Job Title: Mechanical Systems Engineer EquipmentJob DescriptionThis role leads the mechanical design, configuration control, and lifecycle management of equipment used to move, lift, tow, launch, recover, transport, and support a cleansheet large autonomous underwater vehicle. You will own the vehicle master model and toplevel assembly, define and enforce CAD standards and modeling conventions, and manage drawing release and PDM workflows. You will take operatorfacing hardware from concept through detailed design, fabrication, and real dockside and atsea use in a handson prototype environment.
Responsibilities
- Own and maintain the vehicle master model and toplevel mechanical assembly, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and consistency across all configurations.
- Define, implement, and uphold CAD standards, modeling conventions, and best practices for mechanical design and large assemblies.
- Develop detailed 3D models and 2D drawings for lifting, handling, rigging, towing, launch, recovery, transport, and support equipment used with a large autonomous underwater vehicle.
- Create and release productionquality drawings with appropriate GD&T, tolerances, and notes to support fabrication and inspection.
- Manage drawing and release processes, including PDM workflows, permissions, release states, revision control, and overall largeassembly health.
- Support engineering change and configuration management activities, ensuring that design updates are controlled, traceable, and properly documented.
- Develop and maintain technical data packages for mechanical equipment, including models, drawings, specifications, and supporting calculations.
- Perform and document structural and loadpath hand calculations to validate lifting and handling designs and support loadrated equipment certification.
- Design tow points, bridles, lifting fixtures, cradles, handling equipment, and launch/recovery mechanisms for dockside and atsea operations.
- Collaborate closely with fabrication, test, and operations teams to ensure designs are manufacturable, safe, and operatorfriendly.
- Support prototype build, integration, and testing activities in a handson environment, including dockside and atsea trials.
- Troubleshoot mechanical issues in the field and iterate designs based on realworld feedback and operational experience.
- Provide training and guidance to team members on CAD standards, drawing practices, and configuration management processes.
- Contribute to continuous improvement of mechanical design processes, tools, and workflows for complex mechanical assemblies.
Essential Skills
- At least 7 years of mechanical design experience on hardware that was actually built and deployed in realworld applications.
- Proven experience designing loadrated lifting, handling, or rigging equipment.
- Strong proficiency with 3D CAD modeling, released drawings, and application of GD&T.
- Working knowledge of structural and loadpath analysis, including performing hand calculations to validate designs.
- Mechanical design engineering experience with mechanisms, lifting and handling equipment, rigging, launch and recovery systems, fixtures, cradles, and towing/tow points.
- Experience designing complex mechanical assemblies and equipment for demanding environments such as shipbuilding, aerospace, or similar industries.
- Proficiency with CAD design, CAD modeling, CAD drafting, and CAD drawings using tools such as CATIA V5, SolidWorks, Creo/Creo Parametric (Pro/ENGINEER), or equivalent CAD software.
- Mechanical engineering background with strong 3D design skills for equipment and mechanisms.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
- Comfort working from concept through fabrication and deployment, including direct interaction with fabrication and operations teams.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
- Experience with launch and recovery systems for marine vehicles.
- Familiarity with ASME B30 or equivalent lifting codes and standards.
- Experience in shipyard, offshore, dockside, or atsea operations.
- background in mechanism and actuated hardware design for demanding environments.
- Experience in defense or maritime robotics applications.
- Exposure to autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV), or other subsea systems.
- Experience in new product development for complex mechanical or marine systems.
- Shipbuilding or marine industry experience supporting large mechanical assemblies.
- Aerospace industry experience applying rigorous design, analysis, and documentation standards.
- Ability to train and mentor others in CAD standards, drawing practices, and configuration management.
Work EnvironmentThis role operates in a handson prototype environment supporting a new large autonomous underwater vehicle. You will primarily work in a design and engineering setting using advanced CAD tools and PDM systems, while regularly engaging in shop, dockside, shipyard, and testsite activities. The engineer will design and oversee hardware such as tow points, bridles, lifting fixtures, cradles, handling equipment, and launch/recovery mechanisms, then support their fabrication, integration, and realworld use at shipyards, docks, and atsea test locations. The environment emphasizes close collaboration with multidisciplinary teams, frequent interaction with operators and technicians, and direct involvement in testing and operations to validate and refine designs. Job Type & LocationThis is a Contract position based out of Costa Mesa, CA. Pay and BenefitsThe pay range for this position is $60.00 - $85.00/hr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits
available for this temporary role may include the following:
Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave) Job Type & LocationThis is a Contract position based out of Costa Mesa, CA. Application DeadlineThis position is anticipated to close on Nov 13, 2026. Workplace TypeThis is a fully onsite position in Costa Mesa,CA.About Actalent
Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.
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