Aerospace Engineering, Aerospace and Defense, Analysis Skills, Assembly Drawings, Best Practices, Bill of Materials (BOM), Budgeting, CAD/CAM (Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing), Cost Engineering, Document Management, Documentation, Electromagnetic Compatibility, Electromagnetic Interference (EMI), Electromechanical Design, Electromechanical Systems, Electronics, Environmental Compliance, Finite Element Analysis, Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing, Hardware Design, IR (Infrared), Instrumentation, Maintain Compliance, Manufacturing, Mechanical Design, Mechanical Engineering, Military, Military/DoD Standards, Optical Engineering, Product Data Management (PDM), Product Lifecycle Management, Product Programs, Product Support, Product Testing, Production Schedule, Production Support, Production Systems, Project Tracking, Project/Program Management, Prototyping, Regulations, Regulatory Compliance, Reliability Engineering, Semiconductors, Simulation, SolidWorks, SolidWorks Simulation (fka Cosmos FEA), Source Code/Configuration Management (SCM), Static Analysis, System Integration (SI), System Test, Systems Engineering, Technical Leadership, Test Equipment, Testing, Tolerance Analysis, Traceability, United States Citizen, United States Department of Energy (DOE)
Santa Barbara Infrared, Inc. (SBIR), a subsidiary of HEICO Corporation (NYSE: HEI, HEI.A), designs and manufactures electro-optical (E-O), including advanced infrared (IR), test instrumentation used worldwide. Our products support the testing of military and commercial sensor systems in laboratory, production, depot, and field environments. SBIR has built its reputation as a fast-paced, innovative company that provides highly engineered, cost-effective solutions to the aerospace and defense community.
Role Summary
We are seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to own the architecture and guide the development of precision mechanical systems for IR test equipment. In this role, you’ll define mechanical design approaches, create and refine complex assemblies, and ensure system-level integration in collaboration with cross-disciplinary teams. You will serve as a technical leader to junior engineers, providing design guidance, reviews, and best practices, while remaining hands-on in CAD, analysis, and prototyping. Your expertise will directly shape the performance and reliability of next-generation optical test systems used by global aerospace and defense leaders. This is a hands-on, on-site role based in Santa Barbara, CA.
$145,000.00/yr. -$195,000.00/yr. – DOE
M-F (Full-Time, On-Site)
Responsibilities
- Own architecture and complete lifecycle of E-O/IR systems, ensuring that mechanical designs meet all performance, environmental, and compliance requirements, driving traceability from concept through delivery.
- Contribute to the ME team’s budgetary and schedule estimations, and rapidly identify corrective paths to keep projects on track.
- Identify technical, schedule, and manufacturing risks early, and drive mitigations to maintain program success.
- Partner with project managers, system engineers, vendors, and production staff to support manufacturing and rapidly implement performance, reliability, and quality improvements.
- Drive semiconductor integration and hardware design for IR scene projection products and programs.
- Drive ECO’s to create and maintain detailed design documentation, including fabrication/assembly drawings, BOMs, and Interface Control Documents (ICDs).
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent.
- 10+ years of related experience.
- Expert with CAD tools (SolidWorks preferred) including revision control (PDM/PLM), and GD&T (ASME Y14.5) including tolerance stack-ups.
- Experience with Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for static analysis.
- Background in optical systems (including alignment and precision adjustment mechanisms), vacuum hardware design, electro-mechanical system design, and/or power electronics packaging.
Preferred
- Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, or Aerospace Engineering.
- Experience with FEA/CFD simulation tools (ANSYS, SolidWorks Simulation, COMSOL) for thermal/structural/frequency analysis.
- Familiarity with regulatory and qualification testing (e.g., vibration, thermal cycling, shock, EMI/EMC, or MIL-STD/DO-160 standards)
- Experience with Zemax or other optical design/tolerance analysis tools.
- Background in vacuum hardware design, sealing, and hermetic packaging.
Additional Information
Due to US Export Control Regulations compliance, eligible candidates MUST be a US citizen, permanent resident or a person who has been granted asylum; proper documentation required. Pre-employment verifications: must pass background, reference and ITAR/EAR checks in addition to a pre-employment drug screen.
Benefits
We offer a comprehensive package including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), PTO, HSA, FSA, 9/80 alternate work week schedule, LTD, life insurance, and more.
Equal Opportunity
SBIR is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer (Male/Female/Veteran/Disabled).
Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Women/Protected Veterans/DisabledH
HEICO Corporation
HEICO Corporation is a successful and growing technology-driven aerospace, industrial, defense and electronics company. For more than 60 years, HEICO has thrived by providing customers with innovative and cost-saving products and services.
HEICO's products are found on large commercial aircraft, regional, business and military aircraft, as well as on a large variety of industrial turbines, targeting systems, missiles and electro-optical devices.
HEICO Corporation is a New York Stock Exchange listed company (NYSE: HEI and HEI.A) and has also been ranked as one of the 100 "World's Most Innovative Growth Companies", 100 "Best Small Companies" and 200 "Hot Shot Stocks" by Forbes over the past decade. With headquarters in Hollywood, Florida, and multiple locations around the world - HEICO provides over 1 million square feet of design, manufacturing, repair, overhaul, distribution, sales and support capabilities.
HEICO Corporation operates in two segments, the Flight Support group and the Electronic Technologies group. The Flight Support group designs, engineers, manufactures, repairs, distributes and overhauls FAA-approved parts that extend over the entire aircraft, from the engines all the way to hydraulic, pneumatic, electromechanical, avionic, structures, wheels and brakes and even interiors.
The Electronic Technologies group produces electrical and electro-optical systems and components serving niche segments of the aerospace, defense, communications, and computer industries. The Electronic Technologies group is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and sale of electrically and electro-optical engineered products used in the aerospace, defense, space, and electronics industries.
By combining state-of-the-art technologies, a team of highly skilled Team Members and an indisputable commitment to quality, both segments have constantly delivered invaluable solutions to customers over the years, helping to position them as leaders within their industries.