The Challenge
Robson Handling Technology, a specialist in bespoke material handling and conveyor systems, needed an experienced Mechanical Design Engineer to support the design and delivery of customer-specific handling solutions across sectors including airports, bulk materials and intralogistics.
The successful candidate needed to be proficient in Autodesk Inventor and ideally have experience designing equipment such as:
- Screw conveyors
- Cross conveyors
- Bulk handling conveyors
- Chutes and hoppers
- Steel support structures, gantries and walkways
The role involved producing 2D and 3D mechanical designs, creating manufacturing drawings and working closely with production and engineering teams to ensure designs were practical, manufacturable and commercially viable.
EnquireThe Recruitment Challenge
This was a niche recruitment assignment as whilst Sheffield has a strong engineering heritage, very few local businesses design material handling and conveyor equipment. To add to the challenge:
- Many relevant engineers used SolidWorks rather than Autodesk Inventor.
- Many local design engineers worked in component manufacturing rather than project-led machinery design.
- The successful candidate needed to be within budget and ideally within a 30-minute commute.
- A number of suitable individuals were contractors or had salary expectations well above the approved package.
Finding someone who met the technical, geographical and commercial requirements required a targeted search.
Our Approach
We carried out a detailed market mapping exercise, identifying engineers from both direct competitors and adjacent industries involved in bespoke machinery, turnkey engineering projects and material handling systems.
Rather than focusing purely on job titles, we assessed candidates based on the complexity of the equipment they had designed, their project exposure and the transferability of their experience.
Each candidate was personally approached, qualified and discussed in detail before being introduced to the client.
The Outcome
Within seven weeks, two carefully selected candidates were interviewed.
Robson Handling Technology appointed an experienced Mechanical Design Engineer with more than eight years' experience designing:
- Bulk handling conveyor systems
- Powder handling conveyors
- Chutes and hopper systems
- Bespoke material handling equipment
The successful candidate also held a First Class Mechanical Engineering degree together with a Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Mechanical Engineering.
The placement exceeded expectations:
- Over 8 years of directly relevant design experience
- Strong Autodesk Inventor capability
- Salary below the approved budget
- Approximately 20-minute commute
- Excellent long-term development potential within the business
The candidate was excited by the opportunity to build his career and work alongside senior engineers, develop into a lead design position and eventually take ownership of equipment specification and project design.
The Result
Despite a very limited candidate market, the assignment was successfully completed within seven weeks.
Robson secured a highly relevant engineer who met the technical requirements, salary expectations and location criteria - providing a strong long-term addition to their engineering team.
Hiring Mechanical Design Engineers?
EMT Talent specialises in recruiting Mechanical Design Engineers, CAD Engineers, CAD Technicians, Project Engineers, Project Managers and other technical professionals involved in the design and delivery of bespoke engineering projects.
If you're struggling to find experienced engineering professionals, we'd be happy to discuss how a targeted search could help.
Enquire