Senior Mechanical Engineer

AIJ Search; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation reimbursement for qualified

Job summary

AIJSearch in Austin seeks a Senior Mechanical Engineer for Navy systems R&D. You will own hardware development end-to-end from concept through prototype, coordinating with suppliers and government customers on shipboard handling, composites, and repair technologies.

This on-site role requires 8–15+ years hands-on experience and a passion for clear technical reporting. Responsibilities include SolidWorks designs, BOMs, structural analysis with Nastran/FEMAP and SolidWorks Simulation, lab testing,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's in mechanical or aerospace engineering, or a related field (master's or PhD preferred)
• Hands-on design, build, and test of hardware for defense, maritime, aerospace, or space programs
• Proficiency in 3D CAD (SolidWorks preferred) and finite element analysis
• Strong technical writing and presentation skills, and confidence in working directly with customers
• A stable career history and eligibility for a U.S. Government Secret clearance (active clearance a plus)
• Engineers earlier in their careers with strong, directly relevant experience are also encouraged to apply and may be considered at a level matched to their experience.

Responsibilities

• Design hardware from concept through prototype in SolidWorks (drawings, BOMs, manufacturability reviews) and integrate mechanical, electrical, and software subsystems
• Perform structural and engineering analysis with FEA (Nastran/FEMAP, SolidWorks Simulation) and CFD, and apply composites with in-house materials and testing specialists.
• Build and test prototypes in the lab and in the field; write and test procedures; analyze test data; and document results in technical reports and presentations.
• Execute active Navy and special operations programs, managing tasks, budgets, vendors, subcontractors, and schedules, and grow into the program manager role
• Work directly with government customers at Navy warfare centers and program offices, including site visits and shipboard testing.
• Identify opportunities, team with subcontractors and universities, and write technical volumes and cost estimates for SBIR/STTR, BAA, and OTA proposals.
• Mentor junior engineers and technicians, and maintain rigorous documentation (lab notebooks, drawings, test logs)

Skills

3D CAD (SolidWorks)

FEA

CFD

Technical writing

Presentation skills

Customer interaction

Project ownership

US Government clearance eligibility

Education

Bachelor's in mechanical or aerospace engineering

Master's or PhD preferred

Tools

SolidWorks

Nastran/FEMAP

SolidWorks Simulation

Job description

Senior Mechanical Engineer, Naval Systems R&D

Location: Austin, Texas (fully on-site)

Travel: About 10 to 15%

Design First-of-Their-Kind Hardware for the Navy and Special Operations

Our client is an Austin-based R&D defense company doing government-funded research for the Navy and other Department of War customers.

The role sits in a small, collaborative, Navy-focused Engineering group that works alongside in-house materials and testing specialists. Current programs span shipboard handling and launch hardware, composite structures, and repair technologies for Navy and special operations platforms.

The Opportunity

The group has more funded work than people, so this hire steps directly onto active programs and, within about a year, begins winning their own work. Engineers own their work end to end, understanding the customer's problem, designing and analyzing hardware, building and testing prototypes, reporting results, and writing the proposals that fund the next program.

Everyone writes proposals, and the company trains engineers in its process. A record of wins is a plus, not a requirement. Clear technical writing is essential, since every project ends in a report or a proposal.

What You Will Do

• Design hardware from concept through prototype in SolidWorks (drawings, BOMs, manufacturability reviews) and integrate mechanical, electrical, and software subsystems
• Perform structural and engineering analysis with FEA (Nastran/FEMAP, SolidWorks Simulation) and CFD, and apply composites with in-house materials and testing specialists.
• Build and test prototypes in the lab and in the field; write and test procedures; analyze test data; and document results in technical reports and presentations.

Programs and New Business

• Execute active Navy and special operations programs, managing tasks, budgets, vendors, subcontractors, and schedules, and grow into the program manager role
• Work directly with government customers at Navy warfare centers and program offices, including site visits and shipboard testing.
• Identify opportunities, team with subcontractors and universities, and write technical volumes and cost estimates for SBIR/STTR, BAA, and OTA proposals.s
• Mentor junior engineers and technicians, and maintain rigorous documentation (lab notebooks, drawings, test logs)

What You Bring

Seeking a mechanical engineer with 8 to 15+ years of hands-on hardware development. The best fits are generalists who have designed, analyzed, built, and tested hardware themselves, with titles such as Mechanical Engineer, Aerospace Engineer, Design Engineer, Research Mechanical Engineer, or Engineer/Scientist.

• Bachelor's in mechanical or aerospace engineering, or a related field (master's or PhD preferred)
• Hands-on design, build, and test of hardware for defense, maritime, aerospace, or space programs
• Proficiency in 3D CAD (SolidWorks preferred) and finite element analysis
• Strong technical writing and presentation skills, and confidence in working directly with customers
• A stable career history and eligibility for a U.S. Government Secret clearance (active clearance a plus)
• Engineers earlier in their careers with strong, directly relevant experience are also encouraged to apply and may be considered at a level matched to their experience.

Preferred, Not Required

• Undersea warfare, unmanned underwater or maritime systems, or space systems experience
• High-performance composites and advanced materials: design, analysis, fabrication, repair or testing
• Relationships with Navy research sponsors such as NSWC Carderock or Dahlgren, NUWC, ONR, NAVSEA or SOCOM.
• SBIR/STTR, BAA, OTA or IRAD proposal or program management experience
• Launcher and weapon systems, missiles or rocket motors, shipboard equipment, ordnance handling, aircraft hardware, survivability or sustainment
• Machining, welding, composite processing, additive, sheet metal, castings, coatings, low-rate production
• Full hardware lifecycle: requirements, PDR/CDR, qualification, integration, field demonstration, transition

Location and Work Environment

Fully on-site in Austin with 9:00 to 3:00 core hours and flexible scheduling

Travel is mostly day trips to customers, with occasional conferences and shipboard testing

Compensation and Benefits

• Base salary: $130,000 to $160,000, with flexibility above the range for an exceptional candidate
• Proposal-win bonuses of $1,700 to $7,500 per award, plus program delivery bonuses
• Medical, dental and vision coverage, life insurance at one year's salary, 401(k) match on the first 5%, 120 hours PTO, 48 hours sick leave and 10 paid holidays
• Relocation reimbursement for qualifying moves

Equal Opportunity Employer

Our client is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will be considered without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable law.

Clearance

To qualify, candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret security clearance. An active clearance is a plus but not required.

This position is not eligible for employer visa sponsorship, now or in the future.