Senior Mechanical Engineer - Fort Worth, Texas

Davidson is distinguished in the aerospace and missile defense industry, in part, because of its excellence in hiring exceptional experts, engineers and software developers dedicated to delivering advanced, intelligent technology solutions in defense of our nation.

Davidsons Warfighter Integration (WFI) team is building a new Mechanical Engineering capability and is seeking an experienced Senior Mechanical Engineer in Fort Worth, Texas (This position is contingent upon funding) to help design, integrate, and field next-generation defense solutions. This is an opportunity to build mechanical engineering processes from the ground up while solving complex integration challenges across a diverse portfolio of Command & Control (C2), sensor systems, embedded electronics, autonomy, AI, and emerging defense technologies.

As part of our fast-paced, mission-focused team, you'll work directly with systems, software, electrical, and manufacturing engineers to transform concepts into deployable hardware. You'll develop mechanical designs, create engineering drawings, evaluate interface requirements, and support aircraft, ground vehicle, and tactical platform integrations. No two projects are alike, providing continuous exposure to new technologies, challenging engineering problems, and opportunities to make a direct impact on capabilities delivered to the warfighter.

Primary Responsibilities

• Design and develop mechanical solutions supporting integration of sensors, processors, communication equipment, and mission systems.
• Develop detailed mechanical engineering drawings, fabrication packages, and technical data packages (TDPs).
• Create and maintain 3D CAD models, assemblies, and manufacturing drawings.
• Evaluate and develop Mechanical Interface Control Documents (ICDs) supporting subsystem integration.
• Design mounting structures, equipment racks, brackets, enclosures, cable routing, harness support, and structural interfaces.
• Optimize Size, Weight, Power, Cooling, and Cost (SWaP-C) while balancing structural integrity, manufacturability, maintainability, and mission performance across integrated platform designs.
• Develop thermal management and cooling solutions for electronic systems.
• Perform system power, weight, center of gravity, and SWaP assessments.
• Support aircraft, ground vehicle, and tactical platform integration activities.
• Support environmental qualification activities including vibration, shock, thermal, humidity, and other MIL-STD testing requirements.
• Support prototype fabrication, hardware integration, system installation, and verification testing.
• Collaborate with Systems Engineering to ensure mechanical designs satisfy system requirements and interface definitions.
• Participate in design reviews including PDR, CDR, TRR, and integration readiness reviews.
• Support transition from prototype development into production.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or related engineering discipline.
• 8 years of mechanical engineering experience supporting complex DoW or aerospace systems.
• Experience creating 3D CAD models and engineering drawings.
• Experience developing fabrication drawings and technical data packages.
• Experience evaluating and developing Mechanical ICDs.
• Experience designing solutions to include:
  • Equipment mounting solutions
  • Structural brackets
  • Electronics enclosures
  • Cable management systems
  • Harness routing
  • Cooling solutions
  • Mechanical assemblies
• Experience performing packaging, weight, and space claim analyses.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and Design for Manufacturability (DFM).
• Experience supporting prototype builds and hardware integration.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret Security Clearance.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience supporting aircraft integration programs.
• Familiarity with MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-1472, and environmental qualification testing.
• Experience designing systems for vibration, thermal, shock, and airborne environments.
• Experience supporting FAA military airworthiness or flight certification efforts.
• Experience integrating VPX, SOSA, OpenVPX, or other modular electronics.
• Familiarity with cable harness design standards including AS50881.
• Experience with additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping.
• Experience supporting supplier technical oversight and hardware fabrication.

Preferred Technical Skills

• SolidWorks
• Creo
• CATIA
• Siemens NX
• AutoCAD
• Windchill or Teamcenter
• PDM/PLM tools
• ANSYS Mechanical
• Thermal analysis tools
• Microsoft Office Suite

Desired Engineering Experience

Candidates should have experience supporting the design and integration of:

• Mission equipment racks
• Sensor payloads
• Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR) systems
• Radar systems
• RF systems
• Embedded computing systems
• VPX/OpenVPX chassis
• Tactical communications equipment
• Ruggedized electronic enclosures
• Cable harnesses and interconnects
• Cooling and airflow management systems
• Aircraft mission equipment
• Ground vehicle payload integrations
• Expeditionary and mobile platforms

Security Clearance

• Ability to receive a Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility