Job Description:

Mechanical Design Engineer

Bespoke Machinery | Automation | Food & Beverage Equipment

Location: Bolton (On Site)

Salary: £46,000+ DOE

Design Machinery You Can Be Proud Of

If you're the type of engineer who enjoys seeing your designs come to life on the workshop floor, this could be exactly what you're looking for.

You'll be joining a growing engineering business that designs and builds bespoke automation and machinery solutions for the food and beverage sector. Every project is different, giving you the opportunity to work on genuinely interesting engineering challenges from concept through to manufacture, testing and final build.

This isn't a role where you'll spend all day producing drawings and never see the end result. You'll be heavily involved throughout the entire project lifecycle, working closely with fabrication, assembly, electrical and controls teams to ensure your designs become successful, working machines.

If you enjoy solving problems, creating practical engineering solutions and taking ownership of your work, you'll fit right in.

Why This Role Is Fully On Site

This business believes the best engineering happens when designers, machine builders and production teams work closely together.

You'll have direct access to the workshop, fabrication teams and machine builds, allowing you to:

See your designs being manufactured and assembled

Resolve engineering challenges quickly

Collaborate closely with electrical and controls engineers

Improve manufacturability and build quality

Be involved in testing and machine development

If you enjoy being part of the complete machine-building process rather than working remotely behind a screen, you'll thrive in this environment.

What You'll Be Doing

You'll play a key role in designing and developing bespoke machinery and automation systems from initial concept through to manufacture and installation.

Working alongside project managers, workshop teams and controls engineers, you'll be responsible for delivering practical, cost-effective and manufacturable engineering solutions.

Your responsibilities will include:

Designing bespoke machinery, conveyors and automated handling systems

Producing detailed 3D models, assemblies and manufacturing drawings using Autodesk Inventor

Managing BOMs, revisions and engineering documentation using Autodesk Vault

Creating accurate manufacturing documentation for production and assembly

Designing fabricated machinery, sheet metal and stainless steel equipment

Supporting research and development projects, prototyping and testing

Working closely with production and assembly teams throughout the build process

Troubleshooting design and manufacturing challenges

Supporting machine testing, installation and commissioning activities

Contributing ideas to improve machine performance, efficiency and reliability

What We're Looking For

You'll ideally have:

At least 4 years' experience within machinery manufacturing, automation or a similar engineering environment

Previous experience as a Mechanical Design Engineer

Strong Autodesk Inventor experience

Experience using Autodesk Vault for document and revision control

A solid understanding of fabrication, sheet metal and manufacturing processes

Experience designing bespoke machinery, conveyors or automated handling systems

The ability to create detailed 3D assemblies and manufacturing drawings

Strong problem-solving skills and a practical engineering mindset

Good communication skills and the ability to work closely with workshop and production teams

Most importantly, you'll enjoy getting involved in real engineering projects and want to see your designs progress from concept through to completion.

Desirable Experience

Experience within any of the following would be advantageous:

Food processing machinery

Beverage equipment

Packaging machinery

Stainless steel fabrication

Prototype development and testing

Special purpose machinery

What's In It For You?

• Salary from £46,000+ depending on experience

• Company pension scheme

• Health and wellbeing programme

• Free on-site parking

• 30 days holiday including bank holidays and Christmas shutdown

• Stable and growing business with low staff turnover

• Genuine opportunities for progression and long-term development

• The chance to work on varied and technically interesting machinery projects

• A supportive and collaborative engineering team

Why Apply?

This is a great opportunity if you're looking for more than just another design role.

You'll be trusted to take ownership of projects, work closely with the people building the machines, and play a key role in delivering high-quality engineering solutions that make a real difference.

If you enjoy hands-on engineering, solving complex challenges and seeing your work come to life, we'd love to hear from you.