Worker Type
Regular
Job Description
Summary
The Sr. Manager, Mechanical Engineering coordinates with other program managers, engineering managers, and functional groups to meet project requirements and milestones. As a member of the Engineering leadership team, this position participates in executing the overall engineering product development strategy, team development, and evaluation.
Position Responsibilities
- Leads a group of Mechanical, Aeromechanical, Aerospace, and/or Manufacturing Engineers, including staffing, training, performance evaluation and career development; attracts and retains high caliber staff and provides mentorship
- Plans, coordinates, and directs engineering development projects, including product changes and enhancements
- Designs, modifies, develops, and implements aeromechanical/mechanical engineering solutions as an individual contributor and/or team lead
- Leads or supports the thermal, structural, dynamic, and fluid flow analysis efforts for electronics equipment
- Leads the testing and data collection in the laboratory and the field
- Models the mechanical devices and selects the proper material
- Performs stress and fatigue analysis; Performs thermal analysis and selects bonding material
- Develops mechanical drawings and specifies the dimensional tolerances
- Develops assembly instructions and test procedures
- Develops test plans and test procedures to verify designs
- Works on complex issues where analysis of situations or data requires an in-depth knowledge of variable factors
- Conducts informal and formal presentations.
- Works with manufacturing organization for the introduction of new designs
- Frequently interacts with customers and/or functional peer group leaders, and suppliers, normally involving matters between functional areas
- Collaborates with Program Managers to create and periodically review resource plans
- Establishes and assures adherence to budgets, schedules, and work plans
- Other duties as assigned
Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Aeromechanical or related Engineering is required or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
- Minimum 12+ years of relevant engineering experience
- Minimum 2+ years successfully leading a team
- Minimum 5+ years’ experience on multiple engineering projects including research and development efforts.
- Experienced in developing requirements specification for mechanical subsystems and according to MIL-STD 961D standard or equivalent
- SolidWorks for mechanical modeling.
- ANSYS for structural and fatigue analysis
- Extensive experience with thermal management tradeoffs and solutions and materials properties
- Experienced with bonding techniques for extreme environmental conditions using different adhesives
- Experienced with manufacturing methodologies of electrical machines
- Experienced with creating and maintaining product document tree
- Experienced with creating and maintaining products bill of materials (BOM)
- Experienced with test and measurement techniques, such as torque transducer calibration and instrumentation
- Demonstrated understanding of engineering configuration management processes.
- Experienced with working from high-level program requirements
- Ability to analyze the assigned project, break down work into functional disciplines and/or subsystems and create design/develop plans
- Ability to obtain at minimum a Secret level DoD security clearance
Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies
- Advanced degree is preferred
- Hands-on experience with metal and composite fabrication and 3D printing is preferred
- Demonstrated familiarity with UAVs and related engineering design processes is preferred
- Knowledge and experience of analytical techniques and tools for FEA, Thermal, Aerodynamics is preferred
- Demonstrates competency in communicating technically and effectively with multiple disciplines
- Skilled at identifying, communicating, and mitigating technical risks and issues
- Demonstrates strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills
- Exercises independent judgment in methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for obtaining results
- Uses vision to think beyond the immediate situation, explore multiple potential paths, and adapt decision-making style based on the situational circumstances
- Inspires, motivates, and empowers people to deliver organizational goals, while also delivering value back to employees
- Brings organizational values to life using personality, uniqueness, and the creation of a shared vision
- Champions the process of change and promotes a culture of quick adaptation while helping others deal with the effects of change
- Demonstrates the ability to develop and maintain internal and external trusting, professional relationships
- Assesses the degree of risk and opportunity in plans or actions and takes appropriate action to mitigate them or makes plans to build on the opportunity
Physical Demands
- Ability to work in an office environment (Constant)
- Required to sit and stand for long periods; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Frequent)
Special Requirements
- U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (Green Card holder) or asylee/refugee status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) required.
- Occasionally may be required to travel within the Continental U.S.
- Ability to obtain at minimum a Secret level DoD security clearance
Clearance Level
No Clearance
The salary range for this role is:
$141,000 - $200,025
AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.
ITAR Requirement:
This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.
Benefits: AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.
We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.
Principals only need apply. NO agencies please.
About AV:
AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best.
We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve.
Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next.
If you're ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV.
We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.
ITAR
U.S. Citizenship required. Must be willing to work on government contracts and have the ability to obtain a security clearance.
