Freelance Mechanical Engineering Programming Jobs in Washington

Position Title: Mechanical Engineering Manager
Requisition ID: 1828
Position Location: Fairfax, VA
Position Reports To: Director, Hardware Engineering
Supervises Others: Yes

At Trident Systems Space Electronic Systems (SES) division, we believe in the power of using strong engineering principles to drive innovation and solve complex problems. We foster a culture of rigorous engineering and continuous improvement, leveraging the full knowledge of our organization through collaborative product development processes that include design and peer reviews. We combine our expertise in space electronics with right-sized development processes to create innovative, high-performance space-based electronic systems that meet our customers' evolving needs.

We are a mission partner supporting DoD, Intelligence Community, and Civil space customers. We develop complex, radiation effects mitigated, designs that balance competing requirements in modern space programs, delivering cutting-edge solutions that enable our customers to achieve more in space.

Position Summary

We are seeking a talented, self-motivated, and experienced Mechanical Engineering Manager to lead a team of mechanical engineers responsible for the development and delivery of innovative spaceflight hardware. The successful candidate will provide technical leadership, personnel management, and strategic direction to ensure the successful execution of engineering programs while fostering a collaborative, high-performing engineering organization.

The Mechanical Engineering Manager works closely with program managers, engineering managers, project engineers, and cross-functional teams to ensure products are delivered on schedule, within budget, and meet all technical, quality, and customer requirements. This role balances people leadership with technical oversight, providing guidance throughout the product development lifecycle while supporting the professional growth of the engineering team.

The ideal candidate possesses a strong background in mechanical design and analysis for space applications, exceptional leadership and communication skills, and demonstrated success managing multidisciplinary engineering teams in a fast-paced product development environment.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Engineering Leadership: Lead, develop, and manage a team of mechanical engineers responsible for the design, analysis, testing, and qualification of spacecraft electronics assemblies and related hardware.
• Technical Oversight: Provide technical direction and engineering oversight for mechanical system design, ensuring adherence to engineering best practices, company standards, and customer requirements.
• Resource Management: Plan, prioritize, and allocate engineering resources across multiple programs to meet business objectives, schedules, and budgets.
• Project Execution: Partner with Program Management to develop project plans, identify technical risks, monitor progress, and ensure successful execution of engineering deliverables.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Coordinate closely with electrical, software, firmware, systems, manufacturing, quality, and supply chain teams to ensure successful product integration and production readiness.
• Design Reviews: Lead and participate in design reviews, technical reviews, and failure investigations while ensuring engineering decisions are technically sound and well documented.
• Quality & Compliance: Ensure mechanical designs comply with applicable aerospace standards, customer specifications, configuration management processes, and company quality requirements.
• Process Improvement: Drive continuous improvement initiatives related to engineering processes, design methodologies, tools, and documentation to improve efficiency and product quality.
• Mentorship & Talent Development: Recruit, mentor, coach, and develop engineering talent through regular performance feedback, career development planning, and technical mentoring.
• Performance Management: Establish performance expectations, conduct performance evaluations, recognize achievements, and address performance issues in a timely and constructive manner.
• Technical Problem Solving: Provide leadership in resolving complex technical challenges and support root cause investigations for product and manufacturing issues.
• Customer Engagement: Support customer meetings, proposal efforts, technical interchange meetings, and design reviews as the mechanical engineering representative.
• Budget & Planning: Support departmental budgeting, capital planning, staffing forecasts, and strategic planning initiatives.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering from an ABET-accredited program.
• 12+ years of progressive engineering experience, including at least 1+ years in technical leadership or engineering management role.
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams through the complete product development lifecycle.
• Experience developing, qualifying, and transitioning to production aerospace and/or spaceflight hardware.
• Strong understanding of mechanical design, structural and thermal analysis, manufacturing, and environmental qualification testing.
• Experience with CAD tools such as SolidWorks and engineering analysis tools such as ANSYS Workbench or equivalent.
• Experience with Product Data Management (PDM) systems and configuration management processes.
• Excellent leadership, organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, competing priorities, budgets, and schedules.
• Ability to make sound technical and business decisions with limited direction.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering.
• Experience leading engineering organizations supporting spacecraft or defense electronics development.
• Working knowledge of space electronics packaging, VPX standards, thermal management, and designing for space environments.
• Experience mitigating space effects including radiation, charging, and arching.
• Experience supporting proposal development, resource planning, and engineering department budgeting.
• Experience implementing continuous improvement initiatives and engineering process development.

Pay Information

Full-Time Salary Range: $106,000 - $198,000

Please Note: Actual compensation offered will be determined based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience, skills, education, certifications, internal equity, business considerations, and geographic location where applicable.

Benefits

Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits including but not limited to:

• Health benefits
  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • Basic life with AD&D
  • Short term disability
  • Long term disability
  • Ancillary (Voluntary life with AD&D, accident, critical illness, hospital, and pet)
  • Spending accounts (HSA, FSA, and DCFSA)
• Paid time off
• Holidays
• 401(k) (including company match)
• Tuition reimbursement
• Leaves (Parental, maternity, and military)
• Annual discretionary bonus (for eligible roles)

Trident Systems reserves the right to change or assign other duties to this position.

Trident Solutions is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. To request reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact recruiting@tridsys.com.

Pay Transparency: The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)