Principal Engineer - Mechanical Design

Lead mechanical design, structural-integrity assessment, simulation and physical validation for missiles, guided munitions and unmanned aerial vehicles. Key Responsibilities • Ensure structures and functioning subcomponents meet defined load and design requirements. • Approve simulation methods, validation strategies, test setups, instrumentation and safety protocols. • Provide structural-compliance sign-off before launch or flight. • Apply credible modelling standards using Creo, CATIA, SolidWorks or similar tools, supported by traceable verification and validation. • Oversee shock, pyroshock, vibration and high-g setback testing; lead failure investigation and corrective action. • Identify structural risks and support preliminary and critical design reviews. • Provide technical recommendations on structural trade-offs. • Mentor engineers, contribute to performance feedback and support investment planning for laboratories, equipment and software. Cross-Functional and Operational Support • Support propulsion, aerodynamics, guidance and control, warhead and system-integration teams. • Provide technical input for bids, validation cost estimates and customer presentations. • Improve pre-processing, post-processing and reporting workflows; optimize simulation and laboratory throughput. • Support management of analysis and test budgets, software licences and laboratory costs. • Promote knowledge sharing, lessons learned and talent development. • Coordinate interdisciplinary work across teams and organizational entities, including oversight of four to six employees. • Manage scopes of work for special equipment with subcontractors and procurement. Required Experience and Qualifications • Master’s degree or PhD in Mechanical Engineering or Mechatronics Engineering is preferred. • At least eight years of engineering and CAD/computer-aided engineering (CAE) experience on missiles, guided munitions or comparable weapon systems. • At least five years of physical testing and validation experience on these systems. • Strong foundations in precision mechanics, manufacturing, measurement, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), kinematics, dynamics and conventional control theory. Technical Skills • Weapon-system mechanical design and design for manufacture. • Structural failure analysis, test design, instrumentation and simulation-to-test correlation. • Mathematical modelling of electromechanical, electrohydraulic, electropneumatic or hybrid systems using MATLAB or similar tools. • Hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL), real-time control and data acquisition (DAQ). • Technical drawing interpretation, precise-part manufacture and assembly, statistical process control and ruggedization for high-g and high-spin environments. • Working knowledge of power electronics for cross-functional specification and integration. Core Competencies • Systems thinking and sound engineering judgment. • Risk-based decisions, analytical rigor and ethical responsibility. • Mentorship and technical standards. • Clear communication, collaboration, resilience and continuous improvement. Show more Show less