Engineering Technician (Mechanical & Integration)

UICGS / Bowhead Family of Companies; Dahlgren (VA); On-site; USD 53,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Bowhead seeks an Engineering Technician (Mechanical & Integration) to lead physical buildouts, mounts, and cable routing for BMS hardware across tactical platforms at Dahlgren. Heavy hands-on fabrication with cross-training in basic electronics and software loading is expected.

The role includes integration for manned/unmanned systems, cross-functional support, and adherence to safety and lab procedures with 20% travel annually. ET4/ET5 pay scales apply.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• 7 years of full-time experience as Engineering Technician in DoD-related work.
• 5 years hands-on testing of electronic systems in a professional setting; reading, editing electrical drawings/schematics.

Responsibilities

• Physically mount, secure, and integrate BMS hardware onto platforms.
• Fabricate and route cables and wiring harnesses per standards.
• Lead setup at NSWCDD Dahlgren SILs; maintain cleanliness and safety.
• Support cross-training for electronics, GUI software installation, GPS simulators, and LOS diagnostics.
• Assist in integration of manned/unmanned systems across domains.

Skills

Mechanical systems

Electrical drawings

Hand-on fabrication

MS Office

Communication

Teamwork

Education

High school diploma or GED

7 years DoD engineering technician experience

Experience reading electrical drawings & schematics

Tools

CAD blueprints

Cable routing tools

Laboratory network configs

Job description

Engineering Technician(Mechanical & Integration) (H40-2026-26546)

Bowhead seeks an Engineering Technician(Mechanical & Integration) on a newly awarded contract supporting Battle Management System (BMS) family of projects. In this role, we are seeking a hands-on Engineering Technician to lead the physical, structural, and mechanical integration of BMS hardware across various tactical platforms. This position is heavily hardware/mechanically focused, prioritizing physical buildouts, custom mounts, structural cable routing, and hands-on fabrication, while cross-training to assist with basic electronics, software loading, and laboratory network configurations. Travel of 20% annually can be expected.

We are looking to hire at either an ET4 or ET5, dependent on interview process and experience: ET4 will start at $38.39/hr ET5 will start at $46.96/hr

Responsibilities

The Engineering Technician(Mechanical & Integration) shall provide hands-on Engineering Technician with a hardware/mechanically focused competency, prioritizing physical buildouts, custom mounts, structural cable routing, and hands-on fabrication, while cross-training to assist with basic electronics, software loading, and laboratory network configurations.

Duties & responsibilities include, but are not limited, to the following:

Physical Integration & Platform Modification: Read and work from mechanical technical drawing packages, CAD blueprints, and interface documents to physically mount, secure, and integrate BMS hardware onto tactical vehicles, vessels, or aerial platforms.

Cable and Harness Fabrication: Assemble, route, secure, and inspect complex cables and wiring harnesses according to electrical standards. Confirm physical connector configurations match designs.

SIL Preparedness & Organization: Lead the physical setup, structural layouts, mounting, and cable-routing of systems at the NSWCDD Dahlgren SILs. Maintain laboratory cleanliness, physical workspace safety, tool inventories, and consumable stock, ensuring the SIL is prepared for both internal project test events and general system testing executed by the BMS test team.

Manned & Unmanned Domain Integration: Assist in the structural and mechanical integration of manned and unmanned systems (UxS/UAS) and C-UAS hardware mounts across all domains (air, land, and maritime).

Cross-Functional Support: Cross-train to support electronic and network technicians, assisting with basic graphic user interface (GUI) software installation, GPS simulator setups, and basic line-of-sight communication diagnostics during heavy test cycles.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or passing score on the General Education Development (GED) exam
• Seven (7) years of full-time professional experience working as an Engineering Technician in providing technical support related to the design, development, production, or testing directly in support of the Department of Defense.
• Five (5) years of hands-on testing and troubleshooting of electronic systems in a professional engineering environment. Experience in developing and testing solutions to solve technical problems in research and development, manufacturing, inspection, and maintenance; while assisting engineers in inspecting products, conducting tests, and collecting data. Experience with following published user manuals and maintenance documentation. In addition, experience reading, editing, and creating electrical drawings and system schematics
• Experience with hands-on mechanical fabrication, cabling, electro-mechanical assembly, and platform-level systems integration in a professional aerospace or defense engineering environment.
• Intermediate to advanced level skills in Microsoft Office software suite - Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint
• Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of employees and outside contacts
• Strong interpersonal skills and good judgment with the ability to work alone or as part of a team

Desired Certifications & Qualifications

IPC/WHMA-A-620 (Requirements and Acceptance for Cable and Wire Harness Assemblies)

IPC-A-610 (Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies)

We are looking to hire at either an ET4 or ET5, dependent on interview process and experience: ET4 will start at $38.39/hr ET5 will start at $46.96/hr

Please note that the salary information is a general guideline only. Bowhead considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as, market and business considerations when extending an offer.

Physical Demands

• Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds
• Must be able to stand and walk for prolonged amounts of time
• Must be able to twist, bend and squat periodically

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS

Must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance at the Secret level. US Citizenship is a requirement for Secret clearance at this location.