Principal Mechanical CAD Designer, Automation Systems

About the Role

A prominent manufacturing company in the Metro Detroit area is hiring a direct-hire Principal Mechanical CAD Designer. You will steward end-to-end mechanical design efforts, manage design engineering projects, and help grow our organization’s design capacity and capability.

A Day in the Life

From kickoff to release, you’ll orchestrate design planning and implementation, ensuring every deliverable satisfies specifications, codes, and job order requirements. You’ll translate concepts into production-ready models and drawings, validate dimensions and sizes, and verify equipment lists and specifications in CAD. You’ll collaborate closely with departmental leaders to confirm feasibility and resource availability, guide problem-solving for complex mechanical issues, and sign off on project designs and manufacturing process plans. You’ll also contribute to strengthening manufacturing capabilities and capacities, consult with clients to shape project specifications, and conduct designer performance reviews in line with HR policies—plus other relevant duties as assigned.

Core Responsibilities

• Direct and coordinate mechanical design planning and execution with strict compliance to specifications, codes, and job orders.
• Produce final designs and complete drawing packages; verify dimensions, sizes, equipment lists, and specifications using CAD.
• Provide expert guidance to identify, analyze, and resolve mechanical design challenges.
• Generate conceptual designs for assigned programs.
• Stay current with mechanical engineering advancements, industry standards, and best practices.
• Partner with department supervisors to validate design feasibility and resourcing.
• Direct, review, and approve project designs and manufacturing process planning.
• Support continuous improvement of manufacturing capabilities and capacities.
• Conduct designer performance reviews per HR policies.
• Consult with clients to prepare detailed project specifications.
• Perform other relevant duties as assigned.

Qualifications

1. Minimum: Technical diploma and at least five years of management experience in a design engineering role.
2. Preferred: Engineering degree in Mechanical or Manufacturing Engineering; P.Eng and PMP are considered assets.
3. Experience: Minimum 5 years in a related position.

Tools, Domains, and Software

1. Background with automotive interior manufacturing equipment.
2. Familiarity with automation and robotics integration.
3. Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
4. CAD expertise, including CATIA and SolidWorks.
5. Experience with Microsoft Project and Microsoft Visio.