Mechanical Engineer - Aircraft Environmental Control Systems

This role targets an electro-mechanical mechanical engineer with hands-on experience in aircraft vapor-cycle air conditioning and Environmental Control Systems. The position supports the design, development, testing, integration, and certification of mechanical systems for fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and eVTOL aircraft, coordinating with electrical, avionics, structures, manufacturing, and certification teams to ensure performance, safety, reliability, and regulatory compliance. Onsite in Willoughby, Ohio.

Responsibilities

• Design, analyze, and support aircraft Environmental Control Systems, including air conditioning, cabin pressurization, ventilation, and thermal management.
• Develop system layouts, ducting schemes, brackets, mounting structures, and component installation designs.
• Perform system performance analyses and optimize ECS performance across operating conditions.
• Support the selection, integration, and qualification of compressors, heat exchangers, valves, sensors, and related components.
• Conduct structural and thermal analyses to validate system performance and integrity.
• Develop and execute test plans for ECS and avionics cooling systems and coordinate testing activities.
• Support ground and flight test activities and analyze resulting data for design improvements.
• Ensure designs comply with applicable aviation regulations and standards, including FAA, EASA, and military airworthiness requirements.
• Prepare certification documentation such as compliance reports, engineering drawings, analyses, and substantiation packages.
• Participate in design reviews, certification meetings, and regulatory audits to demonstrate conformance.
• Create and maintain engineering drawings, parts lists, and technical documentation.
• Support configuration management and engineering change control processes.
• Provide technical support to manufacturing, production, and MRO teams.
• Assist with supplier technical evaluations, component selection, and vendor coordination.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electro-Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in the aerospace, aviation, or marine sector.
• Proven experience with vapor-cycle air conditioning and thermal management systems.
• Proficiency with CAD tools, including Creo, SolidWorks, and Windchill.
• Experience with finite element analysis (FEA) and/or computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools is beneficial.

Technologies

• Creo
• SolidWorks
• Windchill

Benefits

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong understanding of aerospace materials and manufacturing processes.
• Knowledge of aviation certification regulations, including 14 CFR Parts 23, 25, and 27.
• Experience supporting Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) or Type Certificate (TC) certification programs.
• Familiarity with environmental qualification standards DO-160 and MIL-STD-810.
• Experience working with military aviation standards and specifications.
• Strong problem solving, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary teams.

Key Competencies

• Systems thinking mindset
• Attention to detail
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, highly regulated environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong cross-functional collaboration and teamwork

Job Type

• Full-time

Salary

USD 80,000 - 95,000 per year

Application Question(s)

• How many years of Vapor Cycle Air Conditioning and Thermal Management Systems experience do you have?

Work Location

Willoughby, Ohio, onsite (in person)