About this role
Mechanical Engineer – Heavy Equipment & Crane Systems
Location: Richmond, VA
Job Type: Direct Hire
Starting Salary: $95,000/year; higher salary available based on experience
Schedule: 9/80 schedule with every other Friday off
Travel: Approximately 10%
Position Overview
Seeking a Mechanical Engineer to design, develop, and support specialized heavy equipment and crane systems used in railroad emergency response, lifting, maintenance, and field operations.
This hands-on role covers the full equipment lifecycle—from concept and CAD design through engineering analysis, manufacturing, testing, field deployment, and product improvement.
The primary work location is in Chesterfield, VA, with occasional work at a Richmond facility, vendor locations, customer sites, and field operations. Emergency response activities outside normal business hours may be required.
Key Responsibilities
Mechanical Design & Engineering
- Design and modify crane systems, heavy equipment, and specialized mechanical components.
- Develop practical mechanical solutions for new products and existing equipment.
- Reverse engineer and redesign components when needed.
- Create and review CAD models, drawings, bills of materials, calculations, and engineering documentation.
- Use FEA, engineering calculations, prototyping, and field testing to validate designs.
- Improve equipment performance, manufacturability, serviceability, reliability, and cost.
- Maintain and update standard equipment designs while meeting applicable standards, customer requirements, and safety regulations.
Project & Manufacturing Support
- Manage engineering projects from concept through manufacturing, testing, implementation, and lifecycle support.
- Lead crane rebuild and refurbishment projects, including inspections, repair planning, upgrades, testing, and final delivery.
- Coordinate with manufacturing, operations, vendors, suppliers, and other engineering teams to keep projects moving.
- Provide technical support during production, troubleshooting, field inspections, testing, and emergency response activities.
- Help ensure equipment meets customer specifications, engineering requirements, and regulatory standards.
- Manage multiple projects and changing priorities while meeting deadlines.
Customer & Team Support
- Communicate directly with customers and vendors regarding technical requirements and project needs.
- Provide engineering guidance and support to internal teams.
- Work closely with manufacturing and field personnel to resolve technical issues.
- Mentor and provide technical direction to less-experienced engineers.
- Support quality, product standardization, and continuous improvement efforts.
- Stay current with company products, industry practices, and applicable engineering standards.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline.
- Strong experience in mechanical design and engineering.
- Experience with SolidWorks or comparable parametric CAD software.
- Working knowledge of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and the ability to verify results using engineering calculations.
- Understanding of mechanical design principles, manufacturing processes, and engineering documentation.
- Experience managing engineering projects or coordinating technical projects.
- Strong customer-facing and communication skills.
- Ability to explain technical information clearly to customers, vendors, and team members.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities.
- Ability to work independently and collaborate across departments.
- Commitment to safety and quality.
- Valid driver's license.
- Willingness to travel approximately 10% for inspections, customer support, and field activities.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience designing or supporting heavy equipment, cranes, mobile equipment, or industrial machinery.
- Experience with hydraulic and electrical systems.
- Experience supporting products through manufacturing and field deployment.
- EIT or Professional Engineer (PE) certification.
- CSWA or CSWP SolidWorks certification.
- Familiarity with OSHA, ASME, AWS, AAR, or other applicable engineering standards.
- Experience in a senior-level engineering role with the ability to mentor junior engineers.
Work Environment & Physical Requirements
- Ability to sit, stand, walk, and communicate throughout the workday.
- Ability to climb onto equipment during inspections, testing, and troubleshooting.
- Ability to occasionally lift tools, components, and equipment weighing up to 50 lbs.
- Ability to work safely in both office and industrial environments.
- Ability to work extended hours or respond to emergency situations when required.
Work Locations: Primary work location in Chesterfield, VA, with occasional assignments at a Richmond-area facility, customer sites, vendor locations, and field operations.