Mechanical Engineer - RF Power Amplifiers
AMETEK · Bothell
Join our engineering team in Bothell, Washington, and take ownership of the mechanical design behind innovative RF power amplifier products used in demanding applications.
As our Mechanical Engineer, you will play a highly visible and influential role within a collaborative, multidisciplinary engineering team. You’ll lead the mechanical design, development, analysis, and continuous improvement of RF power amplifier products, ranging from amplifier modules to rack-mount systems and tactical booster amplifiers. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced engineer who enjoys technical ownership, hands-on problem solving, and the ability to see designs through their entire lifecycle, from concept and development to production and field support.
You’ll serve as the primary mechanical engineering resource for the Bothell product team, working closely with electrical, RF, PCB layout, manufacturing, and other engineering partners to solve complex challenges and deliver robust, manufacturable solutions. Rather than being one of many mechanical engineers, you’ll have the opportunity to make a meaningful technical impact and directly influence product designs and engineering decisions.
In this role, you will also provide technical guidance and design oversight to a Mechanical Draftsperson, reviewing drawings, models, and documentation to ensure they accurately reflect engineering intent and meet established quality standards.
What makes this opportunity stand out:
- Significant ownership and autonomy over mechanical engineering for an established RF product portfolio.
- A hands-on role spanning new product development, sustaining engineering, production support, and field support.
- Daily collaboration with electrical, RF, PCB layout, manufacturing, and other technical disciplines.
- The opportunity to solve challenging mechanical design, packaging, thermal, manufacturability, and product-performance problems.
- Direct influence on engineering decisions, product quality, reliability, cost, and continuous improvement.
- A role where your expertise will be highly visible and your contributions will have a direct impact on the success of the Bothell operation
Essential Duties:
- Design, update, and analyze mechanical enclosures, chassis, and packaging for RF power amplifier products, balancing electrical performance, thermal management, manufacturability, and cost.
- Perform detailed 3-D modeling, drawings, and design work in SolidWorks for new product development as well as sustaining/legacy product support.
- Conduct thermal and cooling analysis (heat sinking, airflow, conduction/convection paths) for high-power RF amplifier assemblies to manage thermal performance under sustained load.
- Perform finite element analysis (structural, thermal, vibration, shock) to validate enclosure and packaging designs.
- Design for machined metal manufacturing — CNC machining, casting, extrusion — as well as sheet metal fabrication; specify materials, surface finishes, coatings, and platings appropriate for RF and thermal performance.
- Drive Value Add/Value Engineering (VAVE) activities within the product line including cost/benefit analysis and researching alternative manufacturing options.
- Design mechanical interconnects, EMI/RFI shielding, and environmental sealing (IP-rated gasketing) for enclosures.
- Own product configuration and documentation: BOM management, assembly guides, exploded views, drawing packages, and configuration/change control (ECO/ECR) through the PLM system.
- Review, redline, and approve models and drawings produced by the Mechanical Draftsperson; provide day-to-day technical direction, mentorship, and quality oversight of drafting work — without formal supervisory/HR responsibility.
- Partner closely with electrical engineers, RF engineers, and the PCB layout engineer to integrate mechanical packaging with circuit boards, RF components, connectors, and system-level requirements; this role is the sole mechanical engineer supporting the team.
- Support prototyping (3D printing, machined prototypes) and apply DFM/DFA/DFT principles to improve manufacturability, testability, and cost.
- Troubleshoot and provide mechanical design support across the full product life cycle — from initial specification through qualification, production, and field support.
- Prepare technical reports, proposals, and cost estimates; prepare and deliver presentations and participate in design reviews.
- Interface with manufacturing, suppliers, and, as needed, customers to resolve mechanical design, fabrication, and quality issues.
- Identify and specify fasteners, connectors, and hardware appropriate for RF amplifier assemblies.
- Research and recommend materials, processes, tools, and suppliers to advance mechanical engineering capability within the product line.
Education / Experience:
- Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering (or closely related field)
- Demonstrated ability and willingness to use AI tools to improve productivity, decision-marking, work quality, and to reduce costs. The successful candidate must be able to identify appropriate AI use cases and critically evaluate AI-generated outputs
- Approximately 4 - 7 years of experience in mechanical design of electronic or electromechanical packaging/enclosures, with demonstrated ability to work independently
- Hands-on experience designing for machined metal manufacturing processes (CNC machining, casting, extrusion) required; sheet metal fabrication experience a plus
- Experience with thermal management and cooling design for power electronics, RF, or similar high-heat-density assemblies required
- Proficiency with SolidWorks (modeling, drawings, and simulation/FEA tools) required
- Experience reviewing or directing the work of a drafter, designer, or junior engineer preferred
- Experience with PLM and BOM management systems (e.g., Arena) preferred
- Familiarity with MIL-SPEC and IP-rated (ingress protection) design standards a plus
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint)
Skills and Abilities:
- Self-starter, comfortable working independently in a fast-paced, resource-lean engineering environment as the sole mechanical engineer on the team.
- Strong cross-functional collaboration skills; able to work effectively with electrical, RF, and PCB layout engineers to reconcile mechanical, electrical, and RF design constraints.
- Able to provide clear technical direction and constructive review of a draftsperson's models and drawings.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable presenting in design reviews and to internal stakeholders.
- Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; able to interpret technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form.