Senior Mechanical Design Engineer - Structures & Systems

Embark on a journey with QDSS at the forefront of technological innovation as we seek talented Engineers to shape the future of cutting-edge projects and contribute to a culture of excellence and creativity. What we do matters.

Quest Defense Systems & Solutions is seeking an experienced Mechanical Design Engineer to lead the integration of aircraft structures and systems across the product lifecycle. This position will serve as a technical focal point for design architecture, interfaces, manufacturing integration, certification, and engineering change management.

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Location: Remote; Eastern or Central time zone preferred

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Preferred Proximity: Cincinnati, Ohio, or Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

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Travel: Less than 25%

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Citizenship Requirement: Must qualify as a U.S. Person

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Security Clearance: Not required at the time of hire; ability to obtain a clearance in the future is preferred

What You Will Do:

- Lead conceptual layouts and integration solutions for aircraft structures and systems.

- Design primary and secondary structures, systems installations, and antenna installations for advanced connectivity systems.

- Define system architecture, interfaces, installation requirements, and Interface Control Drawings.

- Prepare structural and systems layouts, installation drawings, and detailed engineering drawings.

- Perform trade studies to optimize weight, cost, performance, and manufacturability.

- Develop and process Program Change Requests and manage modifications through configuration control.

- Evaluate the technical, cost, schedule, risk, and profitability impacts of proposed changes.

- Coordinate technical integration across Stress, Systems, Interiors, Aerodynamics, Mass Properties, Manufacturing, Quality, and Certification.

- Lead technical meetings with customers and suppliers and ensure the delivery of quality engineering documentation.

- Chair or support design reviews, risk assessments, and program milestone gates.

- Support manufacturing, production, and shop-floor issue resolution.

- Apply Design for Manufacturing and Design for Assembly principles.

- Support verification, validation, testing, qualification, and certification activities.

- Maintain accurate product lifecycle management and configuration data.

- Provide technical guidance and mentorship to other engineers.

Required Qualifications:

- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline.

- At least 5 years of aerospace engineering experience involving aircraft structures or systems integration.

- Experience designing primary and secondary airframe structures and systems installations.

- Proficiency with CATIA V5 or Siemens NX.

- Experience developing layouts, installation drawings, interface drawings, and detailed designs.

- Knowledge of materials and processes, GD&T, aerospace design standards, and preliminary sizing.

- Understanding of aircraft systems, structural interfaces, manufacturing processes, and industrialization.

- Knowledge of CAR, FAR, or CS certification requirements and compliance processes.

- Experience with configuration management and PLM systems such as ENOVIA or Teamcenter.

- Strong technical leadership, communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.

- Must qualify as a U.S. Person under applicable export-control regulations.

Desired Qualifications:

- Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline.

- At least 15 years of relevant aerospace engineering experience.

- Experience with antenna or aircraft connectivity-system installations.

- Knowledge of aircraft interiors integration and in-service maintenance constraints.

- French-language proficiency.

- Ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance in the future.

- Experience in the adoption and/or integration of emerging technologies (e.g., generative AI, automation platforms, digital assistants) into day-to-day operations for continuo