Mechanical CAD Designer in Huntsville, Alabama at Plasma Processes LLC

Mechanical CAD Designer
Company: Plasma
Department: Engineering
Reports To: Engineering Manager
Experience Level: Mid-Level
Employment Type: Full-Time

Position Summary
Plasma is seeking a skilled Mechanical CAD Designer to support the development and production of mechanical drawings for our Propulsion, Thermal Spray, and El Form product areas. This position will translate engineering concepts, specifications, and manufacturing requirements into accurate 2D drawings and 3D models.
The ideal candidate has practical experience designing mechanical components, assemblies, tooling, and fixtures in a manufacturing or aerospace environment. This individual will work closely with engineering, manufacturing, quality, and operations to produce designs that are technically accurate, manufacturable, inspection-ready, and compliant with applicable customer and industry requirements.

Key Responsibilities
• Support design and documentation requirements for Propulsion, Thermal Spray, and El Form products and processes.
• Convert engineering concepts, sketches, specifications, and legacy drawings into complete CAD models and production-ready drawings.
• Prepare assembly drawings, detail drawings, bills of materials, layouts, and supporting technical documentation.
• Apply appropriate geometric dimensioning and tolerancing in accordance with ASME Y14.5 and company drafting standards.
• Establish dimensions, tolerances, materials, finishes, coatings, and manufacturing notes in coordination with engineering and manufacturing personnel.
• Perform tolerance reviews and basic tolerance stack-up analyses.
• Incorporate design-for-manufacturing and design-for-assembly principles into drawings and models.
• Revise drawings and models through the company’s engineering change and configuration-control processes.
• Maintain drawing accuracy, revision history, file organization, and traceability within the applicable document-control or product lifecycle management system.
• Review designs for completeness, manufacturability, fit, function, and compliance with established requirements.
• Resolve drawing and design questions in collaboration with engineers, machinists, inspectors, technicians, and production personnel.
• Support manufacturing and quality teams during fabrication, assembly, inspection, troubleshooting, and corrective-action activities.
• Assist with the review and improvement of drafting standards, CAD templates, drawing practices, and design workflows.
• Participate in design reviews and clearly communicate drawing status, design concerns, and recommended changes.
• Protect controlled technical information and comply with company export-control, security, quality, and confidentiality requirements.

Required Qualifications
• Associate degree, technical certificate, or equivalent education and experience in mechanical design, drafting, manufacturing technology, or a related field.
• Approximately 3–7 years of professional mechanical CAD design or drafting experience.
• Proficiency with a professional 3D mechanical CAD platform such as SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, Creo, CATIA, or Siemens NX.
• Demonstrated ability to create production-ready mechanical drawings for machined, fabricated, formed, or assembled components.
• Working knowledge of GD&T and ASME Y14.5 drawing practices.
• Understanding of mechanical design fundamentals, including fits, clearances, tolerances, fasteners, materials, and manufacturing processes.
• Ability to interpret engineering specifications, customer requirements, sketches, legacy drawings, and technical data.
• Experience working with bills of materials, drawing revisions, engineering change orders, and document-control practices.
• Ability to manage multiple assignments and meet project deadlines with limited supervision.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational ability, and technical problem-solving skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate in a hands-on engineering and manufacturing environment.
• US Citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security Clearance

Preferred Qualifications
• Demonstrated proficiency with Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T) and ASME drafting standards
• Ability to navigate and interpret engineering drawings, schematics and interface requirements
• Ability to meet deadlines
• Excellent communication skills for interacting with engineers, program managers and customers
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment
• Experience with SolidWorks PDM
• Experience designing components or tooling associated with propulsion systems, thermal spray operations, or El Form processes.
• Experience with AWS weld symbol terminology
• Experience performing tolerance stack-ups and supporting design reviews.

Core Competencies
• Mechanical design and drafting
• Drawing accuracy and attention to detail
• Design for manufacturing and assembly
• Technical problem-solving
• Configuration and revision control
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Organization and time management
• Continuous improvement
• Accountability and sound technical judgment
Physical and Work Requirements
• Ability to work at a computer and use CAD software for extended periods.
• Ability to enter manufacturing and inspection areas to review hardware, tooling, and production processes.
• Ability to comply with all required safety procedures and use appropriate personal protective equipment.
• Occasional lifting of drawings, tooling, components, or equipment weighing up to 40 pounds may be required.
• Additional hours may occasionally be necessary to support project or production schedules.

Success in This Role
Success will be measured by the accuracy, completeness, manufacturability, and on-time delivery of drawings and models; effective coordination with engineering and manufacturing teams; adherence to configuration-control requirements; and the ability to identify and resolve design issues before they affect production, quality, cost, or schedule.

Equal Employment Opportunity
Plasma is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We provide equal employment opportunities without regard to any status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.