Mechanical Systems Engineering Sr Manager Position SummaryThe Mechanical Engineering Lead is responsible for directing and integrating all mechanical engineering activities across a complex aerospace development program. This role serves as the senior mechanical authority for the program and provides technical leadership, execution oversight, and cross-functional coordination for mechanical design, systems integration, structural and thermal analysis, verification, and test activities. The Mechanical Engineering Lead ensures technical integrity, requirements compliance, manufacturability, verification readiness, and successful execution throughout the engineering development lifecycle. This role operates as a key member of the program's engineering leadership team and works closely with program management, chief engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and customer representatives.
Key Responsibilities Technical Leadership- Provide overall leadership and direction for all mechanical engineering activities on the program.
- Establish and maintain the mechanical engineering technical baseline across design, analysis, integration, and test.
- Ensure mechanical system architectures and designs meet performance, reliability, safety, producibility, and maintainability requirements.
- Lead technical decision-making, trade studies, design reviews, and engineering risk assessments.
- Drive resolution of complex technical issues affecting cost, schedule, performance, or integration.
Team and Organizational Leadership- Lead a multi-disciplinary mechanical engineering organization composed of functional leads in design engineering, systems engineering, mechanical analysis, and test engineering.
- Align engineering priorities and resources across integrated product teams.
- Mentor senior engineers and technical leads while fostering strong engineering rigor and accountability.
- Support staffing plans, organizational development, and engineering process improvement initiatives.
Design and Systems Integration- Oversee development of mechanical hardware, assemblies, mechanisms, structures, and subsystem integration solutions.
- Ensure configuration control and disciplined change management throughout development.
- Coordinate interfaces between mechanical, electrical, software, manufacturing, and systems engineering teams.
- Ensure requirements traceability and verification planning are fully integrated into design activities.
Analysis and Verification- Direct structural, thermal, dynamic, fatigue, and other mechanical analyses required to support design maturity and qualification.
- Ensure analytical models and simulation approaches are appropriately validated and correlated.
- Oversee mechanical verification and validation planning, including qualification, environmental, and acceptance testing.
- Review and approve test objectives, procedures, instrumentation plans, and anomaly resolution activities.
Program Execution- Support program planning, cost estimation, schedule development, and risk management activities.
- Track engineering execution against milestones and technical performance measures.
- Provide regular status updates to program leadership and customers regarding technical progress, risks, and mitigation strategies.
- Support major program reviews including SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, and qualification reviews.
Customer and Supplier Engagement- Serve as a primary technical interface for mechanical engineering matters with customers, suppliers, and partners.
- Support supplier technical oversight, design reviews, and issue resolution activities.
- Participate in customer briefings and technical interchange meetings.
Qualifications Required Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related technical discipline.
- 15+ years of aerospace or defense engineering experience with increasing technical leadership responsibility.
- Experience leading integrated mechanical engineering teams through development, integration, and test phases.
- Strong background in mechanical design, systems integration, engineering analysis, and hardware verification.
- Experience with aerospace development lifecycle processes and formal engineering reviews.
- Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional technical teams in a high-complexity development environment.
- Strong communication, organizational, and technical decision-making skills.
- Must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.
Preferred Qualifications- Master's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
- Experience supporting flight systems, launch systems, spacecraft, missiles, propulsion systems, or other complex aerospace platforms.
- Familiarity with model-based systems engineering and digital engineering environments.
- Experience with qualification testing, environmental testing, and failure investigation activities.
- Prior responsibility for engineering cost, schedule, and resource management.
- Active or previously held U.S. security clearance.
Desired Leadership Characteristics- Strong system-thinking mindset
- Technical credibility with senior engineering staff
- Ability to balance execution urgency with engineering rigor
- Collaborative leadership style across integrated teams
- Decisive problem-solving under schedule pressure
- Commitment to quality, safety, and mission success
How We Care At Textron Systems, our talented people make us successful. Our Company is committed to offering employees opportunities to grow and develop. Our benefits and compensation packages are designed to help our talented employees excel and achieve their goals, so they can make a difference every day in and outside of the workplace. Below are just a few examples!
- Flexible Work Schedules
- Education Assistance
- Career Development & Training Opportunities
- Wellness Program (including Fitness Reimbursement)
- Medical, Dental, Vision & 401(K) with Company Funding
- Paid Parental Leave
