Senior Mechanical Project Design Engineer

About DSC

DSC Dredge is the world’s leader in portable cutter suction dredges — engineering and manufacturing equipment for aggregate mining and sand & gravel production, environmental remediation, coastal restoration, navigational maintenance, and marine construction across the U.S. and in more than 50 countries worldwide. We operate from our headquarters in Reserve, Louisiana and our manufacturing facility in Poplarville, Mississippi.

We are looking for a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to take technical ownership of our most complex builds — projects ranging from discrete components to fully customized dredge platforms exceeding $20M with manufacturing timelines spanning multiple years. You will serve as a critical team leader and contribute as a forward thinker on engineering capacity and resource planning as DSC continues to grow.

• Lead mechanical and structural design across all project phases — producing and owning the engineering decisions that take a build from concept to working equipment in the field
• Lead and mentor a team of junior engineers and technical designers
• Develop, review, and approve fabrication drawings, engineering calculations, finite element analysis (structural), and vendor technical documentation
• Develop and execute testing plans; support field installation, commissioning, and product support activities as required
• Cross-collaborate with project management, fabrication, procurement, and sales on project scoping and change orders
• Engage directly with customers on design requirements and project scope, serving as the technical point of contact from early specification through delivery
• Stamp engineering drawings where PE licensure applies

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (required)
• 5–7 years of mechanical design experience in industrial, manufacturing, or heavy equipment environments, with demonstrated project leadership
• Hands‑on background with custom or capital equipment — structural, hydraulic, and electromechanical systems; CFD experience a plus
• Proficiency in AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor, or comparable 2D/3D CAD platforms
• PE license preferred, or actively pursuing
• Collaborative working style; equally comfortable on the fabrication floor and at the CAD workstation
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required (less than 10% of the role)

• No two builds are the same — every project is engineered to a specific application, site, and operating environment, which means genuinely varied and technically demanding work
• Immediate, visible impact — your designs are fabricated, tested, and commissioned on job sites across the U.S. and around the world
• A business at record production levels — sustained demand means career stability and a pipeline of substantive work
• Real engineering authority — senior engineers own their projects, not just execute decisions made elsewhere
• Deep technical mentorship and decades of institutional knowledge — in a company small enough that your work is recognized and your contributions matter

• Base salary: $125,000 – $150,000+, commensurate with experience
• Health, dental, vision insurance & short-term disability
• Company‑paid basic life insurance & long‑term disability
• 401k retirement plan with company match
• Paid time off and company holidays
• PE licensure support including examination fees, study resources, and continuing education
• Relocation support available

This role is primarily office‑based, with regular time on the manufacturing floor and in testing environments. You’ll work alongside fabrication teams, operate comfortably around heavy equipment and industrial operations, and occasionally travel to vendor facilities, job sites, or customer locations. It’s a hands‑on environment — and that’s part of what makes the work so compelling.

Quality. Innovation. Service. Commitment. Customization.

These are the commitments that guide how we work and how we serve our customers — delivering on‑spec, on time, with industry leading engineering precision for which DSC is known.