LEAD, MECHANICAL ENGINEER

StaffWorthy; Fort Wayne (IN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering firm in Fort Wayne is seeking a Lead Mechanical Engineer to lead multidisciplinary teams and oversee thermal design and analysis of complex systems. The candidate must have at least 9 years of experience, proficiency in thermal analysis tools, and expertise in thermal vacuum testing. This role involves mentoring junior engineers and documenting design results for clients. Strong analytical skills and a Bachelors Degree in a relevant field are required.

Qualifications

• Minimum 9 years of relevant experience or 7 years with a graduate degree.
• Ability to perform thermal design and analysis tasks.
• Must have experience with thermal vacuum testing.

Responsibilities

• Lead thermal design and analysis for complex mechanical systems.
• Document and present design results to customers.
• Organize thermal design as an IPT lead.
• Mentor junior staff and support new business opportunities.

Skills

Thermal analysis tools proficiency

Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

Analytical skills

Thermal vacuum testing experience

Education

Bachelors Degree in relevant field

Graduate Degree in relevant field (preferred)

Tools

Thermal Desktop

Sinda

Thermal Fluent

Icepak

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Job description

As a Lead Mechanical Engineer, you are a technical leader across multidisciplinary teams of engineers to create the best overall system design including thermal design, analysis, and test of complex systems operating in harsh space and ground environments. Lead engineers possess in-depth understanding of aerospace thermal engineering technology and payload architectures for spacecraft sub-systems and instruments. These talents are used to direct and oversee teams who specialize in conductive, convective, and radiative analyses, understanding of heat pipes, radiative heat transfer, and thermal control hardware design (thermal blankets, surface treatments, heater tapes, thermistors) and the interaction with optical structures in order to minimize optical errors, and achieve operational temperatures. Lead engineers proficiently utilize state of the art custom software in conjunction with Thermal Desktop and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) packages and often mentor other Thermal Analysts in the use of such tools.

Essential Functions:

• Knowledge of system level thermal design & development, payload level integration and test, and risk mitigation for space-based environments
• Create and analyze design concepts using FEA & thermal analysis software.
• Organization of thermal design and analysis as an IPT lead; frequently interfacing directly with customer technical leads and management.
• Documenting and presenting design & analysis results to customers at formal gate and design reviews.
• Development of thermal test plans to manufacture and test payload sensor systems.
• Support new business opportunities and mentor junior level staff.
• Perform thermal design and analysis tasks on complex mechanical hardware including precision mechanisms, electro-mechanical devices, aerospace mechanism design, complex electronics packaging, supporting space-based deployable mechanisms, avionics, innovative thermal and ground based systems.
• Program support also includes requirements derivation and verification, system architecture development, loads derivation, trade studies, design sensitivity/optimization studies, preliminary and final design analysis, generation of analysis documentation (including presentation materials, and deliverable data packages), and leading system test activities.
• Work multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment and adapt quickly to changing situations.

Qualifications:

• Bachelors Degree and minimum 9 years of prior relevant experience. Graduate Degree and a minimum of 7 years of prior related experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum of 13 years of prior related experience.
• Proficiency in thermal analysis tools such as Thermal Desktop (preferred), Sinda, Thermal Fluent, Icepak, etc.
• Experience with thermal vacuum testing.

Preferred Additional Skills:

• Experience with thermal analysis of mechanical and electronic systems, in space, air or ground environments.
• Strong analytical skills with emphasis on using and/or directing finite element analysis (FEA).
• Experience with finite element analysis software.
• Able to support design decisions with well documented engineering analyses and calculations.
• Able to analyze problems and to focus and drive down to the root cause of problems quickly.
• Experience as a lead engineer, project engineer, or IPT lead is a plus.
• Experience with Microsoft office tools, Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

SKILLS AND CERTIFICATIONS

note: bold skills and certification are required

Thermal desktop software experience required

Experience with thermal vacuum testing