Senior Mechanical Engineer

MSI WA facility
19201 62nd Ave S
Kent, WA 98032, USA

Pay or shift range: $110,000 USD to $150,000 USD

RLWS is committed to pay transparency and has listed the budgeted amount for this position. Final offers are based on various factors, including skill set, experience, location, qualifications and other job-related reasons.

For 80 years Rice Lake Weighing Systems has been a successful, growth‑oriented company known as a leader in the weighing industry and our community. Measurement Systems International, a Rice Lake Weighing Systems Company, is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to join our team in Kent, WA.

The Senior Mechanical Engineer is responsible for the design, development, and validation of new and custom products to meet customer specifications. This role places a strong emphasis on strain gage‑based load cell transducer design and development, including mechanical design for optimized strain distribution, signal sensitivity, and long‑term stability. The position also includes hands‑on involvement in testing, calibration, and troubleshooting of load cell performance, along with exposure to experimental stress analysis and validation techniques.

This role also requires working knowledge of the electrical aspects of load cell systems, including strain gage signal behavior, Wheatstone bridge circuits, signal normalization, and integration with instrumentation and control systems. The ideal candidate will have a technical background suited for applying load cell technology within complex, customer‑specific systems and applications.

The successful candidate will lead product development efforts from concept through production, including CAD modeling, engineering analysis, prototyping, instrumentation, testing, calibration, and documentation. This position requires strong technical depth in both mechanical design and measurement systems, along with the ability to lead projects and collaborate across a multi‑disciplinary team.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of strain gage‑based load cell transducers, including geometry optimization, material selection, and integration of strain gage layouts
• Develop designs that account for performance characteristics such as accuracy, linearity, hysteresis, creep, repeatability, temperature effects, and fatigue life
• Perform and oversee testing, calibration, and troubleshooting of load cell systems, including root cause analysis of performance issues and implementation of corrective actions
• Design and execute test plans, including instrumentation setup, signal measurement, data acquisition, and correlation of physical test data to analytical models (FEA)
• Apply experimental stress analysis methods (e.g., strain gaging, Wheatstone bridge circuits, signal conditioning, normalization, and data acquisition systems) to validate and refine designs
• Support integration of load cells into complex customer systems, including interaction with controls, instrumentation, and system‑level performance requirements
• Design and engineer new and custom products following the New Product Development (NPD) process
• Develop CAD models, drawings, bills of materials, and complete engineering documentation
• Perform engineering analysis, including FEA, and validate designs through prototype testing
• Ensure designs meet DFX principles (manufacturability, assembly, reliability, safety, and serviceability)
• Collaborate with Product Engineers, Designers, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain to support product realization
• Lead and manage multiple projects, timelines, and cross‑functional teams
• Support manufacturing through fixture design, process development, calibration methods, and troubleshooting
• Assist with installation and field support of products as needed
• Participate in design reviews and maintain design control documentation
• Support Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) and continuous product improvement
• Provide technical input for costing, feasibility, and vendor selection
• Develop reports, procedures, and training materials
• Travel to customer sites and other company locations as required

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering
• 8+ years of industrial product…