Mechanical Design & Integration Engineer

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory•Laurel, MD

1d•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking an engineering leader who will design, build, integrate, test, and field complex, mission‑critical systems. The role spans the full engineering lifecycle, from strategy and concept generation to product realization and operational deployment, while driving rapid‑iteration workflows, cross‑disciplinary teamwork, and technical direction for sponsors. At the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), we don’t just respond to the future, we explore, design, build, and deliver solutions to invent the future. The Research and Exploratory Development Department (REDD) leads science and technology development, accelerating transformative research and exploratory development to solve the nation’s hardest technical challenges. From defining next generation technologies to advancing design and manufacturing, REDD turns bold ideas into mission-ready reality.

Requirements

Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering or a related Engineering field.
5+ years experience designing, prototyping, and fielding mission‑critical systems leveraging critical technology areas such as autonomy, advanced manufacturing, and survivability in extreme environments.
Strong proficiency in engineering design tools such as CAD/CAE tools (SolidWorks, SolidWorks Simulation, Creo), PDM systems, and GD&T.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to craft technical reports and brief senior sponsors.
Demonstrated ability to effectively lead interdisciplinary teams through various stages of the design, prototype, test and integration process.
Able to obtain a Secret level security clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship.

Nice To Haves

Have a PhD in an engineering discipline.
Have prior experience as a project manager or principal investigator which include interactions with government sponsors.
Have direct experience with the development of system-level R&D strategy and/or implementation of mission engineering and systems level integration approaches.
Have a broad systems experience, and/or industry experience.
Have technical knowledge in a specific domain, such as human machine teaming, space systems, digital engineering, or systems integration.
Hold an active Secret clearance and eligibility for Top‑Secret/SCI.

Responsibilities

Lead all aspects of design, fabrication, systems integration, testing, and deployment for both physical and digital solutions.
Develop and execute accelerated engineering workflows to shorten development cycles and enable rapid mission‑centric feedback.
Model, simulate, and evaluate designs in realistic operational environments; perform survivability (thermal, structural, vibration, and shock) analysis and environmental testing.
Define system architecture, perform requirements decomposition, interface definition, and hardware/software integration for advanced, multi-domain engineering platforms.
Perform safety reviews, conduct hazard analyses, produce compliance documentation, and technical design packages for system design transition.
Manage technical products and projects, ensuring engineering rigor within cost, schedule, and design constraints; oversee logistics, risk posture, and technical risk mitigation.
Build and mentor cross‑disciplinary teams; recruit talent across REDD and APL to meet sponsor needs.
Communicate concepts, analysis results, and status through reports and presentations to team members and government sponsors.
Serve as a trusted technical advisor to sponsoring organizations, shaping engineering path forward, technology strategy and R&D priorities.