Senior Mechanical Engineer

Acquired Data Solutions•Gaithersburg, MD

About The Position

Acquired Data Solutions, Inc. is seeking a hands-on Senior Mechanical Engineer to design and support mission-critical, secure electronic systems for defense, aerospace, and secure communications applications. The role covers enclosures, thermal design, shielding, structural integrity, and manufacturability, in close collaboration with Electrical, PCB, and Systems Engineering teams. The engineer will own mechanical designs from concept through production and sustainment in a high-discipline engineering environment, with attention to EMI/EMSEC-driven design requirements. The position is based in Gaithersburg, Maryland. It involves mechanical architecture and design for secure electronic systems, including enclosure and chassis design, EMI-aware features, thermal management, structural analysis, detailed CAD and drawings, prototype and qualification support, cross-functional engineering, and production and lifecycle support.

Requirements

Experience building electronics enclosures or assemblies for defense industries according to MIL standards.
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent.
7–10+ years of professional mechanical engineering experience, including ownership of electronic enclosures or assemblies.
Strong hands-on experience with enclosure and chassis design for electronics, thermal management of electronic systems, and EMI-aware mechanical design.
Proven ability to work effectively in regulated, security-sensitive engineering environments.
Experience supporting products from concept through production and sustainment.
Experience using PLM software.

Nice To Haves

Experience with design or aerospace product design and application of RTCA/DO-160G or related MIL standards.
Familiarity with EMI/EMC compliance testing and mitigation strategies from a mechanical perspective.
Experience with ruggedized designs subject to shock, vibration, and environmental extremes.
Prior experience serving as a technical lead or senior mechanical authority on multidisciplinary programs.
Advanced knowledge of COTS parts for MIL-standard builds.
Cable harness design experience.
Advanced knowledge of SolidWorks PLM.
Experience creating assembly instructions.
Detail-oriented, disciplined approach and a strong ownership mindset.
Comfort working across electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing boundaries.
Practical problem-solving skills, balancing rigor, schedule, and cost.
Clear communication skills, including the ability to explain and defend mechanical design decisions.

Responsibilities

Serve as mechanical design authority for electronic systems operating in secure, mission-critical environments.
Own mechanical architecture from requirements through production, including enclosures, frames, COTS parts, chassis, shielding, gasketing, EMI/EMC mitigation, thermal management, and structural integrity.
Translate electrical and system requirements into robust, producible mechanical designs for low- to high-run production.
Design sheet-metal and CNC-manufactured mechanical solutions supporting TEMPEST or TEMPEST-like mitigation strategies, including shielded enclosures and covers, EMI gasketing, seams, bonding and grounding paths, and cable ingress/egress control.
Collaborate with Electrical Engineering to align enclosure and PCB/layout strategies for emissions control and signal integrity.
Support system-level RED/BLACK separation concepts through mechanical partitioning and layout.
Create detailed 3D CAD models, assemblies, and production drawings using SolidWorks and ASYME 14.5 drawing standards.
Define tolerances using GD&T and tolerance stack-up analysis.
Perform Finite Element Analysis in SolidWorks.
Define finishes, materials, and fastener strategies suitable for secure, long-lifecycle products.
Participate in prototype builds, fit checks, and bring-up activities.
Support qualification, compliance, and environmental testing, including EMI/EMC, thermal, vibration, and shock testing as applicable.
Design PCB footprints and placement for critical components, such as connectors and heat-dissipating ICs, considering mounting requirements.
Work with Electrical and PCB Design Engineers on component placement, stack-ups, grounding, and shielding effectiveness.
Work with Manufacturing on DFM/DFA, tooling, and assembly processes, and with Supply Chain on part selection, alternates, and obsolescence mitigation.
Provide mechanical input during system design reviews, risk assessments, and design trades.
Interface with customers, program managers, and test labs on mechanical design decisions that affect performance or compliance.
Support transition into production, including documentation, assembly instructions, and test fixtures as needed.
Provide sustaining engineering support for field issues, updates, and product revisions.
Design for long-term availability, serviceability, and configuration control.