As the Project Engineer (Mechanical Design), you will be a core team member of our Insect Technology projects team. You will be responsible for the mechanical design and development of our Smart Insect Farm facilities.

This is both a technical role. You will translate process requirements into robust, scalable, and efficient equipment, process and facility designs. You will need to intimately understand the biological and process-related aspects of our operations to create new and improve existing systems and solutions. You will be creating concept and detailed designs, conducting simulations and practical tests, establishing documentation and drawing revisions, and ensuring manufacturability.

This is not a typical design role. We are looking for builders with a strong technical foundation and with a strong ambition to build the next step of your career, bringing solutions from design to reality in a rapidly growing agri-tech startup that is Making Insects Work For A Better Food System.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the mechanical design process from concept through to detailed drawings, Bill of Materials (BOMs) and on-site installation & commissioning for new equipment and facilities.
• Design and develop production lines, assemblies and equipments for Smart Insect Farms, including conveyors, sieves, mixers, mills, material handling systems, climate control systems, and other specialised machinery.
• Create and manage detailed 3D models and 2D fabrication drawings using CAD software (e.g. SolidWorks), ensuring designs are optimised for manufacturing, assembly, and maintenance.
• Be accountable for design specifications, requirements, material selection, and component choices, balancing performance, cost, and reliability.
• Contribute to supplier and fabricators selection, review technical proposals from vendors, and work through the process to final delivery, commissioning and optimisation to ensure final products meet design requirements.
• Ensure all designs meet facility, equipment, and process safety, sanitation (hygienic design), and compliance standards (HACCP, GMP+).
• Effectively troubleshoot design challenges and resourcefully improve operating efficiency by collaborating with the production team to identify and design out process bottlenecks.
• Contribute to the Setup & Maintenance team to deliver projects, incorporate feedback on maintainability, robustness, and overall operating improvement into all new designs.

Requirements:

• Must have: min 4 years of total working experience in mechanical design, engineering, or manufacturing, preferably in agri/food-manufacturing industries or process equipment design.
  • Bonus: min 2 years of experience managing design projects or leading a technical team.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD software (SolidWorks preferably) is essential. Experience creating P&IDs, design and detailed fabrication drawings, process flows and layouts, written engineering documentation.
  • Hands-on experience in a workshop environment, with knowledge of metal fabrication, machining, and assembly processes is a big plus.
  • It's a big plus if you are experienced in Food/Agri-manufacturing industries: food manufacturing or agriculture (palm oil, large feed milling, poultry operations),
  • Having startup or new project development experience would be a big plus.
• Desired attributes:
  • Must have: dedication, grit, perseverance, ambition to develop your career within a challenging, high-performance agri-tech startup making an impact on our food system.
  • Strong organisational and communication skills. Your written communication creates clarity and structure for your team and the organization. Strong attention to detail and quality of work of yourself and your team.
  • Analytical skills, research skills and strong experienced-based intuition about what will work and what doesn't. Strong technical and engineering fundamentals + Common Sense.
  • General technology/software affinity & proficiency is a plus.
• Proficient written and spoken communication in English. Fluent Malay communication. Mandarin is a strong plus.
• Observe and promote safety at all times.