Contract mechanical engineers are independent contractors who work directly with their own clients on projects. You find these professionals in a broad range of industries, including robotics, medical devices, and manufacturing. As a contract mechanical engineer, you design a product or machine according to your client's specifications, analyze the blueprints to ensure they are accurate, test a model to identify any potential issues, and repair them as necessary. Your job duties typically involve the extensive usage of specialized computer programs, such as CAD for technical drawings. Depending on the project, you may collaborate with other engineers on different aspects of the plans to ensure they do not conflict with other parts of the project.