Systems Mechanical Engineer

Systems / Mechanical Engineer – Sustainment & Product Lifecycle Engineering

Compensation: $85,000 - $115,000

About the Opportunity

Our client is building a brand-new Sustainment Engineering team and is seeking a Systems / Mechanical Engineer to play a key role in supporting the lifecycle performance, reliability, maintainability, and continuous improvement of mission-critical electromechanical products.

This is an excellent opportunity for a hands-on engineer who enjoys troubleshooting existing products, solving complex technical challenges, managing obsolescence issues, and driving product improvements. The position offers significant visibility with leadership and the chance to help shape a growing sustainment organization from the ground up.

As the team expands, engineers may have opportunities to move into New Product Development and New Product Support initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Support released products throughout their operational lifecycle.
• Lead mechanical obsolescence projects and develop solutions for aging systems and unavailable components.
• Analyze existing hardware, assemblies, and mechanical systems to identify design improvement opportunities.
• Redesign components and assemblies when parts become obsolete.
• Evaluate alternative materials, technologies, and components for legacy products.
• Troubleshoot manufacturing, production, field, and customer-reported issues.
• Participate in root cause investigations and corrective action activities.
• Support rapid resolution of technical problems impacting operations.
• Work closely with manufacturing, quality, supply chain, electrical engineering, and operations teams.
• Support Engineering Change Requests (ECRs), Engineering Change Orders (ECOs), and configuration control activities.
• Implement product upgrades, retrofits, and design enhancements.
• Maintain engineering documentation, technical reports, maintenance procedures, and test records.
• Support warranty investigations, audits, certifications, and quality reviews.
• Drive design and process improvements that reduce lifecycle costs and improve reliability.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering discipline.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in a manufacturing, electromechanical, electronics, or sustainment engineering environment.
• Experience troubleshooting and supporting existing products in production or field environments.
• Understanding of manufacturing processes and Design for Manufacturing (DFM) principles.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and root cause analysis skills.
• Experience with engineering change management processes (ECR, ECO, ECN).
• Experience working within ERP systems.
• Excellent communication and project management skills.
• Self-motivated engineer who can work independently with minimal direction.
• Hands-on approach and willingness to dig into technical challenges.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting military, defense, aerospace, or ruggedized electronics products.
• Familiarity with military standards (MIL-STD), AS9100, IPC-A-610, IPC-A-620, and J-STD.
• Experience with product lifecycle management and obsolescence programs.
• Lean Manufacturing and/or Six Sigma experience.
• Mechatronics background with exposure to electromechanical systems.

Technical Skills of Interest

• Solid Works
• GD&T
• Sheet Metal Design
• Machined Components
• Electronic Enclosures
• Thermal Management
• Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
• Configuration Control
• Design for Manufacturing (DFM)
• Electromechanical Systems

Ideal Candidate Backgrounds

Candidates may come from roles such as:

• Systems Mechanical Engineer
• Reliability Engineer
• Hardware Engineer
• Manufacturing Engineer with design experience
• Mechanical Engineer supporting electronics packaging
• Design Engineer supporting military or defense products
• Mechatronics Engineer
• Product Lifecycle Management Engineer

Why Candidates Are Interested

• Brand-new sustainment organization being built by executive leadership.
• Opportunity to make a visible impact on products, processes, and business decisions.
• Help establish and shape engineering practices from the ground up.
• Direct exposure to military and mission-critical systems.
• Growth path into New Product Development and New Product Support.
• High visibility with leadership.
• Hands-on engineering environment where engineers wear multiple hats.
• Smaller company atmosphere (~200 employees) with less bureaucracy and greater influence.
• Stable direct-hire opportunity with long-term career growth.

The ideal candidate is an organized, energetic problem solver who enjoys troubleshooting complex products, working across disciplines, and finding creative solutions to challenging obsolescence and sustainment issues while helping drive the long-term success of critical engineering programs.