This position may be located in O'Fallon, MO, Indianapolis, IN, or Frederick, MDThe Senior Mechanical Design Engineer is responsible for the design, analysis, development, and qualification of rugged aerospace mechanical and electromechanical products. This role supports the complete product lifecycle, including concept development, detailed design, structural analysis, prototype development, environmental qualification, and production transition.
The successful candidate will work closely with Systems, Electrical, Manufacturing, Test, Quality, and Program Management to deliver products that meet demanding military and aerospace performance, environmental, and reliability requirements.
ResponsibilitiesMechanical Design- Lead the design of aerospace mechanical and electromechanical products from concept through production.
- Design rugged electronic enclosures, thermal management hardware, structural assemblies, and precision mechanical components.
- Perform engineering trade studies balancing performance, weight, manufacturability, reliability, and cost.
- Develop tolerance analyses, mechanical interfaces, fits, and assembly strategies.
Engineering Analysis- Perform structural analysis using Analytical calculations and FEA to evaluate stress, vibration, fatigue, thermal effects, and structural integrity.
- Develop margins of safety and correlate analytical models with test results.
- Evaluate materials, fasteners, sealing methods, and mechanical interfaces.
Product Development- Support all phases of product development including requirements, design reviews, detailed design, prototype builds, qualification testing, and production transition.
- Develop engineering documentation, manufacturing drawings, and design packages using SolidWorks and ASME Y14.5 GD&T.
- Support Engineering Change Notices (ECNs) and configuration management activities.
Environmental & Systems Integration- Design products to meet military and aerospace environmental requirements including vibration, shock, thermal cycling, altitude, humidity, and corrosion.
- Integrate electronics, wiring, connectors, thermal management hardware, and mechanical structures into compact aerospace products.
- Incorporate design practices supporting EMI/EMC, grounding, shielding, environmental sealing, and thermal management.
Manufacturing & Testing- Support DFM/DFA activities, prototype builds, qualification testing, and production.
- Work with Manufacturing, Quality, Suppliers, and Test Engineering to resolve technical issues and improve product performance.
- Mentor junior engineers and support technical proposals and engineering estimates.
Required Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering.
- Minimum 7 years of mechanical design experience developing aerospace, defense, or other high-reliability products.
- Experience designing complex mechanical or electromechanical assemblies from concept through production.
- Proficiency with SolidWorks (or equivalent 3D CAD) and ANSYS Mechanical (or equivalent FEA).
- Strong understanding of structural analysis, mechanics of materials, fatigue, vibration, tolerance analysis, materials, fasteners, and environmental sealing.
- Experience creating manufacturing drawings compliant with ASME Y14.5.
- Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.
- U.S. Citizenship required.
Preferred Qualifications- Master's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
- Experience with rugged electronic packaging and aerospace enclosure design.
- Experience supporting MIL-STD-810, DO-160, or equivalent environmental qualification programs.
- Familiarity with EMI/EMC design practices, thermal management, pressure vessels, fluid systems, or refrigeration systems.
- Experience supporting prototype builds, qualification testing, and production transition.
- Experience with configuration management and engineering release processes.
Desired Characteristics- Strong engineering judgment and hands-on problem-solving skills.
- Ability to independently own mechanical work packages from concept through production.
- Effective collaboration across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
- Self-motivated with a commitment to technical excellence, quality, and continuous improvement.
