Senior Mechanical Engineer

Req Id: 396

Location:

AURORA, IL, US, 60504

Date: May 21, 2026

Thales Defense & Security, Inc. (TDSI) Headquartered in Clarksburg, MD, is a U.S. company that has been serving domestic and international defense Air, Land and Sea domains for 60 years. With over 1,000 employees, TDSI and its four subsidiaries (Advanced Acoustic Concepts, Digital Receiver Technology, Tampa Microwave, and Trusted Cyber Technologies), supports U.S. Joint Services, special operations forces and multi-national partners with a variety of communication, visualization, signal intelligence/electronic warfare, and sensor/sonar capabilities. TDSI’s key technologies include tactical handheld radios, expeditionary satellite terminals, helmet-mounted displays, optics and target recognition capability, advanced radars, undersea sensing and missile systems. Lives depend on what we do!

Top Benefits (Subject to terms of applicable policies/plans)

• Competitive Salary
• Yearly Incentive Compensation Plan
• Medical insurance for self and eligible family members
• Generous 401(k) program- up to 7% company contribution and 100% immediate vesting
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid wellness, vacation, and holiday leave
• Paid maternity, paternity, and parental leave
• 9/80 Work Schedule (every other Friday off)
• Hybrid working environment
  
  

We currently have an opening in our Aurora, IL office for a Senior Mechanical Engineer. This position reports to the Visionix Senior Manager of System & Mechanical Engineering. The Senior Mechanical Engineer performs Mechanical CAD design of small, lightweight, helmet mounted display equipment and associated test equipment. The senior engineer will work as a member of a design team by providing quality CAD design using advanced principles of mechanical engineering, produce detailed part and assembly drawings using SolidWorks, support prototype builds and verification testing, create and maintain bills of material, and provide supplier support during the procurement of materials.

Responsibilities

• Develop creative conceptual designs to meet system requirements and support the product strategy.
• Lead mechanical design elements for making new products as well as improvements to existing products and execute all phases of the product design process.
• Develop detailed design specifications and test plans.
• Develop fixtures to support manufacturing requirements.
• Implement design ideas into product designs using the latest materials, processes and manufacturing techniques in order to satisfy product requirements including cost and schedule requirements.
• Fabricate rapid prototypes.
• Conduct verification testing.
• Support the transition of design to full production, including supplier and manufacturing start-up.
• Support R&D efforts and continuous process improvements.
• Complete assigned tasks in a quality and timely manner with minimal supervision.
• Effectively support and communicate status, issues, needs and ideas to management.
  
  

Qualifications

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• U.S. Citizenship required. - Applicants selected may be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
• BSME or MSME in Mechanical Engineering.
• 4 years of mechanical design experience in product design.
• Experience in the design and test of ruggedized small size, weight, and power electronic products to meet requirements including harsh MIL-STD-810 environments.
• Strong mechanical technical, analytical and troubleshooting skills to identify and implement design solutions quickly.
• Experience designing products for mid-to-high rate production manufacturing technologies and processes, including machining, casting, injection molding, sheet metal, elastomeric, flexible and rigid PCBs, SMT assembly, displays, batteries, and cabling and interconnects.
• Experience designing and completing engineering changes within formal design processes (CMMI and ISO 9100) using configuration management software such as PTC Windchill or equivalent.
• Experience designing to meet industry/DoD standards and practices (MIL-STD, ASTM, ANSI, FCC, UL, CE, RoHS, REACH, IPC, etc.).
• Proficiency in the use of Mechanical CAD/CAE tools, such as PTC Creo or SolidWorks.
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Strong organization and time management skills to work independently and in teams within a fast pace dynamic work environment.
• Ability to comply with all Company guidelines, policies, procedures and embrace Company Core Values.
  
  

The annualized pay range for this role is $94,141-$120,292 USD along with a target incentive compensation plan (ICP) of 5%. The pay range provided is a good faith estimate representative of the experience level for the role described above. TDSI considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role, function and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, location, education/training, and key skills.

For specific questions about this job posting, candidates may contact talent acquisition at careers@thalesdsi.com.

Thales Defense & Security, Inc. is committed to non-discrimination as applicable under federal, state and local laws. We are an E-Verify Employer.

If you need an accommodation or assistance in order to apply for a position with Thales Defense & Security, Inc., please call Human Resources at 202-961-1016.

Nearest Major Market: Aurora

Nearest Secondary Market: Chicago