Senior Specialist, Mechanical Engineer Engineering Palm Bay, Brevard, FL
L3Harris · Palm Bay
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L3Harris is the Trusted Disruptor in defense tech. With customers’ mission-critical needs always in mind, our employees deliver end-to-end technology solutions connecting the space, air, land, sea and cyber domains in the interest of national security.
Job Title: Senior Specialist, Mechanical Engineer
Job Code: 46122
Job Location: Palm Bay, FL
Job Schedule: 9/80: Employees work 9 out of every 14 days – totaling 80 hours worked – and have every other Friday off
Job Description:
We are seeking a motivated, driven, and analytically minded Senior Specialist, Mechanical Engineer to join a dynamic program team focused on the mechanical architecture, design, development, and qualification of high-reliability spaceflight electronics. This role centers on complex subsystems including spaceborne avionics, satellite RF modules, power distribution units, and radiation-shielded microelectronics. The ideal candidate will take ownership of flight-qualified electronic enclosures, ensuring total mission success and survivability against extreme launch vehicle vibration/pyroshock, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and hardware thermal constraints.
Key responsibilities include technical execution across the full product lifecycle, encompassing requirements definition, electrical-mechanical space trade studies, radiation-mitigation packaging, material selection (vacuum compatibility/outgassing), design documentation, and rigorous space environments testing. The successful candidate will bring strong hands-on experience in 3D CAD modeling, high-density space-grade PCBA packaging, and the capability to perform highly focused Electronic Packaging (EP) thermal and structural simulations to validate ruggedized hardware. A willingness to work in a laboratory or factory floor environment, interface with manufacturing engineers, and engage directly with spaceflight hardware is essential.
Essential Functions:
- Task Ownership: Ability and desire to take full ownership of space-grade electronic packaging tasking while working with general supervision across a variety of high-consequence, mission-critical program activities.
- Stakeholder Communication: Provide clear communication and technical updates, both formally and informally, to internal program leadership, engineering teams, and external aerospace customers or agency representatives (e.g., NASA, Space Force).
- Technical Data Packages: Generation of complete Technical Data Package (TDP) components, including detailed part drawings, space-grade PCBA mechanical outlines, tolerance stack-ups, and flight assembly drawings.
- Prototyping & Cleanroom Integration: Support prototyping, cleanroom integration, and testing of flight-qualified electronic enclosures, internal wire/harness networks, and advanced thermal management components.
- Space Environments Testing: Support and execute rigorous environment test plans for space subsystems (e.g., Thermal Vacuum (TVAC), random vibration, pyroshock, and EMI/EMC shielding compliance to space-industry standards).
- Hardware Evaluation: Perform laboratory testing, diagnostic data collection, and flight-readiness evaluation of component parts, flight connectors, and integrated systems.
- Design Milestones: Participate in and prepare technical materials for peer reviews, Preliminary Design Reviews (PDR), and Critical Design Reviews (CDR).
- Cross-Disciplinary Alignment: Coordinate tightly with Electrical, Radiation, and Manufacturing Engineers on component placement, keep-out zones, radiation shielding thickness, component thermal dissipation paths, and signal integrity constraints.
- Team Collaboration: Provide technical guidance to Designers, Cleanroom Technicians, and Operators as part of a flight hardware design and assembly team.
- Ability to obtain a US Secret Security clearance.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree and minimum 6 years of prior relevant experience. Graduate Degree and a minimum of 4 years of prior related experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum of 10 years of prior related experience.
Preferred Additional Skills:
- EP Thermal Analysis: Experience performing steady-state and transient electronic component and board-level thermal modeling (conduction paths through multi-layer boards, thermal via dissipation, and component junction temperature predictions).
- Structural & Dynamics Analysis: Capability to perform linear structural, high-g random vibration, and acoustic/pyroshock analysis using finite element models to ensure physical reliability during harsh rocket launch conditions.
- Simulation Infrastructure: Hands-on experience or working familiarity with CAD-integrated or specialized electronic packaging solvers, specifically Creo Simulate, Solaria / SolariaPCB, or Ansys Mechanical.
- Aerospace Electronics Manufacturing: Practical experience or strong technical knowledge of high-reliability manufacturing assembly lines. This includes Surface Mount Technology (SMT) reflow ovens, automated optical inspection, hand-soldering criteria, and strict adherence to space-grade soldering standards.
- J-STD & IPC Standards: Strong understanding or application knowledge of IPC-A-610 Class 3 and IPC/EIA J-STD-001 (including the J-STD-001 Space Addendum) requirements for soldered electrical and electronic assemblies.
- MIL-STD-810 Understanding: Familiarity and working understanding of MIL-STD-810 environmental engineering considerations and laboratory tests (specifically tailored for temperature, shock, vibration, acceleration, and low pressure/vacuum simulation).
- Process Metallurgy & Chemistry: Understanding the manufacturing nuances of electronic materials, such as solder joint fatigue validation (due to thermal cycling/vibration stress), underfill/staking applications, and conformal coating/potting processing to mitigate tin whiskers and withstand vacuum outgassing.
- Space Subsystem Architecture: Experience in the design, development, and packaging of space-qualified modules, power supplies, RF assemblies, and high-density PCBAs using space-grade components (EEE parts).
- SWaP-C Optimization: Proven track record of designing space enclosures heavily restricted by Size, Weight, Power, and Cost (SWaP-C) constraints.
- Space Materials Knowledge: Deep understanding of space-compatible material choices, focusing on low-outgassing requirements (per NASA SP-R-0022A / ASTM E595), thermal interface materials (TIMs), and galvanic corrosion prevention.
- CAD & Tolerancing: High proficiency in CAD tools such as Creo Parametric and an expert working understanding of ASME Y14.5 Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) standards.
- Specialized Space Integration: Experience with flight connector selection, ruggedized space-grade cable harness design, EMI/EMC shielding techniques, and venting designs for decompression.
- Manufacturing Frameworks: Applied Design for Manufacturability, Assembly, and Test (DFM/DFMA/DFMT) experience regarding high-reliability, zero-defect spaceflight electronics.
- Material Fabrication: Knowledge of machined chassis design, sheet metal enclosures, and additive manufacturing technologies validated for space environments.
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Please be aware many of our positions require the ability to obtain a security clearance. Security clearances may only be granted to U.S. citizens. In addition, applicants who accept a conditional offer of employment may be subject to government security investigation(s) and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
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