Job Title: Mechanical Project Engineer
Job Description
The Mechanical Project Engineer plays a critical role in supporting system design tools, engineering playbooks, and integration platforms used by internal design engineers and partner vendors. This position serves as the technical bridge between mechanical design, vendor capabilities, and internal tools, with a strong emphasis on delivering quantifiable results, earning trust across stakeholders, and enabling scalable integration models. The role is highly cross-functional and visible, requiring expertise in material handling equipment (MHE), project execution, vendor engagement, and tooling integration to support a long-term strategy of increasing ownership over material handling systems and enabling scalable, repeatable engineering solutions.
Responsibilities
Support mechanical system design and project execution for material handling solutions, including conveyor, sortation, and automation subsystems.
Contribute to the development of engineering playbooks that define how to design, integrate, and deploy material handling equipment as an internal integrator.
Evaluate, qualify, and document new mechanical components and equipment through formal technical vendor qualification processes.
Support direct sourcing initiatives by translating scope, specifications, and requirements into clear, executable packages for component-focused and KPI-focused suppliers.
Support the development and rollout of system design tools used by concept engineers for early-stage design support.
Support the development and rollout of system design tools used by firm engineers for detailed mechanical engineering and integration.
Work with identified tooling platforms to integrate internal systems, scheduling tools, and engineering workflows.
Act as a mechanical subject matter expert to ensure design tools accurately reflect real-world MHE constraints, vendor capabilities, and system performance requirements.
Partner closely with vendor development and vendor management teams to support strategic supplier relationships.
Provide technical escalation support to build and maintain trust with internal teams and external vendors.
Drive initiatives with smaller and emerging integrators where agility and urgency can produce measurable impact.
Support broader strategic partnership agreements related to future acquisitions and vendor growth strategies.
Translate engineering scope into executable requirements for vendors and internal teams, ensuring alignment on deliverables and performance expectations.
Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, vendor management, and operations teams to deliver defensible, measurable engineering outcomes.
Operate effectively in ambiguous, evolving environments while maintaining a high level of ownership and accountability.
Contribute to the long-term strategy to increase ownership and control over material handling systems, reduce reliance on traditional third-party integrators, and accelerate onboarding and growth of strategic MHE partners.
Essential Skills
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
5+ years of experience in material handling equipment (MHE), automation, or conveyor and sortation systems.
Strong experience in mechanical system design, integration, or project engineering.
Prior experience working with or for system integrators or MHE vendors.
Demonstrated ability to translate engineering scope into executable requirements for vendors and internal teams.
Experience working cross-functionally with engineering, vendor management, and operations teams.
Comfort operating in ambiguous, evolving environments with high ownership expectations.
Hands-on experience with material handling equipment, including conveyor systems and material flow.
Proficiency in AutoCAD for mechanical design and layout work.
Experience in project management, including planning, execution, and coordination of engineering projects.
Experience in vendor management, including engagement, communication, and technical alignment with suppliers.
Experience in project engineering within material handling, automation, or related environments.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
Experience supporting direct purchasing or direct sourcing models.
Exposure to component-level sourcing strategies rather than fully bundled integrator solutions.
Prior experience building or supporting engineering tools, design platforms, or standardized engineering playbooks.
Familiarity with large-scale fulfillment or logistics environments, especially those using advanced MHE and automation (highly preferred).
Strong written communication skills for technical documentation and playbook development.
Proven ability to influence without formal authority and build trust across diverse teams.
Interest in contributing to long-term strategies that increase ownership of material handling systems and reduce reliance on traditional integrators.
Motivation to join a newer engineering team and help build out a new program that is a major strategic initiative.
Desire to grow into a long-term engineering role as the team and program expand.
Work Environment
This role offers a remote work environment with strong autonomy and accountability, allowing you to manage your work while collaborating closely with a distributed engineering and vendor management team. Travel expectations are modest at approximately five to six trips per year, primarily for on-site visits, vendor engagements, or key project milestones. The culture emphasizes work-life harmony, balanced with clear ownership and delivery expectations. You will work alongside experienced engineers and technical leaders in a highly collaborative setting focused on material handling systems, automation, and tooling integration. This is initially a 12-month contract role with a structured path for future opportunities: after 12 months you may be evaluated through a formal interview process for a full-time engineering position; if a full-time role is not immediately available, the contract may be extended for up to an additional 12 months to allow time for new opportunities; if extension is not possible, support will be provided to explore alternative employment options either within the broader organization or with other local customers.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Nashville, TN.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $55.00 - $70.00/hr.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: - Medical, dental & vision - Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital - 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available - Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) - Short and long-term disability - Health Spending Account (HSA) - Transportation benefits - Employee Assistance Program - Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Workplace Type
This is a fully remote position.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on May 27, 2026.
About Actalent
Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 30,000 consultants and more than 4,500 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500.
The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.
If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.
San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.
