Mechanical Design Manager M2

The Mechanical Design Manager leads OSI’s mechanical design function, comprising the Mechanical Engineering and CAD teams within the Hardware Engineering department. The function develops marine navigation and bridge systems for OSI’s government and naval markets that offer market-leading performance and reliability, minimize production costs, and are maintainable over an extended lifecycle. The Mechanical Design Manager is accountable for the people, processes, tools and technical quality behind all mechanical design output, from requirements and concept through 3D models, drawings and released technical data. The role ensures the teams are adequately resourced, trained and mentored, follow the Company’s standards and configuration management practices, and deliver designs that meet technical, manufacturing, cost and schedule requirements. The Manager must thoroughly understand mechanical and structural design for shipboard environments, the modeling and maintenance of large electro-mechanical systems using CAD and PDM/PLM tools (SolidWorks, AutoCAD, SolidWorks PDM, PDXpert, etc.), and how to manage resources, schedules and engineering change.

What will you do?

People Leadership and Development

• Leads, supervises and manages the Mechanical Engineering and CAD teams (mechanical engineers, mechanical designers and CAD operators), in conjunction with technical specialists
• Participates in the recruitment and selection of mechanical engineering and CAD staff, and provides onboarding and orientation for new team members
• Sets individual objectives, provides ongoing feedback and conducts performance reviews for direct reports
• Ensures the ongoing professional and skill development of the team by overseeing Professional Development Programs, identifying skill gaps and planning for succession
• Trains, mentors, coaches and provides technical guidance to engineers and CAD staff on the Company’s processes, standards, tools and best practices, and cross-trains staff to assure resource flexibility and efficiency
• Ensures individual and team roles and responsibilities are understood

Planning, Resourcing and Delivery

• Works with the Manager, Hardware Engineering, to select and assign Mechanical Engineers and CAD staff to projects, and balances workload across concurrent programs
• Coordinates mechanical design and CAD work with other functions (electrical, systems, software, project management, production, supply chain and quality) to meet project deadlines and other requirements
• Monitors progress, tracks and resolves or escalates the design, modeling and drawing backlog and schedule risks, and reports progress on team activities to the Manager, Hardware Engineering, on a regular basis
• Works with the Manager, Hardware Engineering, to develop labor estimates and technical input for proposals, customer solicitations and new product development
• Works with the Manager, Hardware Engineering, to achieve departmental and divisional goals

Design Authority and Technical Review

• Reviews the design and development of navigation and bridge system products to established codes, standards, drawings, specifications and customer requirements, for both commercial and military customers
• Reviews and approves hardware requirements, hardware design documents, written plans, calculations, designs, specifications and material lists in conjunction with technical specialists, and ensures the proposed solution meets the stated requirements
• Regularly checks the completeness and accuracy of models, detailed drawings and work plans, including the correct application of GD&T and tolerance analysis
• Through the application of engineering expertise and analysis, ensures mechanical designs are optimized for manufacturability, reliability, maintainability, weight and cost; works closely with Production to develop and refine assembly drawings and instructions
• Ensures mechanical design inputs to environmental qualification and certification testing (e.g. shock, vibration, climatic, ingress and EMC enclosure design) are planned, and supports the resolution of test failures
• Leads the mechanical content of internal project gate reviews (such as PDR, CDR and PRR) and participates in cross-functional review meetings
• Supports the sustainment of fielded products, including field issue root cause investigations, design changes and component obsolescence

CAD, PDM/PLM and Configuration Management

• Working closely with the Senior Cad Coordinator, owns the mechanical CAD environment, including tools, templates, part libraries and licenses, and plans software upgrades in coordination with IT
• Leads the management of the drawing database and PDM/PLM systems, including revision control, electronic storage of data and release of approved drawings
• Leads the mechanical engineering change process (ECR/ECO) and ensures configuration control of released designs and delivery of technical data packages to customers
• Ensures controlled and classified technical data is handled in accordance with the Controlled Goods Program, export control and security requirements

Standards and Continuous Improvement

• Writes, maintains and updates the Company’s mechanical design and drawing standards and best practices
• Develops and implements improvements in work procedures, tools and approaches used by the mechanical design function, and tracks team performance metrics (e.g. drawing first-pass quality, change cycle time, backlog)
• Captures and applies lessons learned from projects, production and field feedback into design standards
• Follows and promotes workplace operating and environmental, health and safety procedures and guidelines

What will you bring?

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent; P.Eng. designation or eligibility is an asset.
• 8+ years of mechanical and structural design experience, ideally including marine industry and engineering team supervision.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain NATO Secret security clearance and access to Controlled Goods.
• Proficiency with SolidWorks and working knowledge of AutoCAD.
• Experience with PLM systems (e.g., PDXpert) and PDM systems (e.g., SolidWorks PDM/Vault).
• Strong knowledge of GD&T (ASME Y14.5), statistical tolerance analysis, configuration management, and engineering change control.
• In-depth understanding of product certification testing to civilian and military standards, including IEC 60945, MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-167-1, and MIL-STD-901.
• Experience applying shipbuilding codes, classification society rules, and standards (e.g., Lloyd’s Register Rules).
• Experienced in requirements management with proven hardware troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to provide strategic technical leadership while balancing reliability, manufacturability, and cost.
• Highly organized, able to manage multiple projects and priorities, with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience with the following is desirable:
  • Design for vibration and shock in shipboard environments.
  • Design for Assembly and Manufacturing (DFM/DFA).
  • Design for harsh climatic and corrosive environments.
  • Design of plastic, cast, sheet metal, machined, and welded components.
  • Human Factors design (e.g., MIL-STD-1472).
  • Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for thermal, structural, and dynamic applications, and CFD for thermal analysis.
  • Model-Based Definition (MBD) and 3D annotation practices.
  • Familiarity with the naval platform environment.