work smarter and faster, and want someone who treats AI as part of their everyday toolkit.

•      Competitive compensation and meaningful growth — a strong compensation and benefits package, with real opportunity to grow the role as MPI grows.

Position Details

Location: Highland, MI (on-site)

Job Type: Full-time

Schedule: Day shift, Monday to Friday

Benefits

•      401(k) with company match

•      Dental insurance

•      Health insurance

•      Health savings account

•      Employee assistance program

•      Flexible schedule

•      Paid time off

•      Professional development assistance

•      Referral program

•      Tuition reimbursement

•      Vision insurance