Multidisciplinary Systems Engineer (Mechanical/Software)

Job Description

Job Summary

WGS Systems, a leading innovator in communications and defense industries, is looking to expand our technical team. We are seeking an early-career multidisciplinary engineer to support product development across mechanical design, analysis, and software integration. This hybrid role offers unique exposure to both hardware and software disciplines, ideal for someone who enjoys variety and wants to build broad systems engineering capabilities in the defense/aerospace sector.

You'll contribute approximately 50-60% of your time to mechanical engineering tasks (CAD design, structural analysis, thermal management, packaging) and 40-50% to software development (embedded systems, test automation, data pipeline development, and analytics infrastructure support). You'll work at the intersection of sensor hardware and data science, ensuring our sensors collect high-quality data and integrate seamlessly with our analytics platform that fuses proprietary and commercial intelligence data.

As our product portfolio grows, this role will evolve with your interests and company needs. This position is perfect for someone who doesn't want to be pigeonholed into a single discipline and thrives in a fast-paced, hands-on engineering environment where you'll see your work go from concept to fielded system.

Key Responsibilities

Mechanical Design (50%):

Design mechanical assemblies, enclosures, and mounting solutions for sensor systems using CAD (SolidWorks/CREO preferred)

Perform structural, thermal, and vibration analysis to ensure designs meet environmental requirements (MIL-STD-810, DO-160)

Support prototyping, fabrication coordination, and design for manufacturability (DFM) with machine shops and vendors

Conduct mechanical testing and validation; document results for design verification

Create and maintain engineering drawings, BOMs, and technical documentation per AS9100 standards

Collaborate on packaging solutions for RF systems, thermal management for electronics, and integration with existing platforms

Software Development (50%)

Develop test automation scripts and data acquisition software for hardware validation and sensor characterization (Python, MATLAB)

Write embedded software for sensor control, data logging, and system configuration (C/C++, Linux)

Build data pipelines and ETL processes to ingest sensor data into analytics infrastructure; support integration with commercial datasets

Develop preprocessing and feature extraction algorithms for raw sensor data to support ML model development

Create APIs and data interfaces between sensor systems and analytics platforms; ensure data quality and formatting standards

Develop GUIs and user interfaces for sensor configuration, system monitoring, and data visualization

Support software integration with customer platforms; troubleshoot hardware-software interface issues

Contribute to version control practices, automated testing, and documentation for software deliverables

Cross Functional Collaboration:

Work closely with electrical engineers, data scientists, and senior systems engineers to integrate mechanical and software subsystems

Partner with data science team to ensure sensor data collection meets analytics requirements; implement data quality checks and validation

Support development of data infrastructure for model training, including data storage, versioning, and retrieval systems

Support Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), customer demonstrations, and field testing activities

Participate in design reviews, failure analysis, and continuous product improvement initiatives

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, or related field

2-5 years of professional experience in product development, preferably in defense, aerospace, or electronics

U.S. Citizen (required for contract work; ability to obtain USG security clearance

Proficiency in CAD software (SolidWorks, CREO, or similar) with experience designing mechanical assemblies for electronics products

Working knowledge of FEA tools (ANSYS, COMSOL, or SolidWorks Simulation) for structural/thermal analysis

Strong programming skills in Python (required); familiarity with MATLAB, C/C++, or LabVIEW

Hands-on experience with prototyping, fabrication methods, and working with machine shops

Understanding of mechanical testing methods (vibration, shock, thermal cycling)

Excellent problem-solving skills with ability to work independently on multiple projects

Preferred Skills

Active Secret or higher clearance

Experience with embedded systems development (Linux, microcontrollers, RTOS)

Familiarity with RF system packaging, thermal management for high-power electronics, or sensor integration

Knowledge of defense/aerospace standards: MIL-STD-810 (environmental testing), AS9100 (quality), DO-160 (airborne equipment)

Experience with Git/version control

Background in mechatronics, robotics, or electromechanical systems

Exposure to manufacturing processes: CNC machining, 3D printing, sheet metal fabrication

Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP) and containerization (Docker) for deploying data processing services

Prior work in startup or small team environments where you wore multiple hats

Full-time

Hybrid remote