Mechanical Engineer

Job Title: Mechanical Engineer - CAD & Engineering Drawings (Defense Project)
Job Description
This short-term Mechanical Engineer role (approximately 2-3 months) supports a high-priority defense program focused on the Sentinel initiative. You will immediately contribute by creating and releasing formal engineering drawings for mechanical and electromechanical systems, working from prototypes, sketches, photos, existing parts, and assemblies. The position requires a self-sufficient engineer who can guide drafting efforts, apply GD&T, and take strong ownership of documentation activities for complex hardware and systems.
Responsibilities

• Create and release formal engineering drawings for mechanical and electromechanical systems using CAD tools, with a focus on SolidWorks.
• Develop engineering drawings from sketches, prototypes, photos, existing parts, and assemblies, ensuring accuracy and completeness.
• Guide and direct drafting personnel, providing clear design information and feedback for packaging and documentation.
• Perform static and dynamic design and analysis of mechanical systems, equipment, and packages.
• Conduct feasibility studies and testing on new and modified mechanical designs to validate performance and manufacturability.
• Provide design information and requirements to drafting teams to support detailed documentation and configuration control.
• Direct support personnel in the preparation of detailed designs, design testing, and prototype fabrication activities.
• Exercise independent judgment in selecting design methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria within broadly defined practices and policies.
• Analyze complex technical problems by evaluating multiple factors and propose effective design solutions.
• Manage assignments based on objectives and schedules, establishing personal goals to meet project milestones and deliverables.
• Collaborate frequently with customers, peer engineering groups, and cross-functional teams to resolve issues and align on design intent.
• Partner with drafters, project managers, and lead engineers to ensure timely completion of drawing packages and documentation.
• Provide guidance or informal leadership to other personnel on design standards, drawing practices, and GD&T application.
• Recommend process or policy improvements related to mechanical design, documentation, or drafting practices when appropriate.
• Ensure that decisions and deliverables support overall project schedules and avoid delays or rework.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor's degree in a related engineering field.
• Approximately 6 years of related mechanical engineering experience.
• 3-5+ years of hands-on CAD design and CAD drafting experience.
• Proficiency in SolidWorks (SolidWorks strongly preferred for this role).
• Strong experience with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T).
• Demonstrated ability to design and support mechanical assemblies.
• Experience with electromechanical assemblies and their documentation.
• Proven ability to create formal engineering drawings from sketches, prototypes, photos, and existing hardware.
• Experience conducting static and dynamic design and analysis of mechanical systems.
• Ability to perform feasibility studies and testing on new and modified designs.
• Experience directing support personnel in detailed design, testing, and prototype fabrication.
• Comfort working independently with minimal direction while managing objectives and schedules.
• Strong communication skills for frequent interaction with customers, peer engineers, and cross-functional teams.
• Experience in aerospace or defense engineering environments.
• Previous security clearance experience.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience creating standardized engineering drawing templates and documentation formats.
• Exposure to large-scale national security or mission-critical hardware programs.
• Experience working on complex mechanical and electromechanical assemblies within multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to provide guidance and informal leadership to drafters and junior team members.
• Comfort operating within fast-paced project environments with urgent deliverables.
• Strong sense of engineering ownership and accountability for drawing quality and completeness.
• Comprehensive knowledge of mechanical engineering practices, standards, and documentation processes.

Work Environment
The role operates in a hybrid work environment, with approximately 50% of the time spent working remotely and the remainder on-site. You will join a collaborative engineering team that values independent contribution and close coordination with drafters, project managers, and lead engineers. The project environment is fast-paced and supports urgent deliverables for a critical defense program, while maintaining a standard 40-hour work week. Engineers are expected to work independently, manage their own objectives, and contribute to shared goals. You will use modern engineering tools and company-issued hardware, gaining visibility into complex mechanical and electromechanical assemblies and contributing directly to meaningful national security-related hardware and system documentation.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract position based out of Lynnwood, WA.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $30.00 - $40.00/hr.
Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Workplace Type
This is a hybrid position in Lynnwood,WA.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Sep 29, 2026.
About Actalent


Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.


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