Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

Description:

Patton is seeking a hands‑on Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to design and support mission‑critical, secure electronic systems for defense, aerospace, and secure communications applications. This role requires deep technical involvement in enclosures, thermal design, shielding, structural integrity, and manufacturability, while working closely with Electrical, PCB, and Systems Engineering teams. The ideal candidate thrives in a high‑discipline engineering environment, understands the mechanical implications of EMI/EMSEC‑driven designs, and is comfortable owning designs from concept through production and sustainment.Core Responsibilities

Mechanical System Design & Architecture

• Serve as mechanical design authority for electronic systems operating in secure, mission‑critical environments
• Own mechanical architecture from requirements through production, including:
• Enclosures, frames, COTS parts, and chassis
• Shielding, gasketing, and EMI/EMC mitigation features
• Thermal management (conduction, convection, forced‑air, passive solutions)
• Structural integrity: vibration, shock, pressure, harsh environment, dust, moisture, and salt atmosphere  
• Translate electrical and system requirements into robust, producible, and manufacturable mechanical designs for low to high-run production.

Secure & EMI-Aware Design

• Design mechanical solutions for sheet metal and CNC manufacturing processes which support TEMPEST or TEMPEST‑like mitigation strategies, including:

Shielded enclosures and covers

EMI gasketing, seams, bonding, and grounding paths

Cable ingress/egress control, connector placement, and isolation zones

• Collaborate closely with Electrical Engineering to ensure enclosure and PCB/layout strategies are aligned for emissions control and signal integrity.
• Support system‑level RED/BLACK separation concepts through mechanical partitioning and layout.

Hands‑On Engineering Execution

• Create detailed 3D CAD models, assemblies, and production drawings using SolidWorks and ASYME 14.5 drawing standards.
• Define tolerances using GD&T and tolerance stack-up analysis.
• Perform Finite Element Analysis in SolidWorks.
• Define finishes, materials, and fastener strategies suitable for secure and long‑lifecycle products.
• Participate in prototype builds, fit checks, and bring‑up activities.
• Support qualification, compliance, and environmental testing (EMI/EMC, thermal, vibration, shock as applicable).
• Define PCB footprint and placement of critical components e.g. connectors, ICs that require heat dissipation, mounting considerations, etc.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with:

Electrical and PCB Design Engineers on component placement, stack‑ups, grounding, and shielding effectiveness

Manufacturing on DFM/DFA, tooling, and assembly processes

Supply chain on part selection, alternates, and obsolescence mitigation

• Provide mechanical input during system design reviews, risk assessments, and design trades.
• Interface with customers, program managers, and test labs when mechanical design decisions impact performance or compliance.

Production & Lifecycle Support

• Support transition of designs into production, including documentation, assembly instructions, and test fixtures as needed.
• Provide sustaining engineering support for field issues, updates, and product revisions.
• Design with long‑term availability, serviceability, and configuration control in mind.

Required Qualifications

• Experience building electronics enclosures/assemblies for defense industries according to MIL standards
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent.
• 7–10 years of professional mechanical engineering experience, including ownership of electronic enclosures or assemblies.
• Strong hands‑on experience with:

Enclosure and chassis design for electronics

Thermal management of electronic systems

EMI‑aware mechanical design

• Proven ability to work effectively in regulated, security‑sensitive engineering environments.
• Experience supporting products from concept through production and sustainment.
• Experience in the use of PLM software.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with defense or aerospace product design and application of RTCA/DO-160G or related MIL standards.
• Familiarity with EMI/EMC compliance testing and mitigation strategies from a mechanical perspective.
• Experience with ruggedized designs subject to shock, vibration, and environmental extremes.
• Prior experience serving as a technical lead or senior mechanical authority on multi‑disciplinary programs.
• Advanced knowledge of COTS parts for MIL standard builds.
• Cable harness design experience.
• Advanced knowledge of SolidWorks and SolidWorks PLM.
• Experience creating assembly instructions.

Desired Attributes

• Detail‑oriented, disciplined engineer with a strong ownership mindset
• Comfortable working across electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing boundaries
• Practical problem solver who balances rigor, schedule, and cost
• Clear communicator who can explain and defend mechanical design decisions