Principal Mechanical Engineer

Boston Engineering Corporation•Waltham, MA

1d•$150,000 - $185,000•Onsite

About The Position

Boston Engineering is seeking a Principal Mechanical Engineer for an office-based role in Waltham, Massachusetts. The role combines hands-on mechanical design with technical direction, multidisciplinary team leadership, mentoring, and client engagement. The engineer will guide complex product development from early concepts through manufacturing, with emphasis on motion systems, robotics, precision electromechanical systems, and products for demanding environments. The position involves helping teams navigate ambiguity and balance performance, cost, reliability, and schedule while remaining closely involved in design, prototyping, analysis, and testing. The Principal Mechanical Engineer will lead mechanical technical work on complex product development projects; translate client needs into requirements, specifications, architectures, and development plans; and coordinate system-level architecture and interfaces with other engineering disciplines. The role also includes designing and validating prototypes and production-ready systems, leading analysis and verification, and applying manufacturing, assembly, cost, and reliability principles. The engineer will lead cross-functional teams, partner with project managers on project planning and risk, mentor engineers, and improve engineering methods and standards. As a client-facing technical lead, the position communicates recommendations and tradeoffs, contributes to proposals, and identifies opportunities to expand client engagements. The role reports to the Manager, Mechanical Engineering & Project Manager. It is restricted to US persons because of access to export-controlled technology. Relocation is not available, and travel is minimal. The annual base salary range is $150,000–$185,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications. Benefits include health insurance, a 401(k) match, and paid time off.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Substantial experience developing complex mechanical and electromechanical products, typically gained through 10+ years of progressively responsible engineering work.
Demonstrated success bringing products from concept through prototyping, verification, and manufacturing.
Deep expertise in one or more relevant areas, such as precision electromechanical design, motion systems, robotics, or mechanisms.
Experience setting technical direction and leading multidisciplinary engineering teams through complex development challenges.
Strong system-level thinking, including defining interfaces and evaluating interactions among mechanical, electrical, and software elements.
Proficiency with Creo and/or SolidWorks, engineering analysis, and technical design documentation.
Strong working knowledge of DFM, DFA, design for cost, and reliability engineering.
Sound judgment in uncertain situations, including anticipating issues, making decisions, and taking responsibility for technical results.
Ability to explain complex concepts and design tradeoffs clearly to engineers, clients, and business leaders.
Collaborative leadership style and a record of mentoring engineers and helping teams succeed.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
Must be a US person (US citizen, permanent resident, or other protected individual under the Immigration and Nationality Act); proof of status is required before employment.

Nice To Haves

Experience designing products for underwater or marine environments.
Experience working in engineering services or product development consulting.
Experience leading customer engagements, developing technical proposals, or helping win follow-on work.
Familiarity with Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programs.

Responsibilities

Serve as mechanical technical lead for complex, multidisciplinary product development projects, owning major technical areas and their results.
Translate client needs into product requirements, engineering specifications, mechanical architectures, and development plans.
Guide system-level architecture and interfaces with electrical, software, systems, and manufacturing engineers.
Resolve novel engineering challenges, anticipate technical risks, and lead teams through ambiguous requirements and changing priorities.
Make and communicate design tradeoffs balancing performance, manufacturability, cost, reliability, and schedule.
Develop mechanical designs from concept through production using Creo and/or SolidWorks.
Design, build, and test proof-of-concept models, breadboards, prototypes, and production-ready systems.
Apply expertise in motion systems, robotics, precision electromechanical design, and integration with motion controls.
Lead engineering analyses, design reviews, and verification activities to establish that designs meet requirements.
Apply DFM, DFA, design-for-cost, and reliability principles throughout development.
Lead cross-functional engineering teams through major technical portions of projects, aligning disciplines and resolving technical disagreements.
Partner with project managers to define scope, estimate effort, plan technical work, and manage risks and dependencies.
Mentor engineers through design reviews, problem-solving, and coaching, and help develop future technical leaders.
Establish and improve engineering methods, design standards, and best practices across projects.
Ensure engineering work and documentation meet Boston Engineering’s Quality Management System requirements.
Serve as a primary technical interface for clients and communicate recommendations, risks, and tradeoffs to technical and executive audiences.
Build client confidence through engineering judgment, clear communication, and accountability for technical outcomes.
Lead technical contributions to proposals, including solution concepts, development approaches, estimates, and risk assessments.
Identify opportunities to expand client engagements through engineering expertise and understanding of customer needs.