Senior Mechanical Engineer IV - Communications

OTTO Engineering, Inc.; Carpentersville (IL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit Sharing Bonus

Vacation 120 hours

401(k) with company match

Health insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

10 paid holidays

Holiday party

Disability insurance

Job summary

OTTO Engineering, Inc. is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer IV for its Communications division in Illinois. You will lead the mechanical design, develop ruggedized communication products, and own system‑level architecture from concept to production release.

This role requires high autonomy and strong mentoring of junior engineers. You will define architectures, supervise schedules, perform CAE analyses, and collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, and vendors to meet stringent MIL‑STD and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering is required.
• Minimum 7 years of mechanical engineering experience, with CREO CAD preferred.
• Expertise in plastics, elastomers, die‑cast metals, overmolding, and PCB integration.
• Strong DFM/DFA, tolerance analysis, and ruggedization knowledge.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex projects with minimal supervision.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, hands‑on engineering environment.

Responsibilities

• Define mechanical concepts and system architectures for ruggedized comms products.
• Set schedules, milestones, and deliverables aligned with customer and internal timelines.
• Perform stress, thermal, and environmental analyses and review CAE results.
• Develop 3D CAD layouts in CREO and mentor junior engineers.
• Prototype, test, and iterate designs to meet IP ratings and MIL‑STD requirements.
• Prepare drawings, BOMs, ECNs, specs, and verification reports.
• Lead cross‑functional coordination across engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, vendors, and customers.
• Provide production and quality support including root‑cause analysis and design improvements.
• Participate in MRB activities and drive engineering best practices.
• Mentor Mechanical Engineer I–III and support additional duties as needed.

Skills

Mechanical CAD

DFM/DFA

Tolerance analysis

Ruggedization

Project leadership

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

CREO CAD

Job description

Senior Mechanical Engineer IV – Communications

Why join OTTO Engineering?

• At OTTO, we don’t just manufacture products—we engineer mission‑critical solutions with precision and pride. Our Communications Division designs and manufactures ruggedized, application‑specific communication systems built to perform when failure isn’t an option, serving the military, law enforcement, public safety, and industrial customers worldwide.
• As a core value, we focus on delivering for our customers through innovative technology, superior quality, value, and responsiveness … as a result, our growth continues!
• Employees are our greatest asset, which is why we share our company’s profits to celebrate our collective success.
• As a privately‑owned company, we are proud to invest significantly in our community and in our own growth, focusing on long‑term business success.
• We are proudly American!

You’ll love our Engineering Team!

Join a team where your engineering talent directly supports the people who protect and serve. At OTTO Engineering, we design and build innovative communications and power‑management products used by Public Safety professionals and Military teams around the world. You’ll help create rugged, reliable, and innovative products that professionals depend on every day. If you’re excited by meaningful engineering challenges and the chance to build technology that truly matters, this role is a great fit.

Specifically, we are seeking experience with …

• Mechanical CAD (CREO preferred)
• Plastics, elastomers, die‑cast metals, overmolding, and mechanical integration with PCBs
• DFM/DFA, tolerance analysis, and environmental/ruggedization requirements
• Leading complex engineering projects with minimal supervision

As our Senior Mechanical Engineer IV, you will lead the mechanical design, development, and validation of ruggedized communication products—including speaker microphones, PTT devices, tactical headsets, and electromechanical assemblies—used in mission‑critical environments. The Senior Mechanical Engineer IV owns system‑level architecture, manages multiple product development efforts from concept through production release, and provides technical leadership across engineering, manufacturing, quality, vendors, and customers. This role requires high autonomy, advanced engineering expertise, and the ability to mentor and guide lower‑level engineers.

The Senior Mechanical Engineer IV will:

• Define mechanical design concepts, system architectures, and performance specifications for ruggedized communication products that meet or exceed customer and marketing goals.
• Establish project schedules, milestones, and deliverables, ensuring alignment with customer expectations and internal development timelines.
• Perform advanced engineering analyses, including stress modeling, tolerance stack‑ups, thermal and environmental modeling, and statistical evaluation of test data using manual methods and CAE tools.
• Develop complete 3D CAD layouts of assemblies, subassemblies, and detailed components using CREO; review and approve designs created by lower‑level engineers.
• Prototype, test, and iterate designs to meet IP‑rated sealing, MIL‑STD durability, drop, vibration, and thermal cycling requirements.
• Prepare and approve engineering documentation, including drawings, BOMs, ECNs, specifications, and verification reports.
• Lead cross‑functional coordination across engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, vendors, and customers to achieve project goals.
• Provide production and quality support, including root‑cause analysis, design improvements, and process troubleshooting for existing products.
• Participate in and guide MRB activities, including discrepant material reviews and component analysis.
• Serve as a technical leader, mentoring Mechanical Engineer I–III team members and driving engineering best practices.
• Assist with other related duties as required or assigned.

About you - What you’ll bring to the table:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering
• Minimum 7 years of mechanical engineering experience, including extensive use of mechanical CAD (CREO preferred).
• Expertise in plastics, elastomers, die‑cast metals, overmolding, and mechanical integration with PCBs.
• Strong understanding of DFM/DFA, tolerance analysis, and environmental/ruggedization requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex engineering projects with minimal supervision.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast‑paced, hands‑on engineering environment.

What OTTO offers for this specific position:

The hiring range listed in this posting is what we, in good faith, anticipate relying on when confirming a base salary for this position; exceptions may be considered for highly experienced candidates with multiple years of at-level experience.

• Target base salary hiring range: $110,000 to $125,000, based on qualifications and experience.
• Profit Sharing Bonus - OTTO believes that it’s fair to share the profits that the employees help to make; profit sharing is distributed to employees twice a year. OTTO’s profit sharing plan is paid at the discretion of the company and is not a guaranteed bonus or any part of a compensation plan.
• Vacation: 120 hours - vacation time is earned on the anniversary date.

Health:

Medical Insurance-

• HMO Plan
• Standard PPO Plan
• Enhanced PPO Plan
• High Deducible PPO Plan
• FSA, LFSA, and HSA
• Base Plan
• Buy-Up Plan

Vision Insurance

401(k) with a company match

Life insurance:

• Life/AD&D
• Voluntary Life/AD&D
• Short-Term Disability
• Long-Term Disability

10 paid holidays

Holiday party

AND numerous OTTO celebrations throughout the year!

Request for Assistance / Reasonable Accommodation:

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, please let us know if you require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the online application process. You may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to access job openings or apply for a job on this site as a result of your disability.

If you need an alternative method for applying, please contact OTTO Engineering via telephone at 847-428-7171 or email at HRDepartment @ ottoexcellence.com

These contact tools may be used only by individuals with a disability for accommodation requests; please do not inquire as to the status of an application.

OTTO Engineering is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Disability/Veteran