Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

Modern Packaging•Deer Park, NY

11d•Onsite

About The Position

Modern Packaging, a ProMach company, is seeking a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to lead the mechanical development, redesign, and modernization of food packaging machinery at its Deer Park, New York location. The role will help architect the next generation of sanitary, modular, high-performance equipment for food production, with a focus on hygienic design, washdown conditions, manufacturability, and high-throughput applications. The position reports to the Director of Engineering. The engineer will lead platform modernization and product redesign; develop mechanical systems, 3D CAD models, assemblies, and drawing packages; and apply engineering calculations, tolerance analysis, material selection, and DFM/DFA principles. The role also provides technical leadership and cross-functional coordination, guides prototyping and validation, supports testing and customer acceptance activities, troubleshoots failures, and maintains engineering documentation and design-release processes.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering Technology, or a similar engineering or technical degree from an accredited four-year college or university, or equivalent industry experience in mechanical design.
At least 10 years of experience in mechanical design.
Strong proficiency with 3D CAD tools.
Proven experience with DFM/DFA, machine frames, pneumatics, filling, and sealing or capping systems.
Familiarity with sanitary/hygienic design requirements and materials for food-contact or washdown zones, including standards such as 3-A and USDA Food Equipment Standards.
Hands-on experience with mechanical testing, prototyping, and troubleshooting.
Strong understanding of materials, machining, sheet metal fabrication, and mechanical tolerances.

Nice To Haves

Mechanical design experience in packaging machinery, food processing equipment, or industrial automation.
Experience with Autodesk Inventor; it is the preferred 3D CAD tool.

Responsibilities

Lead complete redesigns of existing equipment to create a standardized, modular platform for food packaging operations.
Integrate sanitary design principles, including washdown cleanability, smooth surfaces, appropriate material selection, and food-safe construction.
Evaluate existing mechanical systems and develop redesign strategies to improve OEE, simplify maintenance, and support efficient changeovers.
Develop scalable equipment architectures that support product-format flexibility and component commonality.
Design mechanical systems for packaging applications, including sealing, motion mechanisms, film handling, and product dosing.
Create 3D CAD models, detailed assemblies, and documented drawing packages.
Perform engineering calculations and tolerance stack-up analyses, and select materials suitable for sanitary environments.
Apply DFM/DFA principles to high-volume and customized machinery builds.
Lead technical reviews, mentor junior engineers, and help establish engineering standards.
Coordinate with Electrical, Controls, and Automation Engineering teams on machine integration.
Collaborate with Operations, Manufacturing, Quality, and Service teams on machine builds, testing, and field performance.
Direct prototype builds, functional testing, and iterative design improvements.
Validate mechanical systems for food safety, durability, throughput, sealing integrity, film handling, and motion accuracy.
Conduct root-cause analyses of failures and implement corrective design measures.
Support FATs, SATs, and customer acceptance testing when required.
Maintain engineering documentation, revision control, and design-release processes.
Contribute to mechanical design guidelines aligned with food packaging and sanitary requirements.