Heavy Machinery - Mechanical Designer | WFH | Morning Shift

This is a remote position.

Job Title: Heavy Machinery Mechanical Designer (Solidworks)

Rate: $12 - $15AUD/hour (depending on experience)

Type: Full Time | 40 hours per week

Role overview

Our client is an Australia-based agricultural machinery manufacturer. They’re hiring 2–3 experienced Mechanical Designers to work fully remotely from the Philippines. Designers work on new products and improvements to heavy, fabricated machinery, briefed and reviewed by the client’s Australian design team.

This is not a junior drafting role: design for manufacture is at its core.

The role is internal-facing. Designers collaborate with the Australian team and do not deal directly with the company’s customers.

Key responsibilities

· Develop designs from briefs, sketches and existing models through to manufacturing drawings.

· Design sheet metal, RHS and welded structural components for real-world fabrication.

· Improve existing products for performance, reliability, lower manufacturing cost, and easier assembly and servicing.

· Use the exact components specified (bearings, shafts, discs, hydraulic cylinders, actuators, fasteners). Check their dimensions and mounting needs, and get approval before substituting.

· Apply correct bend allowances, K-factors and bend radii so flat patterns work on the shop floor.

· Produce fabrication-ready DXFs for laser or plasma cutting, job sheets and bills of materials.

· Check fit, range of motion and clearances, and allow access for welding, assembly and maintenance.

· Do the mechanical calculations each job needs, and flag assumptions or decisions that need input.

· Update models and drawings based on feedback from the workshop and the Australian design team.

· Flag design issues early where a part may be hard to cut, bend, weld or assemble, and give regular progress updates.

Design for manufacture

Design for manufacture is the core of this role. Designers must know how each part will be made and keep fabrication and assembly simple, economical and repeatable.

· Work mainly with cut and bent steel plate, RHS and structural sections, welded assemblies and machined parts.

· Design to the company’s factory capabilities, material grades, plate thicknesses and stock sections (provided).

· Consider cutting and bending limits, weld access and distortion, jigs and fixtures, achievable tolerances and assembly order.

· Reduce complexity, use standard parts where suitable, and leave access for tools, inspection and servicing.

· Ask before proceeding when a material, dimension or factory limit is unclear.

SolidWorks, drawings and handling

SolidWorks and drawings

· Use the company’s SolidWorks templates, part-numbering, revision and file-control procedures.

· Build editable parts and assemblies with fully constrained, dimensioned sketches on standard origin planes.

· Use sensible mates and configurations; check rebuilds, movement and interference before submitting.

· Produce clear manufacturing drawings with dimensions, tolerances, materials and weld details, plus BOMs, flat patterns and DXF or STEP files as required.

Weight, centre of gravity and handling

· Calculate weights and locate centres of gravity using correct material densities and purchased-component masses.

· Plan how heavy parts and assemblies are lifted, supported and turned during fabrication, welding and assembly, including CoG shifts as parts are added. Provide suitable lifting and handling points that match the factory's equipment, and show weights, CoG and handling details on drawings.

Must haves

· At least 2 years of hands-on mechanical design experience on machinery or fabricated products that were actually manufactured, not only concept work.

· Strong SolidWorks skills: parts, assemblies, weldments, sheet metal and manufacturing drawings.

· Practical sheet metal knowledge, including K-factors, bend radii and how material behaves when bent.

· Experience designing with RHS, structural steel and welded fabrications. Experience with bearings, drive components, machining, fits and tolerances, and handling heavy parts.

· Able to explain how their design choices affected fabrication, assembly and cost. Clear spoken and written English for daily collaboration with the Australian team. Self-disciplined: takes ownership of assigned work from home and carries a design through to manufacturing drawings.

Nice to have

· Background in agricultural machinery (preferred), or mining, trailer, conveyor, material handling or heavy equipment manufacturing.

· Fabrication workshop experience, or close work with fabricators and welders.

· Exposure to hydraulics, drivetrains or auger systems. Familiarity with PDM or revision control systems. Understanding of GD&T and Australian standards.

· Work arrangement and selection

Work arrangement

Equipment: designer supplies their own computer; the company provides the SolidWorks license.

File access: through a company email account and shared folders, with Google Remote Desktop recommended.

Hours: some agreed overlap with the Australian team. Full time or part time to be confirmed.