Mechanical Engineer, Missile Defense Tooling & MGSE Design (Senior - Staff)

YOUR MISSION

We are seeking a Senior or Staff Mechanical Engineer, Missile Defense Tooling & MGSE Design to serve as technical authority and team leader for tooling and ground support equipment across our Missile Defense programs. The title and scope will be calibrated to your depth of experience — at the senior end you will operate as a highly autonomous individual contributor with recognized domain expertise; at the staff and lead end you will own the full program tooling strategy, lead a team, set engineering standards, and serve as the primary interface with program leadership, MDA program offices, and government stakeholders. All candidates should bring 8+ years of tooling and MGSE experience within missile defense, missile systems, rocket propulsion, or closely related defense manufacturing domains. Specific level will be determined based on candidate experience.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as technical authority for missile defense tooling and MGSE — from requirements definition through design, fabrication, qualification, configuration control, and sustained production support.
• Lead design of complex tooling including precision interceptor assembly fixtures, kill vehicle integration tooling, canister and launcher assembly GSE, STE/ATP fixtures, below-the-hook lifting devices, and missile transportation and environmental containers.
• Define tooling engineering strategies, standards, and best practices; champion DFM/DFMA adoption and drive continuous improvement across the tooling lifecycle.
• Lead or manage a team of tooling engineers and designers: assign work, perform design checker duties, manage deliverable quality, and support career development.
• Own the full vendor relationship lifecycle: SOW/RFQ development, source selection, fabrication oversight, technical disposition of non-conformances, and supplier performance management.
• Chair or co-chair tooling PDR/CDR; present tooling status, risk, and schedule posture to program management, MDA program offices, and government stakeholders.
• Maintain and enforce DoD, MDA, and ATF safety and regulatory compliance across all tooling and GSE designs; serve as the program's tooling safety authority.
• Lead root cause investigations on complex tooling anomalies; drive systemic CAPA to prevent recurrence across the portfolio.
• Own configuration control discipline across the complete tooling data package: models, drawings, BOMs, work instructions, lift safety assessments, and proof test records.
• Develop and maintain tooling program schedules and budgets; provide accurate EAC inputs and proactively surface and mitigate cost and schedule risks.
• Represent tooling/MGSE at missile hardware PDR/CDR; provide producibility and toolability guidance to hardware design teams.
• Ensure compliance with ASME BTH-1, MIL-STD-882E, ASME Y14.5, ASME Y14.100, and applicable MDA and program-specific tooling standards across all team deliverables.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related STEM field. Graduate degree strongly preferred for staff and lead roles.
• Minimum 8 years of professional experience in tooling, MGSE, or manufacturing engineering within missile defense, missile systems, rocket propulsion, or munitions manufacturing. Staff and lead roles typically require 12+ years with demonstrated team leadership.
• Expert proficiency in 3D CAD (CREO, NX, or CATIA V5) and PLM/PDM (Windchill, Teamcenter).
• Expert application of GD&T (ASME Y14.5) and advanced tolerance analysis; qualified to serve as technical checker for team and vendor designs.
• Proven record of managing complex missile defense tooling programs from concept through sustained production.
• Deep experience directing fabrication vendors: SOW development, source selection, performance management, and disposition of non-conformances.
• Demonstrated DoD/MDA regulatory knowledge: MIL-STD-882E system safety, ATF Employee Possessor requirements, and ordnance-adjacent manufacturing compliance.
• Executive-level communication skills; experienced presenting to senior program leadership, MDA program offices, and government stakeholders.
• U.S. citizenship required; active Secret clearance required. TS/SCI eligibility required for certain program assignments.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Extensive direct experience as tooling technical lead on major missile defense programs: THAAD, PAC-3/MSE, SM-3 Block IIA, GMD/GBI, Next Generation Interceptor (NGI), JASSM, LRASM, or equivalent MDA/Army/Navy programs.
• Deep experience with kill vehicle integration tooling, canister and launcher assembly tooling, and precision interceptor handling GSE.
• Experience managing ATF Employee Possessor status programs and associated tooling and handling safety regimes.
• Structural analysis expertise (ANSYS, FEMAP/NASTRAN) qualifying lifting and handling equipment to ASME BTH-1 and MIL-STD-882E.
• Experience managing a tooling portfolio spanning 20+ active designs across multiple concurrent MDA or service-funded programs.
• Prior experience authoring missile handling safety assessments, ordnance tooling qualification plans, and ATF compliance documentation.
• Deep knowledge of solid rocket motor handling, assembly, and storage tooling requirements.
• Demonstrated expertise designing large structural weldments for aerospace GSE and tooling — welded steel frames, launcher support structures, integration stands, and handling bases — with proficiency in weld joint design, weld symbol specification per AWS A2.4, pre- and post-weld distortion control, material selection for weldability, and vendor qualification of WPS and welder certifications.
• Active Secret or TS/SCI clearance.

COMPENSATION

• Base Salary:
  • Denver: $130,000 - $220,000
  • Long Beach: $135,000 - $230,000

• Equity + Benefits including Health, Dental, Vision, HRA/HSA options, PTO and paid holidays, 401K, Parental Leave

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, location, and experience.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Work Location—Successful candidates will be located near Denver or Long Beach.
• Work environment—the work environment; temperature, noise level, inside or outside, or other factors that will affect the person's working conditions while performing the job.
• Physical demands—the physical demands of the job, including bending, sitting, lifting and driving.

This position will be open until it is successfully filled. To submit your application, please follow the directions below. #LI-Onsite