Principal Mechanical Engineer

Wilcox develops innovative, world class electro-mechanical combat systems for today’s warfighters and law enforcement officers.

The Principal Mechanical Engineer at Wilcox is a recognized technical leader responsible for driving complex mechanical design efforts across multiple programs.

Serving as the primary technical authority on significant design initiatives, the Principal Engineer brings deep expertise in mechanical engineering principles, robust hands-on design and analysis capabilities, and the ability to mentor and lead engineering teams without direct managerial responsibility.

This role provides a critical bridge between engineering execution and strategic direction and ensures delivery of rugged, reliable, and innovative solutions in support of Wilcox’s mission to serve warfighters and law enforcement officers with excellence.

Roles & Responsibilities Serves as the technical lead on large-scale engineering efforts, driving concept through final design, validation, and production readiness.

Leads the mechanical design and development of complex electro-mechanical systems, ensuring alignment with performance, reliability, and manufacturability objectives.

Provides expert-level guidance and reviews of mechanical designs, analyses (thermal, stress, modal), and manufacturing documentation.

Partners with Program Managers, Electrical / Systems Engineers, and Manufacturing personnel to integrate multi-disciplinary designs into cohesive product solutions.

Interfaces directly with and receives design feedback from manufacturing engineers, machinists, and other key members of operations throughout the product development process.

Supports root cause investigations and implements design solutions for product performance or manufacturing issues.

Develops and maintains design best practices, standards, and processes within the mechanical engineering department.

Proactively identifies technical risks in the program risk log and FMEA documentation, and recommends mitigation strategies.

Collaborates with cross-functional teams to improve design processes and facilitate cross-pollination of innovation and lessons learned.

Mentors Senior and Junior Engineers, providing technical coaching and feedback to enhance skill development and technical rigor.

Fosters a collaborative environment, helping to raise the technical skill of the team.

Participates in proposal efforts, supporting mechanical scope definition, work breakdown structures, and estimation of engineering labor.

Leads or contributes significantly to design reviews (PDR, CDR, TRR) and presents to internal stakeholders and customers.

Demonstrates the ability to receive and act on constructive feedback.\ Authors and reviews documentation including drawings, design changes, analysis reports, technical memos, test reports, critical design decisions, and user documentation for future reference and traceability.

Demonstrates interpersonal tact when working with others.

Understands that it is critical to act as a united team during external meetings and demonstrates that understanding.

Leads small team of engineers, assigning tasks and overseeing work quality.

Assists in the preparation of prototypes, models, and specifications for mechanical systems and components.

Conducts hands-on testing in laboratory or field settings to evaluate the performance, durability, and functionality of mechanical systems, ensuring compliance with relevant standards and specifications.

Ensures manufacturability and cost-effectiveness in the mechanical design process.

Tracks project progress for mechanical engineering tasks, regularly prepares reports, and ensures that deadlines are met.

Presents designs, results, and reports to senior level management and / or external parties.

Stays up to date with the latest mechanical engineering trends, tools, and technologies, and incorporates them into the team’s design and development processes with management support.

Performs other duties as directed.

Qualifications & Requirements Education & Experience :

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering discipline (Mechanical, Manufacturing). 12+ years of Mechanical Engineering experience with increasing levels of responsibility, including experience in leading complex technical projects.
• Demonstrated experience in design for ruggedized, electro-mechanical military or aerospace systems.

Required Skills / Abilities :

Preferred Skills / Abilities :

Physical Requirements :