Job Title: Sr. Design EngineerJob DescriptionThe Design Engineer is a hands-on mechanical engineering role responsible for aerospace hardware from initial concept through detailed design, analysis, manufacturing, testing, and qualification. You lead the design and development of aerospace structures, mechanisms, and systems, perform and review stress calculations, own CAD and drawing packages, select appropriate aerospace materials, and ensure designs are manufacturable. You work closely with program leadership to keep engineering activities aligned with program milestones, provide technical direction to less engineers, and increasingly assume design leadership responsibilities while maintaining a high degree of autonomy and direct involvement with hardware.Responsibilities
- Lead mechanical design activities from concept development through detailed design, validation, and delivery for aerospace structures, mechanisms, and mechanical systems.
- Conceptualize, develop, and design mechanical systems that meet customer requirements and comply with common aerospace and industry standards.
- Perform hand calculations, engineering analyses, stress and structural analysis, and tolerance stackups to validate design intent, strength, and performance.
- Verify and review calculations, analysis work, and design outputs completed by other team members to ensure accuracy and robustness.
- Lead design efforts for systems and subsystems, often managing multiple simultaneous programs and design tasks in parallel.
- Create, manage, and oversee complete CAD models, 3D geometry, and 2D engineering drawings that accurately represent design requirements.
- Generate bills of materials and complete drafting packages, including GD&T and ASME-compliant documentation, for assigned designs.
- Select appropriate aerospace materials and alloys, including aluminum and stainless steels, and define surface finishes and postprocessing treatments suitable for the application.
- Ensure designs are manufacturable by incorporating design-for-manufacture principles, machining constraints, and production realities into the engineering process.
- Support proposal development and new business pursuits by producing rapid concept designs, CAD models, and visual content for customer presentations.
- Work closely with manufacturing teams to get components produced, resolve design-for-manufacturability issues, and optimize designs for machining and production.
- Support prototyping, hardware assembly, development testing, qualification activities, and transition of products into production.
- Collaborate across design, systems, development/test, manufacturing, quality, and program management to drive integrated engineering solutions.
- Mentor junior engineers, provide technical guidance, and contribute to the development of engineering best practices and standards.
- Influence design decisions, test strategies, manufacturing approaches, qualification plans, and overall program execution through engineering leadership.
- Independently drive engineering work across design, analysis, manufacturing, and test while maintaining strong communication with cross-functional stakeholders.
Essential Skills
- Extensive experience in mechanical design for aerospace hardware, covering concept development, detailed design, analysis, manufacturing, and test.
- Strong, hands-on proficiency with aerospace materials and alloys, including detailed knowledge of aluminum alloys, tempers, and common stainless steel grades used in aerospace applications.
- Ability to speak fluently about material selection for aerospace hardware, including surface finishes, postprocessing, and typical treatments for aluminum and stainless steels.
- Deep understanding of design for manufacturability, particularly for machined components, with the ability to determine whether features can be conventionally machined and produced at scale.
- Practical experience getting components manufactured and designing with production constraints, machining processes, and postprocessing in mind.
- Strong stress and structural analysis skills, including hand calculations, material strength evaluation, preliminary sizing, and design analysis.
- Experience with finite element analysis (FEA) or finite element modeling for structural assessment of mechanical components and assemblies.
- Proficiency with SolidWorks for 3D modeling and 2D drawing creation in a production engineering environment.
- Expertise in creating engineering drawings that use GD&T and comply with ASME drafting standards.
- Ability to produce complete drafting packages, including BOMs, detailed drawings, and tolerance stackups for complex mechanical systems.
- Strong mechanical aptitude and the ability to independently drive engineering work from concept through qualification.
- Effective communication skills and the ability to collaborate across design, analysis, manufacturing, test, and program management.
- Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or an equivalent technical discipline.
- Approximately 6+ years of relevant mechanical design and aerospace hardware experience, with emphasis on technical capability and responsibility.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
- Experience working with qualification-tested aerospace hardware, missile systems, propulsion systems, or solid rocket motor components.
- Familiarity with composite materials, composite insulators, and their application in aerospace and defense hardware.
- Experience in energetic or propulsion-related systems and hardware is highly beneficial.
- Experience supporting proposals, customer interaction, and presentation of technical concepts through CAD models and visual materials.
- Demonstrated mentoring and leadership capabilities, including guiding junior engineers and influencing technical decisions.
- Ability to work across the full product lifecycle, including design, analysis, manufacturing, integration, testing, qualification, and production.
- Comfort working in lean engineering teams where engineers have direct influence over design, test strategy, manufacturing, qualification, and program execution.
Work EnvironmentThis role operates in a hands-on aerospace and defense engineering environment focused on complex mechanical and propulsion hardware. Engineers support hardware throughout its lifecycle, including design, analysis, manufacturing, integration, development testing, qualification, and production. Work is predominantly onsite to enable close collaboration with physical hardware, test operations, and cross-functional teams in Design, Systems, Development/Test, Manufacturing, Quality, and Program Management. The environment emphasizes hardware ownership, where engineers see products through concept, analysis, machining, assembly, test, and qualification. The organization maintains a large portfolio of space and defense programs, offering exposure to mission-critical propulsion, launch, missile, spacecraft, and advanced defense applications, and providing opportunities for significant engineering influence and career growth. Job Type & LocationThis is a Permanent position based out of Mukilteo, WA. Pay and BenefitsThe pay range for this position is $120000.00 - $165000.00/yr. 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.Medical, dental, and vision insurance 401(k) with company match Paid time off Health Savings Account (HSA) with company contribution Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) Companypaid life and AD&D insurance Short and longterm disability coverage Tuition reimbursement Job Type & LocationThis is a Permanent position based out of Mukilteo, WA. Application DeadlineThis position is anticipated to close on Nov 20, 2026. Workplace TypeThis is a fully onsite position in Mukilteo,WA.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.
The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.
If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.
San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Massachusetts Lie Detector:
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.