Mechanical Design Engineer

Schedule: 9/80 schedule (every other Friday off)
Primary Location: Chesterfield, VA, with occasional work in Richmond, at customer/vendor locations, and in the field
On-Call: May support emergency operations outside normal business hours as needed

We are looking for a hands-on Mechanical Design Engineer to create, improve, and support mechanical equipment used in railroad emergency response, heavy lifting, and specialized maintenance applications.

This position covers the full product lifecycle, including concept development, engineering, manufacturing support, testing, field deployment, and continuous improvement. The ideal candidate enjoys practical problem-solving and working with engineering, manufacturing, operations, suppliers, and customers.

• Design new crane systems and modify existing equipment.
• Develop practical mechanical solutions, including reverse engineering and redesign of existing components.
• Use CAD modeling, engineering calculations, FEA, prototyping, and field testing to validate designs.
• Improve equipment performance, manufacturability, serviceability, reliability, and cost.
• Maintain and improve standard equipment designs while meeting engineering standards, customer requirements, and safety regulations.

• Manage engineering projects from concept through manufacturing, testing, implementation, and lifecycle support.
• Lead crane rebuild and refurbishment activities, including inspections, repair planning, upgrades, testing, and final delivery.
• Coordinate with manufacturing, operations, leadership, vendors, and suppliers to support production and product releases.
• Provide troubleshooting, field inspections, on-site technical assistance, and emergency response support.
• Verify equipment meets customer specifications, engineering standards, and regulatory requirements.

• Apply engineering judgment and creative problem-solving to technical challenges.
• Maintain engineering documentation, calculations, drawings, bills of materials (BOMs), and design records.
• Communicate technical information effectively with customers, vendors, manufacturing teams, and other departments.
• Support quality, product standardization, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Manage multiple projects and changing priorities, including emergency response needs.
• Maintain knowledge of company products, industry standards, and engineering practices.