Job Type
Full-time
Description
TRI Austin seeks a hands on mid to senior level
Mechanical Engineer to join our multidisciplinary R&D team. This role combines mechanical design and analysis, prototype fabrication and test, and technical capture activities, including customer discovery, solution development, proposal writing and technical presentations. The position is tailored for engineers who have worked on DoD or military programs, have practical materials experience, and can contribute to winning and executing government research projects.
Key responsibilities- Lead mechanical design efforts from concept to prototype: 3D CAD, detailed drawings, BOMs, and manufacturability reviews. Rapidly iterate designs to support fabrication and field testing.
- Fabricate, assemble, and test prototypes in the lab and at field sites; write and execute test procedures, analyze test data, and document results in technical reports and presentations.
- Perform engineering analyses (stress, thermal, kinematics, modal, mass properties) using FEA or other tools (ANSYS/NASTRAN/COMSOL/MATLAB) to support design decisions and risk reduction.
- Hands-on composite work: fabricate, repair, and test fiber-reinforced systems (layups, curing, NDE, thermomechanical testing) and translate materials behavior into robust designs.
- Drive proposal and capture efforts: develop technical approaches, prepare scopes, write technical volumes, and support cost/schedule inputs to win funded research.
- Integrate mechanical, electrical, and software subsystems where applicable; coordinate vendors, machine shop and test resources, and external collaborators.
- Mentor junior engineers/technicians and maintain rigorous engineering documentation (lab notebooks, drawings, test logs).
Requirements
Required qualifications- B.S., M.S. or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or closely related field.
- Demonstrated hands-on experience developing and testing mechanical hardware for defense, aerospace, maritime, or other demanding applications. Experience with composite structures or other advanced materials is strongly preferred.
- Experience developing technical proposals, white papers, statements of work, research plans, or customer-funded technical approaches. Experience contributing to successful SBIR/STTR, BAA, IRAD or other DoD capture efforts.
- Experience supporting DoD, US Navy, or other military programs (proposal capture, program execution, or customer interactions).
- Proficiency in 3D CAD system and common engineering analysis and simulation (FEA, CFD, etc.).
- Strong technical writing and verbal communication skills; ability to present to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Ability to obtain/maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.
Preferred qualifications- Direct experience with defense platform or mission areas, such as weapon and launcher systems, missiles or rocket motors, naval shipboard equipment, unmanned maritime systems, aircraft hardware, ordnance handling, survivability, or platform sustainment.
- Familiarity with relevant manufacturing methods such as machining, welding, composite processing, additive manufacturing, sheet-metal fabrication, castings, coatings and low-rate prototype production.
- Experience taking hardware through requirements development, design reviews, environmental qualification, integration and field demonstration.
- Experience designing, fabricating, testing, repairing, or qualifying fiber-reinforced composite structures. Direct processing experience is desirable but not required.
- Experience managing small project budgets, schedules, and technical teams; proven track record taking R&D results toward productization or transition.
What we offer- Mission-driven R&D supporting the Warfighter and government customers in a collaborative small-business environment.
- Opportunity to work across a broad portfolio (materials, ocean/vehicle systems, instruments, and advanced components) and to lead both technical execution and capture activities.
- Competitive salary (DOE) and benefits, hands on R&D work in Austin, TX.
The ability to obtain a US DoD security clearance is mandatory. See https://www.dss.mil/ma/tw/dvd/vroc/faqs/ for more information.
