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Phoenix, Arizona

About

Engineer by education. Mechanic by trade. Maker by the work I actually do.

Based
Phoenix, Arizona
Email
Justinpadgett6@gmail.com
LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/justinrpadgett
Justin Padgett on campus at Lehigh University holding a graduation cap Welding in the shop wearing a graduation cap over a welding helmet

The Short Version

I'm a product designer, mechanical engineer, and lifelong maker with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University. I'm based in Phoenix and bilingual in English and Spanish.

I take products from requirements to finished hardware — designing, analyzing, fabricating, installing, testing, and improving them. I'm interested in the full life of a product, not just one step of it.

What I Am Looking For

I'm seeking an engineering role in aerospace, automotive, or manufacturing, preferably in the Phoenix metro area.

I'm most useful where design and physical hardware are close together — where talking with the machinist, reviewing test data, installing a component, and picking up the part are all considered part of engineering.

I want to follow projects, solve real problems, and contribute with both my engineering knowledge and my hands.

Why I Work This Way

I grew up around tools, taking things apart to understand, repair, and modify them. The setting changed — from appliances at home and cars in the driveway to engineering projects and professional work — but the process never did.

Working as an automotive technician taught me what happens when a design leaves the screen and reaches the person installing it. Machining historic engine components taught me what a drawing demands from the person making the part. Those experiences continue to shape how I design.

Engineering is an important tool in my belt, but at my core, I'm a maker. Outside work, I continue building through product design, woodworking, and automotive projects — many of which are featured throughout this portfolio.

How I Approach a Project

Most of my projects begin with a constraint: limited funding, unavailable parts, unfamiliar materials, tight deadlines, or imperfect tools. Constraints make the problem interesting because they force me to design around reality.

I start by understanding what the product must accomplish, then develop, analyze, build, and test a solution. Throughout the process, I consider how it will be manufactured, installed, used, and repaired.

I'm also honest about what fails. A design that does not work still has value if it leads to better judgment and a stronger next iteration.