Principal Mechanical Engineer - Platform Integration

An advanced aerospace and defense technology company is seeking a Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead the integration of ruggedized sensor and electronics systems onto large mobile platforms for government and defense applications. This role is focused on translating advanced sensing and electronics technologies into durable, field-deployable systems capable of surviving demanding operational environments across vehicle, trailer, and maritime platforms. The ideal candidate brings deep experience with mechanical integration, ruggedized hardware design, environmental survivability, and large-scale platform constraints. This is a highly hands-on engineering role requiring practical judgment, systems thinking, and the ability to identify integration risks before they become field failures.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical integration of multi-sensor and electronics systems onto mobile ground, trailer-mounted, and maritime platforms
• Define and manage mechanical interfaces between electronics packages, structural systems, mounting hardware, and vehicle platforms
• Develop ruggedization strategies for vibration, thermal exposure, dust, sand, corrosion, and harsh environmental conditions
• Design sensor mounts, enclosures, brackets, and support structures optimized for durability, serviceability, and field deployment
• Support environmental qualification efforts including shock, vibration, thermal, and environmental testing
• Collaborate closely with electrical, manufacturing, systems, and program teams throughout development and integration activities
• Create and manage interface control documentation (ICDs), installation requirements, alignment strategies, and tolerancing schemes
• Evaluate installation constraints and field-maintenance considerations across complex deployment environments
• Drive root-cause analysis and resolution of integration or survivability issues discovered during testing or deployment
• Provide technical mentorship and integration guidance across multidisciplinary engineering teams

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline
• 10+ years of experience in aerospace, defense, or ruggedized platform integration environments
• Demonstrated experience integrating electronics, sensors, or mission systems onto large mobile platforms such as vehicles, trailers, ships, or other deployable systems
• Strong understanding of ruggedized mechanical design principles including vibration isolation, thermal management, sealing, shock loading, and environmental survivability
• Experience designing to environmental qualification standards such as MIL-STD-810
• Strong CAD proficiency with experience managing large assemblies and mechanical interfaces
• Experience developing installation approaches, tolerancing strategies, interface definitions, and integration documentation
• Practical hands-on engineering mindset with strong troubleshooting and systems integration capability
• Strong communication skills and ability to work cross-functionally in fast-paced development environments
• U.S. citizenship preferred; ability to obtain a security clearance is strongly preferred

Preferred Experience

• Multi-spectral sensor system integration including EO/IR, radar, RF, or ISR-related hardware
• Vehicle, maritime, naval, or trailer-mounted defense platform integration experience
• Thermal management design for electronics operating in extreme ambient environments
• Experience designing vibration isolation systems and shock mitigation approaches
• Familiarity with FEA and structural analysis tools such as ANSYS, NASTRAN, or ABAQUS
• Experience supporting environmental testing, qualification, and field deployment activities
• Knowledge of military connectors, ruggedized cabling, and harsh-environment electrical integration
• Background working with government or defense platform programs
• Experience bridging electronics packaging requirements with large structural integration constraints

This role sits at the intersection of advanced sensing technology, ruggedized mechanical design, and large-platform system integration. The company is looking for someone who has real-world experience solving difficult integration problems - not just designing isolated hardware components. The right candidate will bring practical engineering judgment, field-tested lessons learned, and the ability to anticipate problems before they become expensive redesigns. You’ll play a key role in helping transform advanced sensing systems into deployable, mission-ready platforms operating in demanding environments.