Senior Mechanical Engineer IV - Communications

OTTO Engineering•Carpentersville, IL

49d•Onsite

About The Position

The Communications Division at OTTO Engineering designs and manufactures ruggedized, application-specific communication systems built to perform when failure isn’t an option, serving military, law enforcement, public safety, and industrial customers worldwide. As a Senior Mechanical Engineer IV, you will lead the mechanical design, development, and validation of ruggedized communication products—including speaker microphones, PTT devices, tactical headsets, and electromechanical assemblies—used in mission-critical environments. This role owns system-level architecture, manages multiple product development efforts from concept through production release, and provides technical leadership across engineering, manufacturing, quality, vendors, and customers. This role requires high autonomy, advanced engineering expertise, and the ability to mentor and guide lower-level engineers.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering
Minimum 7 years of mechanical engineering experience
Extensive use of mechanical CAD (CREO preferred)
Expertise in plastics, elastomers, die-cast metals, overmolding, and mechanical integration with PCBs
Strong understanding of DFM/DFA, tolerance analysis, and environmental/ruggedization requirements
Demonstrated ability to lead complex engineering projects with minimal supervision
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, hands-on engineering environment

Responsibilities

Define mechanical design concepts, system architectures, and performance specifications for ruggedized communication products that meet or exceed customer and marketing goals.
Establish project schedules, milestones, and deliverables, ensuring alignment with customer expectations and internal development timelines.
Perform advanced engineering analyses, including stress modeling, tolerance stack-ups, thermal and environmental modeling, and statistical evaluation of test data using manual methods and CAE tools.
Develop complete 3D CAD layouts of assemblies, subassemblies, and detailed components using CREO; review and approve designs created by lower-level engineers.
Prototype, test, and iterate designs to meet IP-rated sealing, MIL-STD durability, drop, vibration, and thermal cycling requirements.
Prepare and approve engineering documentation, including drawings, BOMs, ECNs, specifications, and verification reports.
Lead cross-functional coordination across engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, vendors, and customers to achieve project goals.
Provide production and quality support, including root-cause analysis, design improvements, and process troubleshooting for existing products.
Participate in and guide MRB activities, including discrepant material reviews and component analysis.
Serve as a technical leader, mentoring Mechanical Engineer I–III team members and driving engineering best practices.
Assist with other related duties as required or assigned.