Mechanical Engineer Systems Design

Ed Wallach Search Group; Groton (CT); On-site; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

The Ed Wallach Search Group is seeking a Mechanical Engineer with a strong background in mechanical design, hardware development, prototyping, and DoD compliance to support advanced subsea and maritime systems.

You'll work hands-on through design, fabrication, testing, and verification in a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to manufacturability, reliability, and qualification for critical national security missions from Groton, CT.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 2-10 years of mechanical design, hardware development, or manufacturing engineering experience.
• Proficient with 3D CAD, preferably SolidWorks, for modeling and drawings.
• Ability to create and release drawings with GD&T per ASME Y14.5.
• Understanding of DFMA, tolerances, and manufacturing processes.
• Hands-on experience with prototype hardware, fabrication tools, and test equipment.
• Experience with SolidWorks PDM for documentation and revision control.
• Experience with tolerance analyses using CETOL or 3DCS.
• Experience managing Bills of Materials (BOMs).
• Strong communication and collaboration across multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to obtain DoD Secret clearance; US citizenship required.

Responsibilities

• Design, model, and develop mechanical components and assemblies for subsea systems.
• Create detailed drawings, GD&T, tolerance analyses, and fabrication packages.
• Collaborate with machinists, welders, technicians, and vendors through fabrication and assembly.
• Provide hands-on engineering support during hardware builds and testing.
• Perform structural, thermal, modal, and fatigue analyses to validate designs.
• Develop and execute mechanical and system-level test plans for MIL-STD compliance.
• Maintain engineering configuration control and BOMs.
• Participate in design reviews and mitigate technical risks.
• Support hardware integration, system checkout, and testing with cross-functional teams.
• Travel to Groton and Pawcatuck, CT, as needed.

Skills

SolidWorks

GD&T

DFMA

BOMs

Prototype hardware

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks PDM

CETOL

3DCS

MATLAB

Python

Job description

Location: Groton, CT

Security Clearance: US Citizen/Clearable

We are seeking a Mechanical Engineer with a strong background in mechanical design, hardware development, prototyping, manufacturing, and component-level requirements compliance to support the development of advanced subsea and maritime prototype and production systems.

This position combines hands-on mechanical engineering, design for manufacturability, fabrication support, and system-level requirements verification to ensure hardware designs meet demanding U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) performance, quality, and operational requirements.

The successful candidate will contribute throughout the engineering and R&D lifecycle, from conceptual design and analysis through fabrication, assembly, integration, testing, and verification.
Working within multidisciplinary engineering teams encompassing mechanical, electrical, software, and systems engineering, you will directly influence hardware performance, manufacturability, reliability, and qualification.

This position offers the opportunity to work in a collaborative, technically driven environment that values engineering excellence, creativity, and rigorous problem-solving.
You will contribute to the development of innovative maritime technologies and transition prototype designs into reliable production systems supporting critical national security missions.

Job Functions and Responsibilities

• Design, model, and develop mechanical components and assemblies for advanced subsea and maritime systems, ensuring compliance with system requirements, manufacturability, and efficient assembly.
• Generate detailed engineering drawings, Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), tolerance analyses, interface control documentation, and fabrication packages in accordance with established engineering standards.
• Collaborate with machinists, welders, technicians, and external manufacturing vendors to mature designs through fabrication, machining, inspection, and assembly.
• Provide hands-on engineering support during hardware builds, including troubleshooting, fit checks, test setup development, inspection activities, and resolution of fabrication and assembly nonconformances.
• Perform preliminary and detailed engineering analyses, including structural stress, thermal, modal, fatigue, durability, and buckling assessments, to validate design performance and evaluate component deviations.
• Support the development and execution of mechanical and system-level test plans to verify compliance with design requirements, including environmental, structural, and applicable MIL-STD qualification testing.
• Establish and maintain engineering configuration control, including bills of materials (BOMs), revision records, as-built documentation, test logs, and requirements compliance evidence.
• Participate in multidisciplinary design reviews, identify technical risks, and recommend solutions for new subsystems, manufacturing processes, and innovative hardware designs.
• Support hardware integration, system checkout, and testing activities in collaboration with electrical, software, and systems engineering teams.
• Provide on-site engineering and occasional field support at facilities in Groton and Pawcatuck, CT, as well as offsite test locations.
• Work effectively in a fast-paced R&D environment while demonstrating sound engineering judgment, technical initiative, and ownership of mechanical design decisions.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 2-10 years of relevant professional experience in mechanical design, hardware development, or manufacturing engineering.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD software, preferably SolidWorks, including part modeling, assembly design, and drawing generation.
• Demonstrated ability to create, interpret, and release engineering drawings using GD&T principles in accordance with ASME Y14.5.
• Understanding of manufacturing processes, fabrication methods, dimensional tolerances, and Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) principles.
• Experience working hands-on with prototype hardware, mechanical assemblies, fabrication tools, and test equipment.
• Familiarity with SolidWorks PDM or comparable product data management systems for engineering documentation, configuration management, and revision control.
• Experience performing dimensional tolerance stack-up analyses using analytical methods or software such as CETOL or 3DCS.
• Experience developing, maintaining, and managing Bills of Materials (BOMs).
• Strong technical communication and documentation skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Secret security clearance. U.S. citizenship is required.

Preferred Skills and Qualifications

• Experience supporting manufacturing operations, vendor coordination, fabrication activities, or shop-floor engineering.
• Familiarity with MIL-STD qualification and compliance testing, including shock, vibration, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and environmental testing.
• Experience performing structural, thermal, or durability analyses using finite element analysis (FEA) or analytical engineering methods.
• Understanding of mechanical systems and components used in subsea and maritime environments, including material selection, corrosion protection, sealing technologies, pressure housings, and propulsion components.
• Experience supporting hardware integration, system-level checkout, and troubleshooting involving electrical, software, or control system interfaces.
• Proficiency with MATLAB, Python, or other engineering calculation and data analysis tools.
• Exposure to advanced manufacturing and fabrication processes, including metal additive manufacturing, welding, precision machining, and specialized material processing.
• Familiarity with dimensional inspection and quality assurance practices, including coordinate measuring machines (CMM), PC-DMIS, and first article inspection (FAI).
• Experience supporting prototype-to-production transitions, including design maturation, manufacturing readiness, and hardware qualification.