Job Title: Mechanical EngineerJob Description
The Mechanical Engineer supports large-scale capital projects by focusing on manufacturing equipment performance, qualification, and continuous improvement. This role maintains and enhances engineering knowledge bases, documentation, and processes while ensuring that production equipment and systems operate reliably, efficiently, and in alignment with product and regulatory requirements. The position offers end-to-end exposure to all stages of a major CAPEX project and provides a strong opportunity to learn, grow, and contribute to high-impact initiatives.
Responsibilities
Maintain engineering knowledge bases, including processes, documentation, engineering change orders, bills of material, product tables, and system logs to ensure accurate and up-to-date technical information.
Create and evaluate setup documentation used in production operations to support consistent and efficient equipment use on the manufacturing floor.
Design equipment utilization plans that meet product requirements while effectively balancing time, cost, and operational constraints.
Develop equipment and process designs, including detailed drawings and bills of material (BOMs), to support manufacturing and batch processing operations.
Create design schedules, establish project milestones, and manage design efforts to ensure projects are completed on time and meet quality expectations.
Inspect incoming equipment and perform Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) prior to shipment to verify that systems meet specifications and functional requirements.
Create and maintain manuals for equipment and custom job orders to guide operations, maintenance, and troubleshooting activities.
Establish systems and standards that maximize equipment and process standardization while maintaining flexibility for customized designs when required.
Build and maintain systems that support continuous improvement in batch processing equipment design, utilization, and overall operational performance.
Develop policies and procedures that clearly outline responsibilities and recurring tasks within the role to promote consistency and accountability.
Collaborate with on-site personnel to understand how equipment is being used in production and identify opportunities to optimize performance and reliability.
Participate in all stages of a major CAPEX project, contributing engineering expertise throughout planning, implementation, and validation phases.
Essential Skills
Experience working with manufacturing equipment, including filling equipment and related production systems.
Practical experience performing Installation Qualification (IQ) and Operational Qualification (OQ) on manufacturing equipment, with at least 5+ years of relevant experience.
Background in environments such as cosmetics, over-the-counter (OTC) products, or contract manufacturing operations.
Ability to create, manage, and interpret engineering documentation, including processes, engineering change orders, bills of material, product tables, and system logs.
Capability to develop and evaluate production setup documentation and equipment utilization plans aligned with operational requirements.
Skill in inspecting equipment and conducting Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) to ensure compliance with specifications and performance criteria.
Strong organizational skills to establish and maintain manuals, policies, procedures, and recurring task frameworks.
Competence in supporting continuous improvement initiatives related to batch processing equipment design and utilization.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in an engineering-related field.
Experience in cosmetics, OTC, or contract manufacturing industries, with familiarity in their production processes and quality expectations.
Ability to manage project timelines, create design schedules, and track milestones for complex engineering initiatives.
Experience standardizing equipment and processes while accommodating customized designs and special job orders.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to identify and implement improvements in equipment performance and utilization.
Interest in participating in large CAPEX projects and gaining exposure across all project stages.
Work Environment
This role is based on-site in New Jersey and centers on understanding and optimizing existing manufacturing equipment rather than performing new equipment design. The equipment is already designed, and the focus is on how it operates in a real production environment, including qualification, documentation, and continuous improvement activities. The Mechanical Engineer works closely with on-site production and technical teams within a manufacturing setting that may involve batch processing and filling operations, particularly in industries such as cosmetics, OTC products, or contract manufacturing. The position is part of a significant capital expenditure project of substantial scale, providing exposure to all phases of project execution in a dynamic, hands-on environment.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Edison, NJ.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $50.00 - $52.88/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 onsite position in Edison,NJ.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Aug 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 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.
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.
