WMD Squared is hiring a Senior CAD Designer to join our engineering and design team.
We are looking for an experienced CAD designer with strong SOLIDWORKS experience, hands-on mechanical design knowledge, and the ability to create accurate, production-ready models, drawings, assemblies, and Bills of Materials.
The ideal candidate will have practical experience designing equipment that is fabricated, assembled, installed, serviced, and used in the field. This role requires more than basic drafting. We need someone who understands how mechanical equipment is actually built and who can produce clean, accurate, buildable design packages.
Experience with SOLIDWORKS certification, sheet metal design, weldments, heavy industrial equipment, power generation equipment, marine equipment, trailer-mounted skids, fabricated assemblies, and mechanical systems is highly preferred.
This position is a strong fit for a self-starter who communicates well, pays close attention to detail, and wants to work with a team of engineers and CAD professionals on challenging industrial design projects.
About WMD Squared
WMD Squared Engineering is a design and engineering company specializing in practical, production-ready solutions for industrial equipment, heavy equipment, marine vessels, power generation equipment, oil and gas equipment, automation systems, trailer-mounted skids, pressure vessel-related equipment, and custom mechanical systems.
Our team supports customers from concept through detailed design, manufacturing drawings, fabrication support, and field implementation. We work closely with manufacturers, fabricators, and end users, so this role is ideal for someone who understands both CAD and real-world manufacturing.
Responsibilities
Design new products, equipment, assemblies, and mechanical systems using SOLIDWORKS, Autodesk Inventor, and AutoCAD.
Create detailed 3D models, assemblies, manufacturing drawings, fabrication drawings, and Bills of Materials.
Develop production-level part drawings and assembly drawings for fabricated, machined, welded, and sheet metal components.
Design and detail sheet metal parts, weldments, structural frames, enclosures, equipment layouts, brackets, guards, skids, and mechanical assemblies.
Support design work for heavy industrial equipment, power generation equipment, marine vessels, oil and gas equipment, automation systems, trailer-mounted skids, mobile units, pressure vessel-related equipment, and custom mechanical systems.
Plan design tasks and estimate time required to complete assigned work.
Review and check drawings, models, and design packages for accuracy, completeness, manufacturability, fit-up, and consistency.
Check drawings and models converted from AutoCAD, Inventor, or other CAD platforms into SOLIDWORKS.
Reverse engineer existing equipment, parts, and assemblies.
Create and support prototypes, test fixtures, layouts, and design revisions.
Assist with equipment testing, fabrication support, field feedback, and design improvements.
Coordinate with engineers, designers, customers, vendors, fabricators, and shop personnel.
Participate in customer meetings, site visits, field reviews, and occasional on-location assignments as needed.
Support file management, revision control, drawing standards, CAD best practices, and documentation accuracy.
Use tools such as SOLIDWORKS PDM / PDM Professional, Autodesk Inventor, AutoCAD, Microsoft Office, and KeyShot as needed.
Required Qualifications
3–10+ years of CAD design, mechanical drafting, mechanical design, manufacturing design, or related experience.
Strong SOLIDWORKS experience required.
Experience with sheet metal design required.
Experience with weldments, fabricated assemblies, mechanical equipment, and production-level drawings required.
Hands-on experience with manufacturing, fabrication, assembly, field work, equipment maintenance, or shop support strongly preferred.
Experience creating production-level part drawings, assembly drawings, fabrication drawings, and Bills of Materials.
Ability to design equipment that will actually be built, assembled, installed, serviced, and used in the field.
Ability to read, create, and check technical drawings.
Strong understanding of mechanical assemblies, fabricated equipment, sheet metal, weldments, machined parts, and real-world manufacturing processes.
Ability to work independently, manage design details, and complete tasks accurately and on schedule.
Strong attention to detail, organization, follow-through, and communication skills.
Ability to work with engineers, customers, fabricators, vendors, and other designers.
Preferred Qualifications
SOLIDWORKS certification strongly preferred, including CSWA, CSWP, CSWPA-Sheet Metal, CSWPA-Weldments, or similar certifications.
Experience with SOLIDWORKS PDM, PDM Professional, EPDM, or Vault.
Experience with Autodesk Inventor and AutoCAD.
Experience with KeyShot or other rendering tools.
Experience with heavy industrial equipment, power generation equipment, marine vessels, oil and gas equipment, automation systems, trailer-mounted skids, mobile equipment, pressure vessel-related equipment, or custom mechanical systems.
Experience with structural steel, hydraulic systems, piping, equipment packaging, skids, guards, frames, platforms, and field-installed mechanical systems.
Experience reverse engineering equipment or converting legacy drawings into updated CAD models and drawings.
Experience checking drawings or mentoring junior designers is a plus.
Hands-on shop, fabrication, field, mechanical, maintenance, or manufacturing experience is a major plus.
Familiarity with ASME Y14.5, GD&T, and standard drafting practices is a plus.
Experience with SOLIDWORKS Simulation, FEA, ANSYS, Compress, BPVC-related design, or pressure vessel-related equipment is a plus.
Location
This role is ideally based in or near Lafayette, Louisiana.
We will also consider strong candidates based near Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Hybrid or remote/hybrid arrangements may be considered for highly qualified candidates, but some on-site work, customer visits, fabrication support, field reviews, or temporary customer-location assignments may be required.
Compensation and Benefits
Compensation range: $70,000–$90,000 per year, depending on experience.
WMD Squared offers a competitive benefits package including:
Health insurance
401(k) plan
Paid time off
Paid holidays
Dental and vision options
Life insurance
Opportunities to work on a wide variety of challenging industrial, marine, power generation, automation, and custom equipment projects
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is an experienced CAD designer who is highly capable in SOLIDWORKS, understands manufacturing, and has enough hands-on experience to know whether a design is practical and buildable.
This person should be comfortable moving between concept design, detailed modeling, production drawings, reverse engineering, customer feedback, revisions, and fabrication support.
We are looking for someone who can produce high-quality work with limited hand-holding, communicate clearly, and take pride in accurate, clean, buildable design packages.
Relevant previous titles may include:
Senior CAD Designer
CAD Designer
Mechanical Designer
Senior Mechanical Designer
CAD Drafter
Mechanical Drafter
Design Drafter
SolidWorks Designer
Inventor Designer
Sheet Metal Designer
Weldment Designer
Equipment Designer
Industrial Equipment Designer
Manufacturing Designer
Marine Designer
Power Generation Equipment Designer
Skid Designer
Heavy Equipment Designer
Product Designer
Work Environment
This is a collaborative engineering and design role involving detailed CAD work, customer coordination, manufacturing support, prototype support, drawing review, reverse engineering, and practical problem solving.
The right candidate will be detail-oriented, reliable, curious, communicative, and comfortable working in a fast-paced engineering environment with many different types of projects.
Pay: $70,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Lafayette, LA 70508
