About Careertakes

👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, Engineering.

Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.

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What You’ll Do

This posting, sourced and rewritten by Careertakes on behalf of a Confidential Client, seeks a mechanically minded Mechanical Engineer to support on-site manufacturing through detailed CAD design and hands-on engineering support. The role spends most of the day producing and updating CAD drawings used for high-performance automotive parts (street and racing). You will work closely with production and quality teams to ensure designs are manufacturable, accurate, and optimized for performance.

• Spend 60–70% of your time in CAD (SolidWorks & AutoCAD/DraftSight): creating new models, modifying existing drawings, and producing multi-layer AutoCAD drawings mapped to manufacturing operations.
• Reverse-engineer finished parts to generate accurate CAD models and reproducible drawings.
• Design, document, and validate production fixturing with input from production and quality.
• Provide on-the-floor manufacturing support: update drawings when parts move between machines or when equipment changes.
• Critically review customer drawings for manufacturability and propose practical improvements.
• Troubleshoot drawing/design issues and work cross-functionally to resolve them.
• Contribute continuous-improvement ideas and share knowledge within a small engineering team.
• Leverage personal automotive/mechanical experience (hobby or competition) to inform pragmatic design choices.

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Responsibilities

• Create and modify detailed SolidWorks models and complex assemblies.
• Produce & maintain multi-layer AutoCAD (or DraftSight) drawings aligned to manufacturing processes.
• Reverse engineer parts and convert physical components into production-ready CAD files.
• Specify and document jigs, fixtures, and tooling to support production runs.
• Validate fixture designs with quality and production; iterate as needed.
• Support production troubleshooting and implement drawing revisions quickly and accurately.
• Evaluate customer-supplied designs for manufacturability and recommend optimized alternatives.
• Participate in engineering/production/quality review sessions and training within a ~4-person engineering department.

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Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Design, or a closely related discipline with a strong CAD emphasis.
• Proficiency in SolidWorks for part and assembly modeling.
• Strong proficiency in AutoCAD or DraftSight, including use of layers and manufacturing-oriented drawing standards.
• Mechanical aptitude and hands-on experience (personal projects, vehicle maintenance/mods, internships, or shop exposure).
• Ability to think critically about designs to ensure manufacturability and performance.
• Solution-focused mindset with strong attention to detail and collaborative communication skills.
• Willingness to work onsite in a manufacturing environment (noise, oils, metal shavings).

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Preferred / Nice-to-Have

• Exposure to Pro/E (Creo) or CATIA for working with customer-supplied models.
• Prior manufacturing or shop-floor experience (internships, academic projects, or hands-on work).
• Participation in automotive engineering teams or competitions (Baja SAE, racing clubs).
• Passion for motorsports and performance vehicles.

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Work Environment

• Small, tight-knit engineering team (~4 people) with direct mentorship and visibility.
• Fully onsite position in a manufacturing facility — expect regular shop-floor interaction.
• Typical schedule: ~7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; occasional late hours (roughly once/month) for urgent production needs.
• Comfortable with hands-on work and occasional exposure to typical manufacturing conditions.

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Compensation & Benefits

• Rate: $35.00 - $40.00 per hour (Contract to Hire). Exact pay will depend on experience, skills, and other job-related factors.
• Benefits (if eligible once permanent): medical, dental & vision; 401(k); voluntary life & AD&D; short/long-term disability; HSA; transportation benefits; Employee Assistance Program; paid time off — eligibility and specifics depend on classification and length of employment.

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Job Type & Location

• Contract to Hire; Full-time contractor anticipated to convert to permanent pending performance.
• Workplace: Fully onsite in Mount Prospect, IL (Mount Prospect, IL — US).

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Application Timeline

• This posting indicates an anticipated close date listed by the source. Please apply promptly if interested.

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About the Employer

This role is being recruited by Careertakes for a Confidential Client in the Engineering industry. Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform assisting with sourcing and candidate matching.

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Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency

Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.

If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.