Mechanical Survivability Engineer (Systems Design & Hardening)

LufCo•Aberdeen, MD

1d•$130,000 - $180,000

About The Position

We are seeking a Senior Mechanical Survivability Engineer to serve as the lead architect for the structural integrity and environmental hardening of integrated hardware, computing, and communication suites. This role requires a master-level balance of clean-sheet mechanical design and the structural hardening of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) and Non-Developmental Item (NDI) components. You will be responsible for the "chassis-up" structural architecture of next-generation expeditionary systems, ensuring that high-density processors, sensitive RF components, and high-speed networking hardware survive the violent dynamics of tactical deployments—including ballistic shock, high-G impacts, and relentless vehicle vibration.

Requirements

Education: BS in Mechanical Engineering, Structural Engineering, or a related field. MS is preferred.
Experience: 7+ years of experience in mechanical design and systems integration, specifically within the Defense, Aerospace, or Ruggedized Industrial sectors.
Skills: Analysis Mastery: Expert proficiency in FEA dynamics tools (e.g., Ansys Mechanical, Abaqus, LS-DYNA, or Simcenter 3D).
System Design & Hardening: Proven track record of designing complex mechanical assemblies and "hardening" commercial electronics for high-reliability military use.
DfAM Proficiency: Experience with generative design and lattice-optimization tools (e.g., nTopology or Altair Inspire) to integrate damping directly into structural components.
Material Science: Deep knowledge of fatigue limits, the anisotropic properties of AM-produced alloys, and galvanic compatibility in expeditionary environments.
Dynamic Expertise: Expertise in interpreting Power Spectral Density (PSD) and shock response spectra (SRS) to validate system survival.
Military Standards: Mastery of MIL-STD-810H (Vibration/Shock/Drop), MIL-S-901D, and MIL-STD-1472.
Physical Requirements: Ability to travel as required.
Standard office environment with occasional requirements to visit client sites, labs, or field environments.

Nice To Haves

MS is preferred.

Responsibilities

Bespoke Structural Design: Lead the ground-up mechanical design of ruggedized enclosures and internal sub-frames. Responsible for the primary load paths and structural survival of the entire integrated system.
Integrated System Hardening: Identify and mitigate mechanical vulnerabilities in high-density computing and communication hardware, such as reinforcing un-ruggedized cards, securing high-speed cabling, and hardening RF connectors against shear forces.
COTS/NDI Integration: Design bespoke internal "exo-skeletons" and isolation strategies that allow commercial servers, switches, and radios to operate far beyond their original structural specifications.
Shock & Vibration Isolation Architecture: Design and integrate complex isolation systems—including wire-rope, elastomeric, or 3D-printed energy-absorbing lattices—specifically tuned to protect delicate internal electronics from tactical vehicle vibration and high-impact events.
Additive Manufacturing for Hardening: Leverage Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) to create hyper-optimized, lightweight structures. Use AM for part consolidation, weight reduction, and the creation of "conformal" structural supports that wrap around uniquely shaped COTS components.
Environmental Sealing & Ingress Protection: Design and validate IP67/68-rated seals. Ensure the chassis architecture accounts for pressure equalization during rapid altitude changes while preventing the ingress of sand, dust, and salt fog.
Structural FEA & Dynamic Simulation: Perform high-fidelity Finite Element Analysis (FEA), including linear/non-linear dynamics and fatigue analysis, to simulate environmental and operational stress profiles.
Verification & Standards Compliance: Direct all structural validation and correlation efforts to ensure both bespoke designs and integrated hardware meet or exceed MIL-STD-810H and MIL-S-901D requirements.