Sr Design Engineer

MSI Defense Solutions; Mooresville (NC); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with employer match

Disability Insurance

Health Insurance

Vision Insurance

Paid Parental and Maternity Leave

Life Insurance

Paid Time Off – 120 hours per year

Continuing Education

Annual Year End Paid Holiday Closure

Job summary

MSI Defense Solutions is seeking a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to lead advanced defense vehicle subsystem design in Creo, develop BOMs and drawings, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to meet project requirements. The role requires hands-on CAD leadership, GD&T proficiency, and experience with FEA.

The position is full-time and on-site, with standard shop/office hours and potential overtime to meet deadlines. U.S. citizenship and security clearance eligibility are required.

Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent.
• 8+ years in defense vehicle, automotive, or motorsports.
• Experience with sheet metal, weldments, fabrication and machined parts is a plus.
• 3+ years as high-level CAD user (CREO preferred).
• 1 year of PDM experience (Windchill preferred).
• FEA experience (Ansys) is a plus.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience designing and analyzing automotive components and systems.
• U.S. Citizenship required with government clearance eligibility.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical design and development of defense systems and vehicle sub-systems to meet specifications.
• Coordinate preparation of reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, Stage Gate).
• Develop and manage vehicle components and assemblies in CAD; maintain BOMs and drawings.
• Guide model structure and skeleton top-down parametric modeling in Creo.
• Perform or supervise FEA analyses and interface with external partners as needed.
• Support manufacturing with prototypes and ensure design changes are reflected in CAD.

Skills

CAD (Creo)

FEA (Ansys)

Windchill (PDM)

GD&T

Project leadership

Security clearance eligibility

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Creo 7.0

Job description

The Sr. Mechanical Design Engineer's responsibilities include, but are not limited to: concept design, review project design requirements, provide input for potential additional requirements, develop, and execute the design of ideas for the product, review and justify designs during preliminary and critical project design reviews. The Sr Design Engineer will create CAD models using MSI's parametric skeleton strategy, fully defining bill of materials of the system. The Sr Design Engineer will also manage the development of the drawing package used to convey the system requirement to the procurement and production team. This position will ensure designs meet the goals and requirements outlined for the project and will report the design's status to the Project Manager to ensure it remains in line with the master project schedule. The Sr Design Engineer will collaborate with the Engineering Team and other functional departments to continuously improve processes, promote professional development and design knowledge.

The Sr. Mechanical Design Engineer will report to the Director of Engineering Operations. This position requires a full-time work week spent in the shop/office. Normal hours are Monday through Thursday 7:00am-4:30pm and Friday 7:00am-12:00pm. (Must be flexible to work additional hours as needed based on project requirements and deadlines).

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical design and development of defense systems and vehicle sub-systems, ensuring they meet specifications and performance requirements.
• Participate and coordinate preparation of internal and external customers reviews: SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR and Stage Gate reviews. Understanding of the NPI (New Product Introduction) process is a plus.
• Must demonstrate understanding of the function and purpose of vehicle sub-systems including, but not limited to chassis, suspension, drive train, brakes, exterior and interior systems, payload capacity, electrical, vehicle armor systems. General hands‑on experience with automotive or defense vehicle systems is required.
• Develop and manage vehicle components and assemblies in CAD. Use experience/knowledge to generate new design concepts. Work with Project Managers to provide continual schedule updates towards the progress of the overall project. MSI's design goals are to develop superior products by utilizing sound engineering principles and creative thinking. Our manufacturing goals are to improve efficiency, minimize lead time and cost while building a high‑quality component. The Sr Design Engineer must have experience and demonstrated competency with the application of GD&T techniques and ASME Y14.5 practices.
• Modeling at MSI is performed using PTC Creo 7.0. MSI has proven itself to be a leader with an "unmatched speed to market" approach by utilizing skeleton top‑down parametric modeling. The Sr Design Engineer shall understand the relationships that are built throughout the model using "external copy geometry" through assembly skeletons. A Sr Design Engineer will provide guidance of the model tree's parent and child structure relationships for each project. Design Engineers execute the design structure in the CAD system throughout the products developmental lifecycle process.
• The Sr Design Engineer may perform structural FEA or mathematical analyses of a design within their capabilities. Experience with Ansys software is a plus. When necessary, the Design Engineer will work with outside FEA partners to manage and support the analysis effort by providing necessary information to these outside partners so they can provide MSI with a complete and through analysis summary that either confirms or directs modification of the design(s). The Sr Design Engineer will also provide guidance to the Project Manager on when FEA should be used to validate a design. This will allow the Project Manager to plan and budget for the requested resources.
• The Sr Design Engineer will work with the production team and supplier base to produce the prototypes. The Sr Design Engineer will be expected to support manufacturing in the development of the prototypes to ensure that the required changes for manufacturing are reported and implemented back to the CAD system. The Sr Design Engineer is required to have a strong understanding of standard prototyping manufacturing methods.
• Contribute to developing and maintaining thorough and complete BOM's and production of accurate drawings for use in manufacturing processes and configuration management. Produce reports detailing analysis and design changes when necessary.
• Coordinate with Project Manager on development of the Engineering project schedule and ensure adherence to pre-defined milestones.
• Create presentations for internal and external design reviews. The Senior Design Engineer may serve as the primary technical liaison for certain projects.
• Be able to develop a clear understanding of MSI's ERP system and how the other departments of the company function throughout the product life cycle.

Skills and Qualifications Required

• Minimum of a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering or similar
• Minimum 8 years in defense vehicle, automotive, or motorsports or related field.
• Experience with sheet metal, weldments, fabrication and machined parts is a plus
• Minimum 3 years as high-level CAD user (CREO Preferred)
• Minimum of 1 year of PDM experience (Windchill Preferred)
• Experience in FEA (Ansys) is a plus
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience designing and analyzing automotive components and systems
• Highly Motivated
• Leadership, able to collaborate with other depts and manufacturing
• Organized
• Responsible
• Ability to interact with all types of people under pressure
• Knowledge of machining practices, industry workings, fabrication shop procedures
• U.S. Citizenship is required. Candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance, if required for the position.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times.
• Must be able to access and navigate each department at the organization's facilities.

The MSI Operating Code

Every employee at MSI is expected to operate in accordance with the MSI Operating Code. These seven principles define how we think, decide, and execute. They are not aspirational. They are the working standard by which all employees are evaluated.

The Seven Principles

• Own It. If a problem touches your function, it is yours until it is solved or explicitly transferred. Do not wait. Do not delegate upward. Do not hide behind process. Ownership means driving to resolution, not monitoring status.
• Kill the Wrong Fight. Before optimizing a solution, question whether the problem is yours to solve. If an opportunity requires MSI to become something we are not, kill it fast. The discipline to say no is what protects our ability to say yes to the right things.
• Move Before You're Told. Speed is MSI's compounding advantage. We move when directionally correct and adjust in motion. Leaders who wait for permission are not leading. We would rather correct a fast decision than wait for a perfect one.
• Solve Before You Contract. Prove the integration works before formalizing the relationship. Capability first, paperwork follows. Working capability is the strongest negotiating position and the most honest form of business development.
• Integrate First. MSI's moat is not any single technology. It is the ability to integrate modular systems faster and more effectively than anyone else. Every decision should reinforce our position as the integration hub.
• Say It Now. Silence is not alignment. If you disagree, say so, with data, with reasoning, and with an alternative path. Passive execution is institutional risk.
• Build Beyond Yourself. If your function depends on your presence to operate, you have not built anything. Develop your people. Document your processes. Create depth that survives your absence.
• 401(k) with employer match
• Disability Insurance
• Health Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Paid Parental and Maternity Leave
• Life Insurance
• Paid Time Off – 120 hours per year to start (prorated in first year of employment)
• Continuing Education
• Annual Year End Paid Holiday Closure

Classification

• Position is full-time, Exempt

MSI Defense Solutions is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status. We are committed to providing a workplace free of any discrimination or harassment.