Mechanical Systems Engineer — Paint Finishing & Turnkey ManufacturingBased in Auburn Hills, Michigan
Step into a role where plant-floor reality shapes every decision. You’ll help turn complex mechanical concepts into buildable systems for industrial and automotive paint finishing environments—seeing work progress from layout to installation, commissioning, and launch.
A Day in the Life
Morning: You review equipment layouts and assemblies—duct runs, supports, platforms, and conveyors—confirming fit, function, and field practicality. You coordinate with designers and project managers to align updates with safety, quality, timing, and cost targets.
Midday: Vendors call about fabrication details. You clarify drawing intent, adjust tolerances for manufacturability, and document changes. You field a question from installers on-site and issue a quick drawing revision.
Afternoon: You walk through a commissioning plan, checking that ventilation and air house interfaces support startup. You flag a potential interference early and propose a cost-neutral solution that protects the schedule and customer acceptance.
What You’ll Handle
- Engineer mechanical systems for industrial paint finishing and high-volume manufacturing environments.
- Develop and refine layouts, assemblies, equipment arrangements, ductwork, structural steel, platforms, piping, and conveyor interfaces.
- Create and review drawings, models, and documentation for fabrication, installation, and field execution.
- Partner across engineering, design, manufacturing, project management, purchasing, vendors, installers, and customer teams throughout the lifecycle.
- Evaluate designs for fit, function, manufacturability, installability, safety, quality, cost, and serviceability.
- Drive engineering changes and customer revisions; manage drawing updates and respond to field RFIs.
- Plan for system integration, installation sequencing, commissioning support, startup, and launch readiness.
- Provide on-the-ground technical support through fabrication, installation, debug, and customer acceptance.
- Identify risks early and propose practical mitigations that keep timing and quality intact.
- Maintain accurate engineering records and uphold internal safety, quality, and process standards.
Who Thrives Here
This isn’t a standard product design seat. Success requires understanding how design choices impact fabrication, installation, field execution, customer changes, launch timing, safety, quality, and cost—and making tradeoffs that keep projects on track.
Required Background
- 5+ years in mechanical engineering within paint finishing, industrial equipment, manufacturing systems, process equipment, industrial HVAC/ventilation, conveyors, fabrication, automation-adjacent, or comparable heavy industrial settings.
- Fluency in reading, creating, and reviewing mechanical drawings, equipment layouts, and assemblies.
- Deep grasp of how systems are fabricated, installed, commissioned, and supported in the field.
- Proven collaboration with engineering, design, PM, manufacturing, purchasing, vendors, contractors/installers, and customers.
- Track record troubleshooting design issues and delivering practical, schedule-aware solutions.
- Clear communication that balances technical depth with schedule, cost, safety, quality, and customer expectations.
Preferred Experience
- Direct exposure to industrial paint finishing systems or automotive paint shops.
- Hands-on with booths, ovens, air houses, ventilation systems, ductwork, conveyors, platforms, piping, process equipment, structural supports, and integrated facility systems.
- Turnkey project support from design through fabrication, installation, startup, commissioning, and acceptance.
- Industry background in automotive, aerospace, heavy truck, tier suppliers, general industrial, or large manufacturing facilities.
- Familiarity with MS Office, MS Project, quality systems, project documentation, engineering change processes, and QOS or comparable frameworks.
- CAD proficiency; specific platform to be confirmed during intake.
Industry Focus
Industrial manufacturing; automotive paint finishing; process equipment; turnkey manufacturing systems; mechanical systems; fabrication; installation; commissioning; launch support.