Mechanical Design Engineer (3-6 years of experience), Optical & Precision Mechanical Systems

About us: WMD is an established small business specializing in the design and manufacture of ultra-precision optical instruments to support a broad range of scientific research around the world and in space. The work is challenging and requires our team members to be able to balance technical, environmental, business, cost, usability, manufacturability, and a myriad of other requirements while creating novel solutions to our customers' needs. A core competency of our team is the ability to create designs that require no prototypes and that work reliably for years, sometimes decades in their very first incarnation. This may sound daunting, but we have evolved into a very supportive and collaborative culture that allows all team members access to the skills, feedback and support of the rest of the company. While we place a high value on technical skills, we also value the individuality and unique experiences and needs of all our team and strive for work life balance.

Job Description :

Engineers at WMD are involved throughout the product lifecycle including concept development, design, analysis, vendor coordination, assembly, integration, and testing. Designs often involve precision machined components, opto-mechanical alignment, tight tolerance stack-ups, and integration of custom hardware for demanding scientific and aerospace applications. The Mechanical Design Engineer collects and digests requirements to create 3D CAD models and 2D toleranced manufacturing drawings of mechanical assemblies. You will have opportunities to work on exciting projects like:

• Optics for high-powered lasers
• Scientific and tactical instruments such as LiDAR systems for atmospheric sensing and target ranging and multi- and hyperspectral imaging cameras
• Ultra-Precision Parts Manufacturing to support research labs
• Telescopes for use in challenging environments like space and aircraft
• Airborne instrumentation for NASA & Military customers

Responsibilities and Duties:

• Create detailed multi-view hand sketches of products prior to starting work in CAD software - computers are amazing when you need precision and the ability to edit a design. But nothing beats the speed and efficiency of pencil, paper and hand sketching during the rapid concept development phase. Artistic skills have been very helpful for other team members so embrace your artistic side!
• Use 3D CAD software (PTC CREO) to develop designs and manufacturing drawings from concept sketches
• Review yours and teammates' designs for compliance with engineering principles, company standards, customer contract requirements, and related specifications
• Perform hand and FEA structural analysis of designs as needed and use results to optimize designs for mass, stiffness, strength, vibration modes, etc
• Perform preliminary and advanced development for new proposals and concepts
• Create RFQ packages and down-select vendors to issue purchase orders.
• Perform assembly of designs after parts are machined
• Perform detailed inspections of parts using various inspection equipment including CMM - training provided

Education and Experience:

• Minimum Bachelor's degree (B.S.) in mechanical, aerospace or manufacturing engineering
• 3 to 6 years of relevant experience required
• Experience with

PTC CREO CAD

software desired

• Experience with machining, precision instruments, optics a plus
• Hands-on experience designing, building, troubleshooting, or integrating mechanical systems is highly valued

Competencies and Qualifications:

• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of variables in situations where only limited standardization exists
• Ability to balance technical performance, manufacturability, schedule, and cost in practical engineering decisions
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, verbal and other forms
• Ability to read, understand and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, procedure manuals, 2D manufacturing drawings with geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), government regulations and standards and customer contract requirements and statements of work
• Highly detailed oriented that can quickly find where problems could arise in a design
• A portfolio showing samples of past designs and drawings is very helpful. No proprietary materials please.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision and capable of self-checking for completeness and accuracy of work produced
• Ability to take initiative and able to contribute in design reviews
• Skilled in PC usage, office applications, and basic computer networking understanding
• Ability to learn new software easily is a plus
• Good manual dexterity and familiarity with assembly of small parts
• Familiar with proper assembly procedures for precision instruments and able to assist with assembly of developed designs
• Previous drafting experience is a plus
• Ability to lift 40 pounds on limited basis, less than 20 pounds regularly

Benefits:

We offer industry competitive pay plus an amazing package of additional benefits!

• Health insurance with 100% of the premium paid by the company
• 401k with automatic 3% safe harbor contribution without matching requirements
• Tuition assistance for university and short courses
• Charitable donation matching and partial compensation for volunteering in the community
• Flexible work schedules
• 10 paid holidays including the week between Christmas and New Years annual shut down
• Paid Time Off
• Work from home as time and productivity allows
• High efficiency vehicle credits
• Paid time to vote and to volunteer About you: You are passionate about designing, analyzing, creating and understanding every aspect of whatever you work on.

You strive to not only understand what works, but WHY it works down to basic physics and how to make it work better. You are pragmatic and able to compromise to achieve a well-balanced design because there are always conflicting requirements. You prefer working from a strong set of basic guiding principles rather than an infinite list of rigid procedures. You are flexible and able to pivot when problems and conflicts arise. You communicate professionally with coworkers, vendors, and customers and work effectively in a collaborative engineering environment.

Miscellaneous Items:

All candidates must be a US citizen. Please do not contact company directly. All inquiries must come through this site.

Job Type:

Full-time Pay:

$80,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k) Dental insurance Flexible schedule Health insurance Life insurance Paid time off Professional development assistance Referral program Retirement plan Tuition reimbursement Vision insurance

Education:

Bachelor's (Required)

Work Location:

In person