Mechanical Test Engineer
About The Position
Leidos Defense’s Systems Integration and Test Team is seeking a Mechanical Test Engineer to support structural testing and system-level integration and test for defense-sector platforms and technologies, including kinetic and directed-energy systems, RADAR, and other surveillance and sensor technologies. The role works across business sectors with industry partners and customers to deliver test solutions for complex systems. The engineer supports planning, preparation, execution, and evaluation of structural tests for mechanical components, assemblies, support structures, and integrated hardware. The position develops and reviews test plans and procedures, identifies test anomalies, supports integration of mechanical assemblies with other subsystems, and helps verify that hardware and interfaces function as intended. It also involves instrumentation and data acquisition, troubleshooting, technical reporting, maintaining test records, and communicating findings and risks to engineering leads and stakeholders.
Requirements
- ABET-accredited bachelor’s degree or equivalent in mechanical engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
- Four or more years of relevant engineering experience in mechanical engineering, structural testing, system integration and test, hardware verification, or a related technical field.
- Working knowledge of mechanical engineering fundamentals, including statics, dynamics, strength of materials, stress and strain, load transfer, stiffness, and deflection.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to collaborate across mechanical, systems, electrical, manufacturing, and test engineering disciplines.
- Ability to work independently on assigned tasks while adhering to approved procedures, safety practices, and quality requirements.
Nice To Haves
- Experience conducting or supporting structural load, proof load, stiffness, deflection, or other structural integrity tests.
- Experience with strain measurement, load measurement, displacement monitoring, accelerometers, and instrumentation installation.
- Experience developing or modifying structural test fixtures, mechanical interfaces, support structures, and load application hardware.
- Experience with system-level integration and test of complex mechanical assemblies or electromechanical systems.
- Familiarity with system verification and validation, requirements traceability, interface verification, and formal test procedures.
- Familiarity with CAD tools, configuration management, discrepancy reporting, root-cause analysis, and corrective-action processes.
- Experience in aerospace, defense, or other environments with formal engineering, configuration control, and quality requirements.
Responsibilities
- Support planning, preparation, execution, and evaluation of structural tests for mechanical components, assemblies, support structures, data collection, technical reporting, and integrated hardware.
- Develop and review structural test plans, test procedures, work instructions, and data collection requirements.
- Identify unexpected structural behavior, excessive deformation, abnormal loading, fixture movement, fastener or joint issues, and other test anomalies.
- Support system-level integration and test activities to verify that mechanical hardware, subsystems, and associated interfaces function as intended within the overall system.
- Translate system requirements, interface control documents, engineering specifications, and verification plans into executable mechanical and system-level test procedures.
- Support integration of mechanical assemblies with electrical, electronic, actuation, control, and other subsystem elements as applicable to the test article.
- Support system-level environmental, dynamic, vibration, shock, or other qualification and verification activities when required by the program.
- Participate in test readiness reviews, integration reviews, test conduct meetings, and post-test assessments.
- Prepare test reports documenting objectives, test articles, configurations, instrumentation, procedures, results, anomalies, conclusions, and recommendations.
- Maintain accurate records of hardware configuration, test conditions, equipment setup, calibration status, procedural deviations, and test results.
- Communicate technical findings and potential risks to engineering leads, program stakeholders, and cross-functional teams.
- Evaluate mechanical configurations, fixtures, interfaces, and load application arrangements for suitability in a test environment.
- Develop or deploy mechanical instrumentation, measurement equipment, data acquisition systems, and test data interpretation.
- Troubleshoot mechanical hardware and test anomalies using a systematic, data-driven engineering approach.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
