Mechanical Design Engineering Manager

Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense • Simsbury, CT

2d

About The Position

The Mechanical Design Engineering Manager leads EBAD’s Mechanical Design organization and strengthens mechanical design capability throughout the product-development lifecycle. The role is responsible for the evolution of the mechanical design function supporting mission-critical aerospace and defense products, including mechanical product design, enclosures, tooling, packaging, and rapid prototyping. The manager builds the team, standards, capabilities, and operating practices needed to deliver production-ready designs with less rework while balancing manufacturability, assembly, testability, cost, safety, performance, and reliability.

The role integrates the Simsbury and Moorpark teams under a common functional operating model, develops team capabilities and succession strength, improves design standards and execution, and aligns design resources with program needs. It also leads a rapid-prototyping center with machining and 3D-printing capabilities, and influences product decisions from concept through production. The position partners across the business to improve the quality, speed, and predictability of development for complex, mission-critical aerospace and defense programs.

The position is located in Simsbury, Connecticut, and reports to the Design Engineering Director. Candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance and to support U.S. Department of Defense and ITAR-controlled programs.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or another relevant technical discipline.
• At least 10 years of progressive mechanical engineering and product-development experience supporting complex aerospace, defense, space, or similarly demanding engineered products.
• Proven people leadership, including setting clear expectations, providing candid feedback, holding people accountable, and building team capability and succession strength.
• Strong mechanical design and product-development experience across the lifecycle from concept through production, including practical application of DfX principles.
• Strong technical competence and judgment to engage engineers in substantive problem-solving discussions, assess feasibility and risk, and guide decisions.
• Experience establishing or improving engineering standards, design reviews, release-readiness practices, or development processes that improve quality, speed, rigor, and predictability.
• Experience using structured, data-driven problem solving and continuous-improvement methods to improve engineering performance.
• Strong influence and communication skills and the ability to partner effectively across engineering, operations, programs, business development, and customers.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.
• Must be eligible to support U.S. Department of Defense and ITAR-controlled programs.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or another relevant technical discipline.
• Experience leading mechanical design organizations across multiple sites or product lines, including product design, enclosure design, tooling design, packaging design, and rapid prototyping.
• Experience with ordnance, energetics, satellite systems, launch vehicles, aerospace electronics, or other high-consequence aerospace and defense products.
• Experience with machining, 3D printing, rapid prototyping, configuration control, quality systems, DFMEA, GD&T, or qualification readiness.
• Experience working within a mature continuous-improvement or business operating system, including operating cadence, visual management, structured problem solving, and kaizen.
• Working knowledge of SolidWorks and PLM systems sufficient to review work, coach engineers, and support problem solving; daily hands-on tool use is not required.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the Mechanical Design team through clear expectations, one-on-ones, candid feedback, development plans, accountability, and succession planning.
• Integrate the Simsbury and Moorpark Mechanical Design teams and activities—including product, enclosure, tooling, packaging, and rapid prototyping—under a common functional operating model.
• Identify critical skill gaps, support recruiting, and develop business cases for headcount and capital investment, including machining and 3D-printing capabilities.
• Establish and improve mechanical design standards, methods, design reviews, release-readiness expectations, and operating cadence across sites and programs.
• Prioritize Mechanical Design resources consistently and align functional capacity with program needs.
• Strengthen early Design for X practices, balancing manufacturability, assembly, testability, cost, safety, performance, and reliability.
• Deliver production-ready designs with less rework through disciplined tolerancing, design reviews, early validation, DFMEA, rapid prototyping, and collaboration with Operations and Supply Chain.
• Provide technical judgment in problem-solving discussions by assessing feasibility and risk, challenging assumptions, broadening solution options, and removing obstacles.
• Use the EBAD Operating System (EBOS) to reinforce operating cadence, visual management, structured problem solving, and kaizen within Mechanical Design.
• Partner with Program Management, Business Development, Engineering, Operations, and customers to align design decisions with technical performance, manufacturability, cost, schedule, quality, configuration control, and customer outcomes.
• Influence product decisions from concept through production by enabling rapid prototyping and early validation and resolving cross-functional tradeoffs before release.
• Communicate mechanical design risks, recommendations, and business implications clearly to senior leaders, customers, and cross-functional partners.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Retirement benefits
• Paid time off and holidays
• Life and disability insurance
• Employee assistance and wellness resources
• Incentive compensation eligibility, subject to applicable plan terms and conditions

What This Job Offers

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