Junior Mechanical Engineer

ARA Career • Arlington, VA

15h • Onsite

About The Position

Applied Research Associates (ARA) is seeking a Junior Mechanical Engineer to support infrastructure modernization and advanced manufacturing initiatives for the Department of Defense (DoD). This role supports facility and equipment integration efforts associated with mission-critical production environments. The selected candidate will contribute to mechanical and electro-mechanical design efforts, develop and manage large-scale 3D CAD models, generate DoD-compliant technical data packages, and support cross-disciplinary engineering teams executing complex federal programs. This position provides early-career engineers exposure to full lifecycle engineering — from conceptual layout development through detailed design, technical documentation, and formal design review. This will be an in-office position.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
• 0–2 years of relevant engineering experience (internships and co-op experience considered).
• U.S. Citizenship Required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. DoD Security Clearance required.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD software (e.g., SolidWorks, Creo, Inventor, or similar).
• Familiarity with generating 2D engineering drawings from 3D models.
• Working knowledge of mechanical drafting standards.
• Ability to read basic electrical schematics and wiring diagrams.
• Strong organizational and configuration management skills.

Nice To Haves

• Exposure to industrial equipment, manufacturing systems, or facility design.
• Familiarity with DoD or federal engineering documentation practices.
• Experience working with large multi-disciplinary CAD assemblies.
• Basic understanding of control systems and electro-mechanical integration.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain large 3D CAD assemblies representing production equipment integrated within facility layouts.
• Support spatial planning and equipment placement within secure manufacturing environments.
• Ensure mechanical designs account for facility constraints, utilities, access, safety stand-offs, and maintainability.
• Generate 2D engineering drawings from 3D models in accordance with DoD Technical Data Package (TDP) standards.
• Apply applicable standards (e.g., ASME Y14 series, DoD drawing conventions, revision control practices).
• Prepare bills of materials (BOMs), drawing notes, and configuration documentation.
• Read, interpret, and produce wiring diagrams and basic electrical schematics.
• Collaborate with electrical engineers to support control system integration and equipment automation.
• Assist in defining electro-mechanical interfaces between production equipment and facility infrastructure.
• Support senior engineers in defining system requirements and mechanical performance criteria.
• Assist in developing technical specifications for procurement of equipment and subsystems.
• Contribute to trade studies and design down-selection analyses.
• Participate in internal engineering reviews and customer-facing design reviews.
• Prepare technical briefing materials and drawing packages for presentation.
• Support action item resolution and configuration updates following design reviews.

Benefits

• Employees are eligible for contributions which not only add to the company’s success, but also their own through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level