Principal Mechanical Engineer

Thales Defense & Security, Inc. (TDSI)

Headquartered in Clarksburg, MD, TDSI serves 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) support U.S. Joint Services, special operations forces and multi‑national partners with 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!

• 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 Billerica, MA office for a Principal Mechanical Engineer
. This position reports to the Visionix Senior Manager of System & Mechanical Engineering. The Principal 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, producing detailed part and assembly drawings using Solid Works, supporting prototype builds and verification testing, creating and maintaining bills of material, and providing supplier support during the procurement of materials.

• Develop creative conceptual designs to meet system requirements and support the product strategy.
• Lead mechanical design elements for new products and improvements to existing products, executing 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 to satisfy product requirements including cost and schedule constraints.
• 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.

• 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 equivalent; MSME preferred.
• 8+ 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.
• Expert mechanical technical, analytical and troubleshooting skills to identify and implement design solutions quickly.
• Ability to lead design 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 Solid Works.
• Ability to think "out‑of‑the‑box" and develop innovative design concepts.
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Strong organization and time‑management skills to work independently and in…