Principal Mechanical Engineer
Viken Detection · Burlington, MA · 3 wk ago
On-siteEngineeringFull-time
Responsibilities
- Serve as mechanical system architect for major product platforms
- Lead system-level design decisions, trade studies, and risk mitigation
- Establish mechanical standards, best practices, and reusable design architectures
- Drive cross-functional alignment across mechanical, electrical, software, and physics teams
- Lead development of complex electromechanical systems including structures, mechanisms, and enclosures
- Drive early-stage innovation by assembling and testing proof-of-concept prototypes to validate concepts and reduce technical risk
- Own mechanical execution across the full product lifecycle from concept through sustaining
- Resolve high-impact, cross-subsystem technical challenges
- Oversee tolerance analysis, structural integrity, environmental robustness, and reliability
- Partner with Operations to ensure manufacturable, scalable, and cost-effective designs
- Lead mechanical NPI efforts, production readiness, and supplier engagement
- Incorporate production, quality, and field feedback into continuous improvement
- Mentor engineers and lead technical design reviews
- Influence engineering roadmaps, resourcing, and long-term technical strategy
- Inspire engineering rigor, documentation quality, and technical excellence
- Travel as needed (e.g., to suppliers, manufacturing partners, field deployments, or customer sites) to support development, integration, and issue resolution
Requirements
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering
- 10+ years of mechanical engineering experience in complex product development
- Proven technical lead or system owner on shipped products
- Experience designing electromechanical systems such as handheld devices, large-scale industrial or vehicle-mounted equipment, or precision mechanisms
- Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes including injection-molded plastics, structural metals, welded assemblies, and tolerance management
- Advanced proficiency with SolidWorks or Onshape; working knowledge of FEA and mechanical simulation
- Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills
- Demonstrated ownership of designs from concept through full-rate production
- Experience with ruggedized, safety-critical, or harsh-environment products; collaboration with Physics or Imaging teams preferred
- Passion for mission-driven engineering and real-world impact