CAD Designer

Amentum is seeking a technically capable CAD/Product Definition Mechanical Designer to support the development, modification, and configuration control of mechanical hardware used in U.S. Navy research, development, test, and evaluation facilities. This role is centered on translating engineering intent into accurate, manufacturable 3D CAD models, engineering drawings, bills of material, and controlled design documentation.

The Mechanical Designer will work closely with design engineers, systems engineers, drafters, technicians, vendors, and field personnel to support hardware from early concept through fabrication, installation, checkout, test, sustainment, and configuration-controlled release. The role requires strong Autodesk Inventor capability, disciplined model management, practical mechanical judgment, and the ability to produce and review engineering documentation to applicable drafting and GD&T standards.

This role will also support the program's progression toward a PLM-enabled Digital Twin / Digital Thread environment . The Mechanical Designer will help ensure that CAD models, drawings, bills of material, configuration records, engineering changes, and associated technical data are structured, traceable, and maintained in a manner that supports lifecycle visibility from concept development through fabrication, installation, test, sustainment, and future configuration reuse.

This team supports multiple U.S. Navy research and development facilities associated with high-priority weapon system development programs. These facilities are one-of-a-kind and provide capabilities not commonly available elsewhere in the Department of Defense. The ideal candidate is comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment where design maturity, documentation quality, manufacturability, configuration discipline, and schedule execution are all mission-critical.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• 3D CAD Modeling and Mechanical Design Support
  • Develop fully parametric 3D solid models, assemblies, subassemblies, and component models in Autodesk Inventor based on sketches, redlines, field measurements, legacy drawings, vendor data, and design-engineer direction.
  • Translate conceptual design intent into practical mechanical geometry that supports fabrication, assembly, installation, inspection, maintenance, and future configuration reuse.
  • Build and maintain Inventor assemblies using sound modeling practices, including appropriate constraints, part relationships, feature organization, model-tree discipline, and assembly-level design intent.
  • Support design engineers during concept development by identifying modeling challenges, clearance issues, tolerance concerns, fabrication constraints, and potential fit, form, or function risks early in the design cycle.
  • Revise and refine existing models to support design optimization, hardware changes, field modifications, tolerance adjustments, material substitutions, and configuration updates.
  • Maintain model integrity throughout iterative design cycles, ensuring changes are traceable, controlled, and consistent with approved engineering direction.

• Engineering Drawings and Product Definition
  • Create and support the development of 2D engineering drawings derived from 3D CAD models using Autodesk Inventor and AutoCAD.
  • Define appropriate drawing views, section cuts, detail views, notes, dimensions, tolerances, parts lists, and bill-of-material structures needed to clearly communicate the design.
  • Work with drafters and engineers to ensure drawings accurately reflect design intent, manufacturing requirements, inspection needs, installation constraints, and configuration-control expectations.
  • Review drawing packages for completeness, internal consistency, title block accuracy, revision history, BOM correctness, and alignment with the approved CAD model.
  • Apply GD&T principles consistent with ASME Y14.5, including datum selection, feature control frames, material condition modifiers, tolerance zones, and functional tolerance stack considerations.
  • Support compliance with applicable ASME drawing practices, including drawing format, line types, symbols, notes, views, and documentation conventions.
  • Help ensure released drawings are suitable for procurement, fabrication, inspection, assembly, installation, and long-term sustainment.

• PLM, Digital Thread, and Digital Twin Support
  • Support the program's transition toward a PLM-enabled Digital Twin / Digital Thread by helping maintain authoritative, configuration-controlled digital product data.
  • Ensure CAD models, drawings, bills of material, part metadata, revision histories, engineering change records, and supporting technical data are complete, accurate, and traceable within the applicable PDM/PLM environment.
  • Assist engineering teams in structuring mechanical design data so that it can support downstream fabrication, inspection, installation, test planning, configuration management, sustainment, and future digital-twin use cases.
  • Support model-based and data-centric engineering practices by maintaining consistency between 3D CAD models, released drawings, BOMs, interface documentation, and as-built/as-installed configuration records.
  • Participate in efforts to improve CAD/PLM workflows, naming conventions, metadata standards, part classification, document relationships, lifecycle-state management, and digital-thread traceability.
  • Help identify and resolve gaps between the physical hardware configuration and the controlled digital baseline, including redlines, field changes, as-built conditions, and configuration discrepancies.
  • Support the development of a reliable digital product baseline that improves lifecycle visibility, configuration awareness, and reuse of proven design data across future program efforts.

• Configuration Management and CAD Data Control
  • Maintain organized CAD files, drawings, models, BOMs, and supporting documentation within Autodesk Vault or other PDM/PLM systems.
  • Support engineering change order, drawing release, revision-control, and redline-incorporation processes.
  • Ensure CAD models, drawings, BOMs, and released documentation remain synchronized throughout iterative design cycles.
  • Assist in maintaining internal CAD standards, drawing templates, model organization practices, metadata conventions, and documentation best practices.
  • Participate in design reviews, drawing reviews, configuration-control reviews, and cross-functional technical meetings.
  • Support disciplined technical-data management to ensure design products remain usable, searchable, traceable, and suitable for future program needs.

• Fabrication, Installation, and Field Support
  • Support prototype, fabrication, assembly, installation, and production-readiness activities by providing accurate CAD data, drawings, fit-check support, and technical clarification.
  • Work with engineers, technicians, machinists, fabricators, vendors, and field personnel to resolve design documentation issues discovered during fabrication, installation, or checkout.
  • Support field measurements, hardware walkdowns, as-built updates, redline incorporation, and physical-to-digital configuration reconciliation.
  • Assist with practical mechanical problem-solving when hardware, drawings, field conditions, or installation constraints do not fully align.
  • Travel periodically to customer, vendor, fabrication, or test-site locations to support hardware execution and fielded-system needs.

Required Qualifications

• Associate degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology, Drafting Technology, Industrial Design, Manufacturing Technology, or a related technical discipline. Equivalent practical experience may be considered.
• 3-5 years of hands-on mechanical CAD experience using Autodesk Inventor in a manufacturing, test-system, industrial, aerospace, defense, or product-development environment.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a US Government Secret Clearance. Please note US Citizenship is required to obtain a Secret Clearance.
• Demonstrated ability to create and modify mechanical parts, assemblies, and production-level engineering drawings.
• Working knowledge of GD&T and engineering drawing practices.
• Experience supporting design changes, drawing revisions, BOM updates, and configuration-controlled documentation.
• Ability to interpret sketches, redlines, vendor drawings, legacy drawings, field measurements, and verbal engineering direction.
• Experience working within a structured CAD data-management environment, such as Autodesk Vault, PDM, PLM, or similar configuration-controlled systems.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to drawing accuracy, model integrity, documentation quality, and configuration discipline.
• Ability to work effectively with engineers, drafters, technicians, vendors, fabricators, and field personnel.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced Autodesk Inventor experience, including large assemblies, model configurations, derived parts, iParts/iAssemblies, frame generator, sheet metal, routed systems, or other advanced modeling features.
• Experience with Autodesk Vault, AutoCAD, Fusion 360, or other CAD/PDM/PLM tools.
• Strong working knowledge of ASME Y14.5 GD&T practices and ASME Y14-series drawing standards.
• Experience supporting Digital Twin, Digital Thread, Model-Based Definition, Model-Based Systems Engineering, or PLM-enabled product lifecycle initiatives.
• Familiarity with PDM/PLM concepts, including lifecycle states, item masters, BOM management, revision control, engineering change workflows, part metadata, and digital-thread traceability.
• Experience supporting defense, aerospace, Navy, R&D, test facility, industrial equipment, launch systems, pressure systems, structural hardware, or electromechanical integration.
• Experience developing drawings for machined parts, weldments, sheet metal, brackets, fixtures, harness-support hardware, equipment racks, mechanical interfaces, or facility-integrated hardware.
• Experience supporting fabrication shops, machine shops, assembly teams, installation teams, or field-test operations.
• Familiarity with engineering change processes, configuration management, controlled technical documentation, as-built records, and fielded-hardware configuration reconciliation.

Soft Skills and Work Style

• Highly detail-oriented with a strong commitment to drawing accuracy, CAD model quality, technical-data integrity, and documentation completeness.
• Effective communicator capable of working across engineering, drafting, manufacturing, field-support, and program-management teams.
• Self-directed and able to manage multiple concurrent design tasks in a fast-paced, schedule-driven environment.
• Collaborative team player who actively contributes to continuous improvement, design discipline, and configuration-control maturity.
• Comfortable working through ambiguity, incomplete source data, field redlines, and evolving design requirements.
• Practical mechanical judgment with the ability to recognize when a design, drawing, or model may create fabrication, assembly, installation, or sustainment challenges.

Work Environment and Travel

This position is based in Edmonds, WA, with periodic travel to field sites, customer facilities, fabrication vendors, and test locations. Travel is expected to be approximately 25% and is typically planned in advance.

The role includes office-based CAD and documentation work as well as hands-on support in industrial, laboratory, fabrication, and outdoor test environments. The candidate must be comfortable supporting hardware across the lifecycle, from concept and design documentation through fabrication, installation, test, sustainment, and configuration update.

Compensation Details:
$80,000-$140,000

Original Posting:
07/09/2026 - Until Filled
Amentum anticipates this job requisition will remain open for at least three days, with a closing date no earlier than three days after the original posting. This timeline may change based on business needs.

Amentum is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our hiring practices provide equal opportunity for employment without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), age, ancestry, United States military or veteran status, color, religion, creed, marital or domestic partner status, medical condition, genetic information, national origin, citizenship status, low-income status, or mental or physical disability so long as the essential functions of the job can be performed with or without reasonable accommodation, or any other protected category under federal, state, or local law. Learn more about your rights under Federal laws and supplemental language at Labor Laws Posters.