Senior Mechanical Engineer / Program Support

Mettle Ops

Madison Heights (MI)

On-site

USD 96,000 - 165,000

Full time

2 days ago

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Job summary

Mettle Ops is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer / Program Support in Michigan to lead mechanical design, integration, build, and test across defense-related efforts. The role includes mentoring junior engineers and coordinating with program management to break objectives into executable tasks.

The position is a 6-month contract with potential extension. Candidates should have a strong background in engineering documentation, drawing release, and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering is required.
15+ years of relevant mechanical engineering experience.
Experience leading mechanical design, integration, test, troubleshooting.

Responsibilities

Lead mechanical engineering activities for design, integration, build, and test.
Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior engineers.
Support planning, task coordination, and schedule communication with program management.

Skills

Mechanical design

System integration

Troubleshooting

Requirements decomposition

Documentation & drawings

Mentoring

Cross-functional collab

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

CAD tools

PDM/PLM

Engineering docs

Job description

Senior Mechanical Engineer / Program Support

About the Organization Mettle Ops is a woman-owned business experienced in defense program management, federal acquisitions, business development, engineering, analysis, reporting, and risk management with the mission of helping soldiers survive on the battlefield. Through transparency and grit, Mettle Ops delivers multidisciplinary, comprehensive Department of Defense engineering solutions to government and industry partners on a national scale with a mission to build business based on a philosophy of hard work and dedication. Mettle Ops believes they have a high obligation to the warfighter, their home state of Michigan, their customers, their employees, their faith, and their place on this earth. Mettle Ops is inspired by courage and tenacity and so-named Mettle Ops.

EOE Statement We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Description

Position Overview

The Senior Mechanical Engineer / Program Support role is a senior technical position focused primarily on mechanical engineering execution, technical leadership, and mentoring of junior engineers.
This individual leads and supports mechanical design, integration, build, test, troubleshooting, requirements decomposition, and drawing release activities across complex defense-related engineering efforts.
The role also includes a limited program-support component focused on breaking larger engineering objectives into executable tasks, coordinating engineering work, and communicating progress and schedule concerns to the program manager. It is not a full-time project or program management role and does not include formal personnel management authority.
Length: 6-month contract with possibility of extension.

Key Responsibilities - Mechanical Engineering Leadership

Lead mechanical engineering activities for system-, subsystem-, and component-level design, integration, build, and test efforts.
Apply advanced mechanical engineering principles and sound judgment to solve complex technical problems.
Support requirements decomposition and translate technical requirements into practical engineering solutions.
Lead or support design development, packaging, integration, troubleshooting, verification, and validation efforts.
Produce, review, and improve engineering documentation including drawings, design packages, presentations, reports, test documentation, and related technical artifacts.
Support drawing development, drawing review, and drawing release activities.
Participate in technical reviews, design reviews, test events, and problem-resolution activities.
Evaluate technical issues, customer comments, and design changes for impact to performance, manufacturability, cost, and schedule.
Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including manufacturing, quality, program management, and other engineering disciplines.

Key Responsibilities - Technical Leadership and Mentorship

Provide technical leadership to junior mechanical engineers through coaching, task guidance, design review, and day-to-day mentoring.
Help develop engineering rigor, problem-solving ability, and execution discipline across the team.
Share best practices in design, integration, test, troubleshooting, documentation, and configuration discipline.
Support consistent engineering execution without formal supervisory authority.

Key Responsibilities - Program Support

Help break larger engineering objectives into clear, executable tasks for the engineering team.
Support planning and coordination of engineering work to align with program priorities and milestones.
Assign or coordinate actionable engineering tasks within the team in alignment with program direction.
Monitor engineering task progress and identify delays, blockers, and technical risks that could affect schedule.
Communicate engineering status, completion progress, and schedule concerns to the program manager.
Support disciplined execution of engineering scope in coordination with program leadership.

Position Requirements

Knowledge: gained through college education proven by their diploma, learned through applicable company trainings proven with training completion certificates or industry certifications

Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Finite Element Analysis - Simulate physical phenomena and reduce the need for physical prototypes, while optimizing the components that are part of the design process of a project.

Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or closely related discipline.
15+ years of relevant mechanical engineering experience.
Demonstrated experience leading mechanical design, integration, test, and troubleshooting efforts for complexes systems.
Strong background in requirements decomposition, engineering documentation, and drawing release.
Demonstrated ability to guide and mentor junior engineers in a technical lead capacity.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and engineering judgment skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools.

Preferred Qualifications

Military experience preferred.
Experience in defense or other highly regulated technical environments.
Experience working on vehicle, platform, or other complex integrated mechanical systems.
Experience with CAD tools, PDM/PLM systems, and engineering documentation processes.
Experience supporting engineering planning, engineering task coordination, and schedule status reporting.
Active security clearance, or ability to obtain one.

Core Competencies

Mechanical design and system integration.
Technical leadership and mentorship.
Design-for-execution mindset.
Troubleshooting and engineering problem solving.
Requirements decomposition.
Documentation and drawing discipline.
Cross-functional collaboration.
Clear technical communication.
Engineering task planning and status accountability.

Work Environment

Professional engineering office environment with regular interaction across engineering and program teams.
Frequent coordination with internal technical staff and occasional customer interaction, typically in support of the program manager.
Primarily desk-based with participation in integration, build, review, and test activities as needed.

Work Context

Body Positioning

Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
Spend Time Sitting
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls

Communication

Contact With Others
Electronic Mail
Face-to-Face Discussions
Letters and Memos
Telephone

Competition

Level of Competition

Environmental Conditions

Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable

Impact of Decisions

Frequency of Decision Making

Job Hazards

Exposed to Hazardous Equipment

Routine versus Challenging Work

Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
Structured versus Unstructured Work

Pace and Scheduling

Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
Time Pressure

Responsibility for Others

Responsibility for Outcomes and Results

Role Relationships

Coordinate or Lead Others
Deal With External Customers
Work With Work Group or Team

Work Attire

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets

Work Setting

Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled

Activities

Interacting With Computers

Develop or maintain databases
Use computer aided drafting or design software for design, drafting, modeling, or other engineering tasks
Use computer graphics design software
Use computers to enter, access or retrieve data
Use relational database software
Use spreadsheet software
Use word processing or desktop publishing software

Getting Information

Collect scientific or technical data
Read blueprints
Read schematics
Read technical drawings
Read vehicle manufacturer's specifications

Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Resolve engineering or science problems
Use intuitive judgment for engineering analyses

Analyzing Data or Information

Analyze engineering design problems
Analyze engineering test data
Analyze project proposal to determine feasibility, cost, and time
Analyze scientific research data or investigative findings
Analyze technical data, designs, or preliminary specifications
Analyze test data
Evaluate costs of engineering projects
Evaluate engineering data
Evaluate manufacturing or processing systems
Evaluate tool designs
Provide analytical assessment of engineering data

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

Confer with engineering, technical or manufacturing personnel

Processing Information

Compile numerical or statistical data
Compute production, construction, or installation specifications
Develop tables depicting data

Documenting/Recording Information

Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings

Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information

Bid engineering, construction or extraction projects
Estimate cost for engineering projects
Estimate time needed for project
Estimate time or cost for installation, repair, or construction projects

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Follow manufacturing methods or techniques
Follow safe waste disposal procedures
Follow statistical process control procedures
Use biological research techniques
Use drafting or mechanical drawing techniques
Use government regulations
Use knowledge of investigation techniques
Use library or online Internet research techniques
Use mathematical or statistical methods to identify or analyze problems
Use pollution control techniques
Use project management techniques
Use quality assurance techniques
Use quantitative research methods
Use research methodology procedures within manufacturing or commerce
Use robotics systems technology
Use scientific research methodology
Use technical information in manufacturing or industrial activities
Use technical regulations for engineering problems

Thinking Creatively

Create mathematical or statistical diagrams or charts
Design control systems
Design electro-mechanical equipment
Design electronic equipment
Design engineered systems
Design machines
Design manufacturing processes or methods
Design power equipment
Design tools or mechanical devices
Design transporting processes
Determine specifications
Develop mathematical simulation models
Improve test devices or techniques in manufacturing, industrial or engineering setting