Senior Mechanical Engineer for Undersea Systems

About the Team:

The Sensors Division within STR focuses on the development and analysis of advanced sensor systems in the RF, acoustic, and electro-optical domains. This includes the design and development of novel sensors and advanced information processing techniques from ideation to prototype implementations. The Subsea and Seabed Systems (SSS) Group develops and delivers advanced undersea sensor and signal processing systems, including bespoke undersea vehicles to deploy those systems. We apply those products to to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and counter-ISR applications to deliver missions success to our customers.

The Role:

We are seeking a Senior Mechanical / Ocean Engineer to develop technical solutions for complex, distributed uncrewed undersea systems—including vehicles, buoys, and ocean bottom nodes. In this role, you will work with high‑level guidance from a Principal Investigator or Chief Engineer, but own the detailed engineering: turning concepts into designs, prototypes, and fielded systems through analysis, fabrication, integration, and testing.

You will collaborate closely with multidisciplinary teams (mechanical, electrical, acoustics, software, systems) to realize novel system concepts for ISR and C‑ISR missions. You’ll be expected to build and apply domain expertise, proactively suggest next steps, perform peer reviews, and contribute to reports, proposals, and presentations that capture your results and ideas.

What You Will Do:

• Develop mechanical and ocean engineering solutions for distributed uncrewed undersea systems, from concept through detailed design, fabrication, integration, and test
• Lead technical tasks within small, multi‑disciplinary teams, coordinating closely with electrical, acoustics, embedded systems, and power engineers to balance complex system‑level tradeoffs
• Design and analyze key undersea structures and subsystems, including:
• Pressure vessels and housings for deep‑water operation
• Hydrodynamic forms and appendages
• Thermal management and power system packaging
• Shock, vibration, stability, and control aspects
• Transducer and actuator mounting and integration
• Model, analyze, and simulate electro‑mechanical, fluid, and thermal systems using custom or commercial tools (e.g., FEA, CFD, thermal analysis) to inform design decisions and predict performance
• Contribute to the design and implementation of undersea acoustic hardware prototypes, ensuring mechanical designs support acoustic performance, reliability, and manufacturability
• Work with teammates to model and simulate advanced undersea acoustic systems across scales—from individual sensor physics to system‑level and theater‑level behavior—providing mechanical and ocean engineering insight
• Perform peer reviews and suggest next steps for ongoing research and development activities, helping shape follow‑on tasks and programs
• Support the development of best practices and capabilities for designing, producing, integrating, and testing distributed uncrewed undersea systems; identify gaps and propose approaches to address them
• Contribute to technical communications (reports, briefings, proposals, and presentations) that summarize your designs, analyses, test results, and recommendations for customers, sponsors, and internal stakeholders

Who you are:

• Ability to obtain a clearance with eligibility to support special access programs, for which U.S citizenship is needed by the U.S government
• BS with at least 5 years of relevant experience, MS with at least 3 years of relevant experience, or PhD  in Mechanical Engineering, Ocean Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience developing mechanical/ocean engineering solutions for advanced research and development projects, preferably in undersea or harsh‑environment systems
• Strong knowledge in several of the following areas:
  • Pressure vessels and deep‑water structures
  • Hydrodynamics and stability of undersea vehicles and platforms
  • Thermal management and power system integration
  • Shock and vibration design and mitigation
  • Transducers, actuators, and their mechanical integration

• Hands‑on experience progressing from concepts to fielded systems, supported by:
  • Analytical modeling and simulation (including FEA or similar tools)
  • Prototyping and fabrication
  • Lab, pool, and/or at‑sea testing
• Ability to work with high‑level guidance and independently develop detailed technical solutions, identify risks, and propose mitigation strategies.
• Ability to survey technical literature, understand state‑of‑the‑art developments, and incorporate relevant research into current problem sets.
• Strong communication skills, including:
  • Clear documentation of designs, analyses, and test results
  • Contribution to technical briefings and reports for customers and senior management

Even Better:

• Active Clearance
• Experience with distributed uncrewed undersea systems (UUVs, buoys, ocean bottom nodes) and their mechanical/ocean engineering challenges
• Familiarity with acoustic systems and how mechanical design impacts acoustic performance and noise control
• Experience working in multi‑disciplinary R&D teams, collaborating across mechanical, electrical, acoustics, and software disciplines
• Prior interaction with U.S. Government or defense customers, and understanding of how mission needs translate into engineering requirements
• Experience supporting proposal development, including providing technical input, estimates, and risk assessments

This Senior role is ideal for an engineer who enjoys owning challenging mechanical and ocean engineering problems, collaborating across disciplines, and turning advanced concepts into robust undersea systems.

 Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to contribute to the development of groundbreaking undersea robotic and sensing systems that will shape the future of maritime autonomy. You will work alongside a passionate and talented team, tackling some of the most challenging and rewarding problems in the field. If you are a visionary roboticist with a drive to innovate and lead, we want to hear from you.

Apply today and help us redefine what’s possible beneath the waves.

Pay Information
Full-Time Salary Range: $135,000 - $160,000

The salary range listed is based on external market data. Offers are based on factors, such as but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, education, training, key skills/critical skills, security clearances, and prevailing market and business conditions.