Senior Development Engineer

Job Title: Senior Development Engineer Job Description
The Senior Development Engineer serves as a hands-on mechanical product development lead, advancing aerospace hardware from initial concept through detailed design, prototype fabrication, testing, and customer delivery. This role blends mechanical and electromechanical engineering with project execution, customer interaction, proposal support, and cross-functional technical leadership. You take ambiguous customer or program needs, help define the technical approach, develop the design, coordinate analysis and testing, resolve technical challenges, and deliver technically accurate products on schedule and within budget. You lead multidisciplinary teams, guide concept development, drive mechanical and electromechanical system design, and oversee prototype fabrication and testing to deliver highperformance solutions for aerospace and defense applications.
Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, organization, and execution of mechanical system development projects from concept through prototype and testing.
• Guide concept development and mechanical or electromechanical system architecture and design for aerospace hardware.
• Perform or oversee hands-on 3D CAD modeling and detailed mechanical design using SolidWorks or comparable platforms.
• Produce and review manufacturable engineering drawings, applying GD&T to ensure clarity and production readiness.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary analysis, mechanical development, prototype fabrication, and testing activities.
• Develop comprehensive test plans and detailed test procedures to validate mechanical and electromechanical systems.
• Drive hardware through the full product lifecycle, including concept, design, prototype build, and test execution.
• Help program and project leaders meet customer objectives on schedule and within budget by aligning technical work with program plans.
• Support proposal development involving advanced mechanical and electromechanical technologies for aerospace and defense applications.
• Interact directly with customers to define technical needs, present proposals, and participate in technical and program reviews.
• Collaborate closely with engineering, manufacturing, test, and program teams to ensure seamless project execution.
• Support business development by aligning technical capabilities with customer requirements and contributing to technical content in proposals.
• Coordinate work across design, analysis, manufacturing, test, program management, and customer stakeholders to maintain technical accuracy and completeness.
• Apply knowledge of heat transfer, structural analysis, dynamics, kinematics, advanced materials, CAD, and machine design to solve complex engineering problems.
• Lead engineering projects while remaining hands-on with design and hardware, balancing creativity, speed, manufacturability, and technical rigor.
• Present technical concepts, design decisions, and project status clearly to internal teams and external customers.
• Participate in qualification and environmental testing activities for aerospace hardware and prototypes.

Essential Skills

• Strong mechanical engineering foundation with a focus on aerospace mechanical systems and hardware development.
• Approximately 4 to 7 years of mechanical aerospace system development experience, with consideration for candidates with 3 to 4 years of highly relevant experience.
• Exposure to electromechanical systems and electromechanical product development.
• Hands-on 3D CAD experience, with SolidWorks strongly preferred; comparable 3D CAD platforms may be considered.
• Proficiency in GD&T and the ability to produce and interpret manufacturable engineering drawings and support drawing release.
• Experience developing test plans and test procedures for mechanical and electromechanical hardware.
• Demonstrated experience taking hardware through concept, detailed design, prototype fabrication, and testing.
• Working knowledge of heat transfer, structural analysis, dynamics, kinematics, advanced or high-strength materials, CAD, and machine design.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and execute engineering projects while meeting schedule, budget, and technical objectives.
• Bachelor's or master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with SolidWorks specifically, including strong GD&T and drawing-release practices.
• Background in mechanical and electromechanical product development for aerospace applications.
• Hands-on experience with aerospace prototype fabrication and testing, including qualification or environmental testing.
• Experience performing or coordinating structural and thermal analysis for aerospace hardware.
• Knowledge of dynamics and kinematics applied to mechanical and electromechanical systems.
• Experience working with advanced or high-strength materials in demanding aerospace environments.
• Machine design experience for complex mechanical systems.
• Customer-facing engineering experience, including direct interaction to define requirements and review technical progress.
• Experience in proposal development or technical business development support for aerospace or defense programs.
• Experience coordinating work across design, analysis, manufacturing, test, program management, and customer teams.
• Background in hypersonic, missile, propulsion, space, or defense hardware development.
• Hands-on mindset, remaining close to the design and hardware throughout the development lifecycle.
• Ability to lead engineering projects without becoming disconnected from technical execution.
• Comfort working from incomplete or evolving customer requirements and shaping them into clear technical plans.
• Strong technical problem-solving skills and the ability to coordinate across multiple engineering disciplines.
• Comfort presenting technical concepts and project status clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Organized and disciplined approach to schedule, budget, technical accuracy, and completeness.
• Interest in supporting proposals and business development in addition to core design responsibilities.
• Ability to balance creativity, speed, manufacturability, and technical rigor in design decisions.

Work Environment
This is an in-office role with heavy involvement in mechanical and electromechanical product development for active aerospace and defense hardware programs. You collaborate frequently with multidisciplinary engineering teams across design, analysis, manufacturing, test, and program management. The environment emphasizes direct customer interaction for needs definition, proposal reviews, and project reviews, as well as involvement in proposals, program execution, development, fabrication, and testing. You work with advanced aerospace technologies, including hypersonic and potential space applications, and have hands-on ownership from early concept through prototype fabrication and testing, seeing your designs become physical hardware. The organization offers a 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off, a company holiday shutdown, and a comprehensive benefits package that typically includes medical, dental, vision, 401(k) match, paid time off, HSA contribution, FSA options, company-paid life and AD&D insurance, disability coverage, and tuition reimbursement. The culture values technical excellence, cross-functional collaboration, and giving engineers significant ownership, visibility, and influence over technical solutions and proposal development.
Job Type & Location
This is a Permanent position based out of Mukilteo, WA.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $135000.00 - $160000.00/yr.
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.
-Medical, dental, and vision insurance -401(k) with company match -Paid time off -Health Savings Account (HSA) with company contribution -Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) -Companypaid life and AD&D insurance -Short and longterm disability coverage -Tuition reimbursement
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Mukilteo,WA.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Sep 25, 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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