Mechanical Designer -- 3D & Process Design

Mechanical Designer - 3D & Process Design

Modern Process Equipment (MPE) · Chicago, IL · Full-time

Chicago, IL (on-site)

Full-time

Design & Engineering

Occasional travel (<10%)

ABOUT MPE

Family-owned for 65+ years - over 90% of North American coffee runs through MPE grinders

Customers include Starbucks, Nestlé, Purina, and Hershey's

All products designed and manufactured in Chicago - small-company culture, enterprise-level impact

Markets served: coffee, pet food, cereal, craft brewing, dried nuts & chemical processing

THE ROLE

MPE is hiring a Mechanical Designer to take custom processing equipment from blank canvas to finished build. You'll model integrated systems in 3D, draft mezzanines and structural components, and work directly with our sales team, project managers, and the customers themselves - turning unique processing challenges into equipment that ships from our Chicago facility. You'll also get real R&D bandwidth to invent product improvements and tackle problems that don't have an answer yet. Not just CAD work - you'll see what you design get welded, machined, and shipped.

RESPONSIBILITIES

DESIGN & MODELING

Build 2D and 3D models of integrated grinding, conveying, and complete plant systems

Take customer orders from concept stage through manufacturing

Spec mezzanines, structural components, and process equipment integration

Prepare approval, fabrication, and installation drawing packages

Ensure designs are manufacturable in-house and by external fabricators

COLLABORATION & COMMUNICATION

Work with sales to translate initial customer requirements into design direction

Partner with project managers from concept through manufacturing

Meet directly with customers to understand project goals and surface constraints early

Participate in internal design reviews and walk customers through your work

Communicate clearly across written drawings, calls, and shop-floor conversations

R&D & INNOVATION

Develop product improvements and inventive solutions for open-ended problems

Prototype new ideas and iterate with the engineering team

Apply your engineering skill set to designs without an existing playbook

Contribute to continuous improvement of MPE's product platform

Watch designs go from screen to shop floor - and back to your desk for v2

REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

2-year degree in mechanical drafting/design (or similar) - or 4-year engineering degree

Industrial design experience required - you've worked on equipment that gets built

Process plant or food/beverage equipment experience a plus

Exposure to sanitary or USDA/FDA equipment standards a plus

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Proficiency in 3D modeling - SolidWorks preferred

Proficiency in 2D drafting - AutoCAD preferred

Working knowledge of GD&T, fabrication processes, and materials

Basic understanding of processing plant design

Quick to grasp new technical concepts and product applications

SOFT SKILLS

Effective in front of a customer and on the shop floor

Detail-oriented with a bias for action - you close loops

Able to juggle multiple active projects in a fast-paced environment

Strong written and verbal communication

Inventive - you can think outside the spec sheet

CULTURE FIT

Results-oriented, accountable, and a genuine team player

Comfortable taking initiative with limited direction

Curious - you want to know how the equipment actually works

Thrives in a small-company environment serving large customers

Genuine desire to learn the industry

BENEFITS

Competitive salary + bonus

Major medical

401(k)

Profit sharing

Hands-on training

Growth path

Ready to design equipment that actually gets built?

Apply today - send your resume along with sample drawings or a portfolio. We're more interested in what you've designed than where you went to school.