What are the responsibilities and job description for the Mechanical Engineer position at Apple Industries, Inc.?
About the Role
The Mechanical Engineer will play a key part in designing, developing, and continuously improving the physical components and assemblies of our photo booth products. The position will work in a hands-on manufacturing environment, collaborating closely with cross-functional teams to bring creative, durable, and customer-ready solutions to life.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and support product development from concept through production, including prototyping, testing, and design validation.
- Own mechanical design across the product line, including enclosures, structural components, cable management, and packaging for freight and installation.
- Direct manufacturing decisions across metal forming (sheet metal, welding, finishing) and plastics (injection molding, thermoforming, vacuum forming).
- Design products for field serviceability and simplicity: modular subassemblies, accessible service points, tool-light maintenance, and reduced mean-time-to-repair.
- Drive design-for-manufacturability, design-for-service, and design for assembly, improvements across new and existing products.
- Collaborate with software and manufacturing teams to ensure seamless integration of mechanical systems.
- Define and run bring-up, burn-in, reliability, and repeatability testing for new and existing products.
- Conduct engineering analysis including stress, thermal, humidity, vibration, and tolerance analysis to ensure product reliability and performance.
- Create and maintain detailed engineering drawings, BOMs (Bills of Materials), and technical documentation.
- Author and maintain documentation that enables non-engineering audiences to assemble, install, troubleshoot, and service the product, including assembly instructions, installation guides, field troubleshooting trees, and service procedures.
- Identify opportunities to improve manufacturing efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance product quality.
- Manage and communicate with vendors and suppliers for custom fabricated parts, sheet metal, injection-molded components, and other materials.
- Support failure analysis and root cause investigation for field issues, implementing corrective actions.
- Stay current with industry trends, materials, and manufacturing processes relevant to consumer-facing electro-mechanical products.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or a related field.
- 5 years of professional mechanical engineering experience, ideally in a product manufacturing environment.
- Direct experience taking products from prototype through volume production, including hands-on management of the manufacturing partners involved.
- Hands-on fabrication knowledge across metal forming and plastics, sufficient to direct manufacturing decisions and resolve production issues.
- Experience designing for unattended commercial use, outdoor or semi-outdoor environments, or otherwise harsh real-world deployment conditions.
- Proficiency in 3D CAD design software — SolidWorks strongly preferred.
- Experience with GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing) and engineering drawing standards.
- Clear and effective written and verbal English communication skills.
- Strong planning, organization, and decision-making abilities.
- Self-motivated with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Consistently high standards for quality and attention to detail.
Preferred Skills
- Experience with electro-mechanical product design (products incorporating both mechanical and electronic systems).
- Familiarity with PLM/PDM systems (e.g., SolidWorks PDM, Arena).
- Background in consumer electronics, vending equipment, kiosk, or amusement equipment manufacturing.
- Knowledge of UL, CE, or other product safety certification processes.
- Experience working with overseas manufacturing partners and global supply chains.
Working Conditions
- This is an on-site role requiring daily presence in the office to enable close collaboration, real-time decision-making, and hands-on execution leadership across engineering, product, operations, and customer support teams.
- Regular time on the production floor and in fabrication and assembly areas, including handling of components, tools, and equipment.
- Regular participation in in-person meetings, technical reviews, and cross-functional planning sessions.
- Occasional presentations to internal stakeholders and cross-functional teams, typically involving extended periods of standing.
- Occasional travel to suppliers, external partners, trade shows, and site visits, both domestic and international.