Mechanical Engineer II - ARFF Program

About the role

We are currently seeking a Mechanical Engineer II. This is a full-time hybrid position located in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. This is a full-time position supporting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) Research Program.

Responsibilities

• Provide engineering expertise, principles, and analysis to support ARFF research, testing, and operational activities.
• Plan, design, and execute experiments involving fire testing, thermal systems, fluid flow, and mechanical systems.
• Develop detailed test plans, engineering drawings, instrumentation layouts, and data acquisition systems.
• Conduct system analysis, including evaluation of mechanical, thermal, fluid, and structural systems using engineering tools and methods.
• Perform data collection, reduction, and analysis to support research findings and technical conclusions.
• Develop cost estimates, schedules, risk assessments, and logistics plans for assigned tasks and projects.
• Identify and troubleshoot technical issues related to test setups, instrumentation, and facility systems.
• Support fabrication, installation, and validation of test articles, instrumentation, and experimental systems.
• Manage and organize project tasks to ensure timely and accurate completion of deliverables without daily supervision.
• Prepare technical reports, research summaries, and formal documentation for internal and FAA stakeholders.
• Present technical information to internal teams, management, and government clients.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from an accredited college or university with a degree curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant engineering experience.
• Demonstrated ability to apply engineering principles including mechanics, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and materials science to solve technical problems.
• Experience planning and executing engineering projects, including research, system design, testing, and analysis.
• Experience developing engineering plans, cost estimates, schedules, and risk mitigation approaches.
• Experience with data collection systems, instrumentation, and engineering analysis tools.
• Proven ability to perform technical work independently and deliver results with minimal supervision.
• Strong technical writing and communication skills, including development of formal reports and presentations.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities in a dynamic research and test environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting ARFF, fire testing, or fire protection research programs.
• Experience with fire testing, or evaluation of firefighting agents and tactics.
• Experience with computational modeling tools (e.g., CFD).
• Experience designing and implementing data acquisition and control systems (e.g., LabVIEW).
• Experience with fabrication, mechanical system integration, or instrumentation installation.
• Experience working in hazardous or industrial testing environments.
• Firefighting training or operational experience (e.g., ARFF, Firefighter I/II) strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with FAA research programs or aviation safety testing environments.