Mechanical Design Engineer

Company Overview Smart Vision Lights is a leader in innovative product development and dedicated partner support within the advanced lighting industry. Committed to continuous improvement and customer-centric solutions, the company strives to deliver high-quality, disruptive lighting products that meet evolving industry demands.

Job Summary:

The Mechanical Design Engineer will contribute to the design and development of high-performance enclosures and housings for machine vision lighting solutions. This role requires a strong command of mechanical engineering fundamentals, including design for manufacturing, design of assembly, sealing methodologies, thermal dissipation, tolerance stack up analysis, material selection, and design validation. The ideal candidate applies rigorous critical thinking to every stage of the product design process, collaborating with internal engineering teams, manufacturing teams, and external suppliers to deliver reliable, production-ready designs.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Design & Development Lead the design and development of mechanical enclosures, housings and bracketry for LED-based machine vision lighting products using SolidWorks and 3DExperience. Apply mechanical engineering fundamentals — including, but not limited to thermal dissipation analysis, tolerance stack up, sealing methodologies and material selection — to produce robust, manufacturable designs. Apply Design for Assembly (DFA) and Design for Manufacturing (DFM) principles throughout the design process to reduce complexity and cost. Develop designs and choose materials that meet compliance requirements. Prototyping & Validation Develop and execute design validation plans to verify product performance against requirements prior to release. Build and evaluate physical prototypes; conduct performance testing to confirm thermal, structural, and dimensional requirements are met. Cross-Functional Collaboration Partner with mechanical, electrical, and optical engineers, as well as manufacturing and quality teams, to ensure seamless integration of enclosure designs into the broader product assembly. Engage with external suppliers and machine shops to support fabrication of parts and components; provide clear engineering intent through drawings and specifications. Project Representation & Milestone Management Represent mechanical engineering in project and customer meetings, communicating design status, decisions, and constraints clearly to cross-functional and external stakeholders. Follow the SVL milestone process by actively tracking mechanical engineering tasks, proactively communicating risks to timelines, and ensuring deliverables are completed on time. Documentation & Compliance Support compliance submission and certification process as necessary. Generate and maintain complete engineering documentation including CAD models, 2D drawings, BOMs, specifications, and test reports in compliance with company standards. Identify opportunities for continuous improvement in product designs, materials, and processes. work experience/skills required Experience

• 4+ years of mechanical product design experience.
• Background in electronics packaging or similarly precision-driven enclosure design preferred.
• Hands-on experience with prototyping, testing, and validation of mechanical assemblies.
• Familiarity with ECR/ECO processes and structured engineering change control.
• Awareness of APQP methodology (Prototype, Pilot/Trial Run, SOP) and its application within a product development milestone framework.
• Experience designing with unit cost targets in mind; participation in design-to-cost reviews a plus. Technical Skills
• Deep proficiency in SolidWorks for 3D modeling, assemblies, and drawing creation; working knowledge of 3DExperience platform.
• Ability to perform and communicate tolerance stack-up and material tradeoffs with clarity and confidence.
• Proficiency in creating 2D dimensioned drawings for communicating design intent and working effectively with machine shops and other manufacturing suppliers.
• Knowledge of sheet metal and die cast design principles including bend reliefs, draft angles, and parting lines as they relate to manufacturability and cost.
• Design experience with injection molded plastic components, including wall thickness, draft, gate placement, and tooling considerations.
• Familiarity with aluminum extrusion design, including profile optimization, secondary operations, and joining methods.
• Demonstrated application of DFA and DFM principles in a production environment.
• Knowledge of IP rating standards and environmental sealing design requirements (e.g., IP65/IP67) for industrial lighting products.
• Familiarity with industry standards and certifications (CE, UL, RoHS) a plus. Competencies
• Demonstrated critical thinking applied to design decisions — evaluating tradeoffs across performance, cost, manufacturability, and reliability.
• Collaborative mindset with strong communication skills; able to work effectively across engineering disciplines, manufacturing, and external partners.
• Strong attention to detail in design, testing, and documentation to ensure precision and compliance.
• Able to actively manage supplier relationships including quoting, lead time tracking, and first article inspection (FAI) support.
• Self-directed and able to manage own workload with minimal oversight; comfortable owning tasks end-to-end within a structured milestone process.
• Adaptable and eager to learn in a fast-paced, product-driven environment. Education Requirements
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field
• Proficiency in SolidWorks required; 3DExperience experience strongly preferred
• Background in electronics packaging or precision enclosure design preferred
• Familiarity with industry standards (CE, UL, RoHS) a plus

Pay:

From $85,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Dental insurance Employee assistance program Health insurance Health savings account Life insurance Paid time off Parental leave Retirement plan Vision insurance Application Question(s): Do you have Design for Manufacturing experience? Do you have experience using SolidWorks? Have you worked cross functionally with electrical engineering, quality and/or manufacturing?

Experience:

mechanical design : 4 years (Required) Ability to

Commute:

Norton Shores, MI 49441 (Required)

Work Location:

In person Mechanical Design Engineer 2.7 2.7 out of 5 stars Norton Shores, MI 49441 From $85,000 a year - Full-time Smart Vision Lights 11 reviews From $85,000 a year - Full-time Company Overview Smart Vision Lights is a leader in innovative product development and dedicated partner support within the advanced lighting industry. Committed to continuous improvement and customer-centric solutions, the company strives to deliver high-quality, disruptive lighting products that meet evolving industry demands.

Job Summary:

The Mechanical Design Engineer will contribute to the design and development of high-performance enclosures and housings for machine vision lighting solutions. This role requires a strong command of mechanical engineering fundamentals, including design for manufacturing, design of assembly, sealing methodologies, thermal dissipation, tolerance stack up analysis, material selection, and design validation. The ideal candidate applies rigorous critical thinking to every stage of the product design process, collaborating with internal engineering teams, manufacturing teams, and external suppliers to deliver reliable, production-ready designs.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Design & Development Lead the design and development of mechanical enclosures, housings and bracketry for LED-based machine vision lighting products using SolidWorks and 3DExperience. Apply mechanical engineering fundamentals — including, but not limited to thermal dissipation analysis, tolerance stack up, sealing methodologies and material selection — to produce robust, manufacturable designs. Apply Design for Assembly (DFA) and Design for Manufacturing (DFM) principles throughout the design process to reduce complexity and cost. Develop designs and choose materials that meet compliance requirements. Prototyping & Validation Develop and execute design validation plans to verify product performance against requirements prior to release. Build and evaluate physical prototypes; conduct performance testing to confirm thermal, structural, and dimensional requirements are met. Cross-Functional Collaboration Partner with mechanical, electrical, and optical engineers, as well as manufacturing and quality teams, to ensure seamless integration of enclosure designs into the broader product assembly. Engage with external suppliers and machine shops to support fabrication of parts and components; provide clear engineering intent through drawings and specifications. Project Representation & Milestone Management Represent mechanical engineering in project and customer meetings, communicating design status, decisions, and constraints clearly to cross-functional and external stakeholders. Follow the SVL milestone process by actively tracking mechanical engineering tasks, proactively communicating risks to timelines, and ensuring deliverables are completed on time. Documentation & Compliance Support compliance submission and certification process as necessary. Generate and maintain complete engineering documentation including CAD models, 2D drawings, BOMs, specifications, and test reports in compliance with company standards. Identify opportunities for continuous improvement in product designs, materials, and processes. work experience/skills required Experience

• 4+ years of mechanical product design experience.
• Background in electronics packaging or similarly precision-driven enclosure design preferred.
• Hands-on experience with prototyping, testing, and validation of mechanical assemblies.
• Familiarity with ECR/ECO processes and structured engineering change control.
• Awareness of APQP methodology (Prototype, Pilot/Trial Run, SOP) and its application within a product development milestone framework.
• Experience designing with unit cost targets in mind; participation in design-to-cost reviews a plus. Technical Skills
• Deep proficiency in SolidWorks for 3D modeling, assemblies, and drawing creation; working knowledge of 3DExperience platform.
• Ability to perform and communicate tolerance stack-up and material tradeoffs with clarity and confidence.
• Proficiency in creating 2D dimensioned drawings for communicating design intent and working effectively with machine shops and other manufacturing suppliers.
• Knowledge of sheet metal and die cast design principles including bend reliefs, draft angles, and parting lines as they relate to manufacturability and cost.
• Design experience with injection molded plastic components, including wall thickness, draft, gate placement, and tooling considerations.
• Familiarity with aluminum extrusion design, including profile optimization, secondary operations, and joining methods.
• Demonstrated application of DFA and DFM principles in a production environment.
• Knowledge of IP rating standards and environmental sealing design requirements (e.g., IP65/IP67) for industrial lighting products.
• Familiarity with industry standards and certifications (CE, UL, RoHS) a plus. Competencies
• Demonstrated critical thinking applied to design decisions — evaluating tradeoffs across performance, cost, manufacturability, and reliability.
• Collaborative mindset with strong communication skills; able to work effectively across engineering disciplines, manufacturing, and external partners.
• Strong attention to detail in design, testing, and documentation to ensure precision and compliance.
• Able to actively manage supplier relationships including quoting, lead time tracking, and first article inspection (FAI) support.
• Self-directed and able to manage own workload with minimal oversight; comfortable owning tasks end-to-end within a structured milestone process.
• Adaptable and eager to learn in a fast-paced, product-driven environment. Education Requirements
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field
• Proficiency in SolidWorks required; 3DExperience experience strongly preferred
• Background in electronics packaging or precision enclosure design preferred
• Familiarity with industry standards (CE, UL, RoHS) a plus

Pay:

From $85,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Dental insurance Employee assistance program Health insurance Health savings account Life insurance Paid time off Parental leave Retirement plan Vision insurance Application Question(s): Do you have Design for Manufacturing experience? Do you have experience using SolidWorks? Have you worked cross functionally with electrical engineering, quality and/or manufacturing?

Experience:

mechanical design : 4 years (Required) Ability to

Commute:

Norton Shores, MI 49441 (Required)

Work Location:

In person