Director, Mechanical Engineering

Position Title:Director Mechanical Engineering
Requisition ID:1863
Position Location:Sterling VA
Position Reports To:Senior 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 an accomplished Director of Mechanical Engineering to build lead and grow our mechanical engineering discipline in support of DoD Intelligence Community and Civil space programs. This is a dual-track role: the Director serves as the functional manager for the mechanical engineering organization responsible for staffing career development and performance of the team while also serving as the Cognizant Mechanical Engineer (CME) design authority holding technical signature authority over mechanical designs analyses and products delivered across the division.

The Director defines and matures mechanical engineering processes standards and best practices ensuring consistent high-quality and efficient execution across programs. This individual partners with program managers chief engineers and peer discipline leads to balance functional excellence with program delivery sets technical direction and adjudicates complex mechanical engineering issues spanning structural thermal and electro-mechanical domains. The successful candidate combines deep technical credibility with proven people-leadership skill and is comfortable operating as both an executive stakeholder and a hands-on technical authority.

Duties and Responsibilities

Cognizant Mechanical Engineer (CME) / Design Authority:

• Serve as the Cognizant Mechanical Engineer design authority holding technical sign-off responsibility for mechanical designs structural and thermal analyses and drawing packages prior to release.
• Lead and/or oversee the mechanical design of spacecraft electronics assemblies using high-fidelity CAD tools such as SolidWorks or similar ensuring designs meet requirements and manufacturability standards.
• Review and approve detailed structural and thermal analyses validating design integrity under flight loads and temperatures.
• Provide technical oversight of space environmental testing and qualification activities including vibration thermal-vacuum (TVAC) and shock testing to ensure flight readiness.
• Resolve complex cross-disciplinary technical issues spanning mechanical electrical software and firmware domains exercising expert engineering judgment on problems of significant scope and ambiguity.
• Represent mechanical engineering technical authority in customer program and executive-level reviews.

Process Definition & Engineering Excellence:

• Define document and continuously improve mechanical engineering processes design standards and best practices across the division (CAD standards drawing/GD&T conventions analysis methodologies PDM/configuration management practices).
• Establish and enforce design review peer review and verification gate criteria for mechanical work products ensuring consistency and quality across programs.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to increase engineering efficiency reduce rework and shorten design-to-delivery cycle time.
• Ensure mechanical engineering processes align with applicable aerospace DoD and space-qualification standards.

Functional Management:

• Lead mentor and grow the mechanical engineering organization including hiring staffing allocation across programs performance management and career development planning.
• Own the mechanical engineering disciplines headcount skills roadmap and succession planning to meet current and future program needs.
• Establish goals and performance expectations for mechanical engineers; conduct regular performance reviews and provide coaching to develop technical and professional growth.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition to define role requirements interview candidates and build a pipeline of mechanical engineering talent.

Program & Organizational Support:

• Advise program management and executive leadership on mechanical engineering capacity risk and technical strategy.
• Ability to support travel or off-site work as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering from an ABET-accredited program.
• 15 years of related experience with a Bachelors degree or 13 years with a Masters degree including demonstrated experience leading mechanical engineering teams.
• Demonstrated experience serving as a design authority or equivalent technical signature/approval role for aerospace or space hardware.
• Prior experience in a functional or people-management role including hiring performance management and staff development.
• Experience defining or maturing engineering processes and standards within an aerospace defense or comparable regulated engineering environment.
• Experience with aerospace and/or space hardware development.
• Experience with PDM systems and configuration management.

Preferred Qualifications

• Working knowledge of space electronics packaging and cooling (VPX standards) and designing for space environments.
• Masters degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering.
• Prior experience building or scaling an engineering discipline within a growing organization.

Pay Information

Full-Time Salary Range: $153000 - $230000

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.

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 contractors legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)